The Grove GMK5210 all terrain crane is the flagship of the fleet for Shawmut Crane & Rigging Company of South Boston, MA. They use it as a taxi crane and a recent typical day had it working in Lowell, MA, lifting three air conditioners to the roof of a 200-ft. high building. For this job, the main boom was fully extended to 197 ft. (60 m) and the 98-ft. (29.8 m) luffing jib was adjusted to a 20-degree offset. The lift radius was 140 ft. (42.7 m) and the air conditioners weighed 3,800 lbs. (1,723.6 kg) each. The lift was an easy one for the crane which could have lifted 8,200 lbs. (3,719 kg) in this configuration. Later on that day, the crane was used for making a tandem lift at the Central Artery project in downtown Boston, 30 mi. south of Lowell. Working with a similar capacity crane, the Grove lifted a 90,000-lb. (40,823 kg) steel I-beam at a lift radius of 50 ft. (15.2 kg).
Introduced last year, the GMK5210 has all the features Shawmut and others look for in a taxi crane. It has a top speed of 52 mph (83.7 kph) for fast travel from job to job and GVW is only 132,000 lbs. (59,874 kg). Lift capacity is 210 tons (189 t) with strong lift capacities at wide lift radii. The operator can pre-select the boom extension mode on the 197 ft. (60 m) Megaform Twin-Lock main boom for optimum set ups. The hydraulically offsettable luffing jib (5 to 40 degree) speeds up setup and provides an exceptional range of operational versatility. As on all Grove GMK all-terrain cranes, the Megatrak suspension provides excellent steering control both on and off-road as well as increased ground clearance for off-road work. All five axles steer, providing excellent maneuverability. The tiltable crane cab (approximately 20 degrees) enhances operator visibility and comfort.
