Heavy loads in a warehouse are rarely sitting under an overhead crane. Machines, molds, steel coils and crates from a few hundred kilos up to nearly 2 tons have to travel down the aisles between racks, then get lifted onto a truck, into a machine or down onto a pallet. Putting a crane over the whole building is expensive, and a forklift cannot hang an off-center load from a hook.

For this project FullSharp delivered a 2-ton powered wire rope mini crane (model FSDC2030-B) to a warehouse with multi-level pallet racking. It is battery driven and self-propelled, the boom is raised by a hydraulic cylinder, and the hook travels on a steel wire rope. The operator stands on the rear platform, drives to the load and lifts it, with no second person needed.

FullSharp 2-ton powered wire rope mini crane in a warehouse with pallet racking

FullSharp 2-ton powered wire rope mini crane in a warehouse with pallet racking

How the wire rope mini crane works in the warehouse

At the lifting point the operator opens the two front outriggers before lifting. A warning on the chassis says the crane must not be operated with the legs closed, because at close to 2 tons the outriggers and the rear counterweight are what keep it stable.

The boom swings up to 90° left or right, so the crane does not have to face the load head-on; it can park along the aisle and swing the boom in. Capacity is 2,000 kg at the shortest reach and 1,000 kg at the longest, with a maximum lift height of 3 m. The hook hangs on steel wire rope, so slings, chains, clamps or lifting frames can be hooked on to suit each load.

Hydraulic boom, wire rope hook and outriggers of the 2-ton mini crane

Hydraulic boom, wire rope hook and outriggers of the 2-ton mini crane

Main components

  • Boom and hydraulic cylinder: steel boom raised by a cylinder with a 2.5 kW hydraulic pump; the 2000 kg rating is marked on the boom.
  • Steel wire rope hook: the rope runs over a sheave at the boom tip, so the hook moves up and down quickly for slings, chains or clamps.
  • Counterweight and outriggers: counterweight behind the mast and two front outriggers with handles, opened before every lift.
  • Tiller and operator platform: tiller with lift buttons, emergency stop and warning beacon; folding stand-on platform at the rear.
  • Battery and drive motor: 24 V/210 Ah battery, 24 V/30 A charger, AC 1.5 kW drive motor.

FSDC2030-B specifications

  • Capacity2,000 kg (shortest reach), 1,000 kg (longest reach)
  • Max lift height3,000 mm
  • Boom swing±90°
  • Battery / charger24 V/210 Ah, 24 V/30 A
  • Hydraulic pump / drive motor2.5 kW / AC 1.5 kW
  • Travel speed (loaded/unloaded)4/6 km/h
  • Minimum aisle1,100 mm
  • Turning radius3,500 mm
  • Dimensions (L×W×H)3,300×990×1,800 mm
  • Crane weight1,050 kg

Why use a powered mini crane in a warehouse

One operator

The same person drives and lifts, with no one pushing the crane or giving signals as with a manual push crane.

Fits narrow aisles

A 990 mm wide body and 1.1 m minimum aisle let it run between pallet racks without clearing the floor.

No overhead crane needed

The crane goes to the load instead of the load going under a crane, so one unit serves several areas of the plant.

Frequently asked questions

Can a 2-ton mini crane lift 2 tons at any reach?

No. 2,000 kg is the capacity at the shortest reach; it drops as the boom reaches further, down to 1,000 kg at full reach. Size the crane by the load weight and the distance from hook to outriggers in your real lift.

What is the difference between the wire rope and hook type mini crane?

On the wire rope type the hook hangs from a steel rope off the boom tip, so it moves up and down quickly and is easy to fine-tune in height. On the hook type the hook is fixed at the boom tip and its height follows the boom angle.

Will it work in narrow warehouse aisles?

This model needs an aisle of at least 1,100 mm and a 3,500 mm turning radius. Send FullSharp a layout or photos of your aisles and we will check before quoting.

See also the powered wire rope mini crane, powered mini cranes from 1 to 3 tons, delivered powered mini crane projects and how to choose a mini crane from 400 kg to 2 tons. Send us the load weight, reach and aisle width and FullSharp will recommend the right model.