Cranes are often utilised on building sites, during construction processes and at various manufacturing facilities, workshops and factories. Overhead cranes are one of the most widely used types of permanent crane, and they can offer you incredibly good lifting capacities – 20 tonnes is easily achievable from some of the leading crane brands. Cranes need to be used carefully and their usage needs to be carefully monitored under various health and safety clauses and acts. If you own and operate an overhead crane on your premises, then you really need to think carefully about everything you do with it.

Whilst you know you need to be safe, many site operatives want to find ways to make the purchase of cranes more accessible to them. Big crane brands are the ones you want to be buying, but they can often be the most expensive. One option is to opt for second-hand cranes instead. Many used overhead cranes are still relatively new and will offer you excellent value for money, despite having had a previous owner. However, as long as they come with the relevant paperwork to prove they have been fully serviced and checked over, you can safely buy one and know that it is going to offer you the lifting processes you need for your site, business or construction premises.

These are some of the key reasons why you might want to consider used overhead cranes instead of a new model:

• Access to better equipment, thanks to the lower cost. Some of the leading crane brands are not cheap. If you want to buy the best of the best, you might well have looked at big name brands and decided they are out of your price range. If you buy a crane that is a few years old, it might still work like new, but it will be cheaper. This means you can afford cranes that you never previously would have thought you’d be able to buy.
• There’s very little difference between a new crane and a used crane. Cranes are so robustly built, they are designed to last. If you choose a crane that is a few years older, it will still work the same as a brand new crane. If this is the case, why pay for a new crane? Choose second hand instead.
• Full paperwork. When you buy a used crane, it will come with all its servicing history and details of any work that has been completed on it. This means you can make an informed decision about whether the crane will be right for you, or whether it looks like it might need more work in the future. Once you get the paperwork, there will be full transparency during the process. Never consider a crane that hasn’t had regular inspections – this is a potential downfall that could cost your business dearly.

Check with the suppliers you currently use – it is often possible for them to source used cranes, and many of them already do so. It is always worth seeing what is available.