Cranab

Cranab supplies forestry cranes and grapples used on forwarders, loaders and truck-mounted applications — the lifting and handling side of the operation rather than felling or processing.

Crane specification is governed by lifting torque at working radius rather than by headline reach. A crane that reaches further but lifts less at that radius may be the wrong answer, particularly in hardwood work where piece weights are high.

For forwarder and truck-loading applications, crane cycle speed and operator ergonomics often matter more to daily output than maximum capacity, because the work is thousands of repetitive cycles rather than occasional heavy lifts.

Forestry cranes are specified on lifting torque at working radius, not on maximum reach — and confusing the two is the standard way to end up with a crane that reaches the log but cannot pick it up. A crane with greater reach that lifts less at the radius you actually work at is the wrong crane, and in Australian hardwood, where piece weights are high, that distinction bites quickly.

The second consideration is cycle speed, and it matters more than most buyers expect. Forwarder loading and truck loading are thousands of short repetitive cycles per shift rather than occasional heavy lifts. A crane that is a second or two faster per cycle, with better ergonomics and less operator fatigue, delivers more across a season than one with a higher headline capacity.

Mass and its effect on machine stability form the third constraint. Crane, rotator and grapple together shift the machine's centre of gravity and consume payload, which matters on soft ground and on slopes. On a forwarder, that interacts directly with how much timber can be carried.

Before committing, confirm lifting torque at your actual working radius, measured cycle times from an existing operator, total assembly mass, and local parts and service availability. On a component this integral to daily output, parts lead time translates directly into lost production days.