Franna cranes, also known as 'pick and carry' cranes, are similar to mobile cranes but do not have stabiliser legs or outriggers. Many opt for Franna cranes over truck cranes, as the setup time is much faster. Named after the original manufacturer of 10 to 25-tonne pick and carry cranes, Franna cranes have become a popular machine used on construction, plant, mining and building sites across Australia.
Although Franna was acquired by Terex in 1993 (now called Terex-Franna), many Aussies still call pick and carry cranes 'Frannas' even when manufactured by other brands.
If there is a large distance between job sites, the Franna crane is usually a good choice. There are various sizes of Franna cranes that offer different lift capacities for different jobs. If you are moving smaller loads, such as concrete barriers, a smaller 11-tonne pick and carry crane should do the trick. However, if you're looking to carry much heavier loads, you'll want something with greater lift capacity.
Lift height is also an important thing to note when looking to buy or hire a Franna crane. As the higher the boom lifts, the lower the lift capacity (at the boom end). Cranes do have in-built counterweights, but be sure to take note of the crane's lift capacity at full extension to make sure it's the right one for the job.
Franna cranes are highly versatile machines, and while mostly used in construction, are also used in mine sites. In fact, the company Franna also built a special drag line version of their cranes to help service and maintain monster mining vehicles and equipment.
There are many brands that manufacture pick and carry cranes like the Franna, including Jec, Linmac, Ormig, Terex, Terex-Franna, Zoomlion and more. Each manufacturer offers their own unique design, lift capacities and boom angles, so it's always best to do some research or discuss with a dealer which would be right for your project.
