Compact Potain Igo MA 21 Tower Crane The Perfect Choice For Mountain Log Cabin Construction

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With its compact 11.8- by 11.8-foot footprint, a Potain Igo MA 21 was able to be set up in Western Idaho among several trees that would have had to be cut down for a larger crane. (Photo courtesy of Manitowoc.)

The small footprint and quiet operation of an electric Potain Igo MA 21 tower crane left quite an impression on the builders of a log cabin in the mountains of western Idaho. Local Potain dealer Rocky Mountain Crane of McCall, Idaho, supplied the 2-ton (1.8-metric-ton) self-erecting tower crane and set it up among the trees on the site in just a couple of hours.

“This crane is a huge cost saver, and it also saves us time and labor,” says Sage Construction owner Pete Loerzel. “We’ve used other cranes many times in previous jobs, but it’s our first time working with an electric crane and the advantages are just obvious.”

Compact & Quiet

With a compact 11.8- by 11.8-foot (3.6- by 3.6-meter) footprint, the Potain Igo MA 21 was able to be set up among several trees that would have had to be cut down to accommodate a larger crane, preserving the beauty of the locale. “There are a lot of properties in which you’re building between existing buildings, and when you can get a compact crane to do that work, it’s a huge cost saving,” Loerzel says.

The Potain was put to work lifting equipment, bags of cement, and flooring and roofing materials for the various teams constructing the log cabin. It eliminated the roofers’ need for scaffolding and a lift, which would have been difficult to bring to the site due to the unfinished dirt driveway.

Being an all-electric model, the Potain Igo MA 21 can operate with 220-volt single-phase or 480-v three-phase power. “It’s so quiet,” says Loerzel. “We are able to have multiple trades on the job at once and everybody can hear each other. The operator can give his instructions, and everybody can hear him clearly. It just makes safety a gigantic bonus on the job.”

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Being an all-electric model, the Potain Igo MA 21 is very quiet. “The operator can give his instructions, and everybody can hear him clearly,” says Sage Construction owner Pete Loerzel. (Photo courtesy of Manitowoc.)

The Igo MA 21 crane’s permanently installed transportation axle and ballast allow it to be towed at up to 50 mph (80 km/h) in a single load. At the worksite, the crane’s portability and maneuverability help it to be quickly moved into position.

“I would recommend this crane to everybody,” Loerzel says. “It’s a machine that’s going to save time. And time is of the essence on a construction job.”

Crane Specifications

The Potain Igo MA 21 has a nominal maximum height under hook of 63.3 ft (19.3 m), which can be increased to 68 ft (20.7 m) with its jib at a 20-degree offset. The self-erecting crane has an 85.3-ft (26-m) jib radius, and it can lift up to 0.8 tons (0.7 metric tons) at the tip. Wireless remote controls let the crane’s operator roam the site and communicate with other workers.

Source: Manitowoc