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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 3/24/2004
Posts: 2,291
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I was out today and got to talking to someone from a company I won't name. We got to talking about cranes, Demag-Terex, Grove, Manitowoc, Link Belt then mentioned Liebherr and this guy went Nuts. Kept talking about how horrible Liebherr is and how they "Cut Corners" while building their lattice cranes and their Hydro booms. That their booms are weak and break "A-LOT" and the computers are "Slow". He got into details like the hydraulics for the outriggers slip and can't hold up the weight of a fully rigged crane. This guy went on for nearly an hour of how much he hates Liebherr crawlers/hydros. I have operated a LTM-1160/2 and had NO problems with the crane at all. I really honestly don't see anything other then Liebherr 1160/2/1200 5.1/1400 7.1 around or LR-1160/1280/1300 .. It's really Liebherr or Manitowoc.. If Liebherr "Cut corners" and "didn't weld their lattice sections" then wouldn't they crumple more?? Has anybody had ANY problems with a Liebherr like that? I've never heard such hateful things about Liebherr. I've heard nothing but wonderful things about them, How their crawlers/hydros are "Stronger" then Demag etc... You think this guy was just up in a rut today? Emil, Christian, Timt, Ever heard anything like that ??  Maybe he just doesn't know what he's talking about 
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 2/28/2006
Posts: 2,553
Location: Ashland,Massachuessetts
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I know very very little on cranes but the operator who set the modular home pieces on our job 2 weeks ago seemed to like them. Both cranes he had were Liebherr.
Bring the Qball back!
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Rank: Member
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Joined: 12/13/2007
Posts: 60
Location: Washington
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I'll speak for the tower end of things. Liebherr makes the best towers out there.
Also im not sure what he means when he says the outrigger hydros couldnt hold the weight. If they couldnt, the thing would collapes. The same thing goes for the "didn't weld their lattice sections", if there not welded, picking up pretty much anything would collapes the thing. The guy probably had one run in with an old liebherr and exagerated some issues it had. Like perhaps a crack in the lacing had to be rewelded, pretty common on towers. Or the hydro line on the outrigger looked to be leaking, and had the drip pads down or something. That, or the guys just bat guano insane.
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 3/24/2004
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In San Francisco it's about... 80% Liebherr and 20 other when it comes to tower cranes. I've never heard of anything so ridiculous as what i heard today. I've put up a few Liebherr towers for Morrow, great people. Why he would say that??? I don't know..
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 9/6/2006
Posts: 675
Location: Southern Ontario Canada
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hmmm that would be the first most people who complain about liebherr do so at the price lol there one of the top crane manufacturers
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Rank: Advanced Member
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, Moderator
Joined: 1/15/2007
Posts: 4,089
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Well all I can say is that my favorite heavy lift company uses a lot of Liebherr cranes and they would not put up with sloppy work. I can hardly wait for Christian to see this post.
Bob Bobs CranesCome Over To The Lift Side . . . . . . . We Have Cookies!!!!
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 3/24/2004
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Bobm2004 wrote:Well all I can say is that my favorite heavy lift company uses a lot of Liebherr cranes and they would not put up with sloppy work. I can hardly wait for Christian to see this post. I can't wait for Christian to see this either, I've heard more horror stories (my own) with the other big companies... Demag, Link Belt (don't get me started... love the HTC but the hydraulics.. eh...) Manitowoc has even had their problems. I know Liebherr has had some mistakes, but it happens!! Nothing to what that guy told me. If Liebherr "Cut corners" why do so many people buy the LTM-1200, 1220, 1300, 1400 or even the LTM 1500? Sinking out riggers??? In my eyes Liebherr is the BEST in Hydro, crawlers and towers..
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 4/13/2007
Posts: 2,441
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In my opinion, Liebherr is top shelf in every aspect. I think they go the extra step to satisfy the customer/operator. The LR1160 that I was on was the only crane(out of 60 misc. cranes) NOT to have an issue(for 2yrs). From there LMI's,rich paint,operator comfort,fast erection/knock down,redundant safty systems, etc... You pay for what you get. I enjoy them, more than Manitowoc
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 10/4/2002
Posts: 1,532
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from what im seeing ,in how the converstion went .this guy may be one of those who pull hard it comes easy kinda guys. the Liebherrs can do the work they where designed to do with out question. They dont put up with abuse. The older machines had their share of electrical issues ,but this can be said of any equipment using a computer in the day , it has evolved into very fast hybrid's of their former counterparts. Cut corners one of our mechanics was at liebhers plant for trainning had an oportunity to tour the plant and was able to get to see pre cut parts fot a heel section for a conventional.the steel is weighed after its cut ,to offer some assurances that its all there and the proper thickness.it weighed 11t going in and after its done ,inpsected and rolls out it well weight Approx 16t . 5 tonne of weld dosent ,at least where im setting , look as though corners are cut the Liebherr is the Cadilac bar none. This guy needs a 1960's linkbelt,or an old 25 ton grove kick it old school with the old girls leave the techno gadgets to the kids 
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 3/24/2004
Posts: 2,291
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Oiler, the LR-1160 is a great crane, the best one I've operated was the LR-1280. The Liebherr 1280 was so smooth, fast and easy to operate. I was on a job helping set up a M250 with 100ft main and 100ft of luffer, there was another company setting up a LR1280 on the other end of the site with 150ft main and 100ft luffer they got the 1280 up and running faster then we did with the M250. Liebherr is just the best..
Liebherr, I think he may have just been pissed because he lost his job to someone that knows how to work the "new age toys"
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 4/13/2007
Posts: 2,441
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Liebherr's are so fast to assemble and knock down, example would be on the butt section would be a little winch to pull back you cable back on the drum, hooking eyes on the boom sections so you do not have to guess where center is, lights, ladders, etc... Just the small stuff like factory equipted lights go a long way for us guys in the dark. I enjoy seeing any Liebherr on a site.
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 10/4/2002
Posts: 1,532
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Crane Op wrote:Oiler, the LR-1160 is a great crane, the best one I've operated was the LR-1280. The Liebherr 1280 was so smooth, fast and easy to operate. I was on a job helping set up a M250 with 100ft main and 100ft of luffer, there was another company setting up a LR1280 on the other end of the site with 150ft main and 100ft luffer they got the 1280 up and running faster then we did with the M250. Liebherr is just the best..
Liebherr, I think he may have just been pissed because he lost his job to someone that knows how to work the "new age toys" sher it wasnt MDG ,or BUD Light, the fertilzer they put in that cheap barrel wash can make people say and do strange stuff
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 3/24/2004
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The hooking eyes on the boom sections, head and butt are wonderful! Liebherr does everything wonderful... Even their calenders are top notch!   
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 6/4/2006
Posts: 7,752
Location: arlington, Tx
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Sounds like to me this guy was operating on a old poorly maintained machine. Liebherr is the best out there. Jason
NIkl Scale Models
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Rank: Member
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Joined: 10/21/2006
Posts: 90
Location: New Zealand
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Liebherr is the best all I can say is if you build as many of any thing as they do cranes your bound to have the odd issue , but in saying that you just don,t hear about leiberrs failing other than driver error  as for his coments on the computors being slow the Morrow guys down here say that the Liebherr are years ahead of the rest in NZ we also see about 80-90% liebherr and the rest is well other
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 7/31/2005
Posts: 5,487
Location: Breisach, Black Forest, Germany
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every crane manufacturer and every crane type has its problems, its good and bad sides.
Liebherr´s fall over as any other cranes. there are as many bad operators sitting in Liebherrs as in other machines.
and when a product is new, be it a software, a refrigerator, a car or a crane, it will always have bugs, no matter how well developed.
so i don´t take such phrases as above too seriously. i have seen Liebherr burning up. now was it the fault of Mercedes-benz or Liebherr with a bad engine, or gearbox problem? or the clutch or bad Liebherr cooling system, , or bad maintenance of the company? all you see is a fried Liebherr.
i have seen some of the stupidiest guys sitting at the levers calling it operating. resulting in a neatly folded boom. the load was not even 1 ton.
the only thing i know is that Liebherr might not be the cheapest cranes out there, but their full production is sold out to year 2009 and beyond for some crane types. i see cranes likee the LG1550 who is in production unchanged since 1992! i see the LTM1500 who is currently selling its 180th machine of that type. i see the small cranes who production totalalways easily pass the 4 digit number
you find good products at every of the four large telecrane manufacturers and the same goes for the large 3 lattice boom companies. as lons as it gets your job done, who cares? personal operator preference plays a big role in that. the right man with the right tool is the key to success.
the main complaint i hear about liebherr is pricing of service and parts. on the other hand, i remember talking to the Bay Crane yard mechanic who had this story: on the same day on a site, one of their LR1200 or 1300 and another contractors Manitowoc (999?) had the same failure. i think it was a hydraulic bit, don´t nail me to it)
they called Manitowoc, and Bay called Liebherr USA. Liebherr USA didn´t have the part in stock, it had to be flown in from the factory in Austria. well, the same part was on site faster coming by plane from Austria than from Wisconsin, since Manitowoc wasn´t able to keep its 24 or 48 hour guarantee.
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 7/31/2005
Posts: 5,487
Location: Breisach, Black Forest, Germany
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what i found funny: i heard a lot more criticism from european and esp. german crane people on Liebherr than from the US guys like Bay Crane or Stevenson that i visited. i´d expect it the other way round, even if its for a bit patriotic reasons i´d admit, but no, all US guys i found operating Liebherrs where VERY proud of their tool.
"so its made in Germany? thats ok. i don´t care, i put my Stars and Stripes sticker on it and love my tool!" i liked that attitude a lot.
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 4/11/2004
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Location: usa
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Sounds to me like this guy was a few bricks short anytime someone starts ranting that much about one company in praticular I take things said with a couple grains of salt. If you know what I mean.
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 7/31/2005
Posts: 5,487
Location: Breisach, Black Forest, Germany
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one more (not 100% serious) word: for those above who expected me to sing a german-patriotic praise on my favourite company, well, like every good fan i am the first to criticise my own team, since my heart beats for it. nevertheless i stand behind them anyway of course. PS, a Demag, Faun or Grove is nice too
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Rank: Member
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Joined: 10/21/2006
Posts: 90
Location: New Zealand
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Like Christian said you need to apretiate the other machines out there to realy love your own . they all have faults and merits hence the're all on the market and they all have buyers . if that makes sence
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