Engines for Sale

Crane engines typically use high-horsepower diesel engines (often 150 to 600 HP) to power both road travel and hydraulic lifting systems on mobile units such as all-terrain mobile cranes and telescopic boom truck cranes.  Modern cranes are moving towards using the single-engine concept, which uses a single engine for both purposes, while specialized, high-capacity mobile cranes, such as all-terrain and truck cranes, may use a secondary engine to operate the upper crane superstructure.

Single vs. Two-Engine Systems for Mobile Cranes

• Single Engine: Common in modern mobile hydraulic telescopic cranes, where a single engine powers both the lower crane (drive) and the upper superstructure (lifts) via hydraulics running through the turntable. Single-engine cranes use a PTO (Power Take-Off) system that draws power from a truck engine to operate the hydraulic upper engine crane superstructure. A gear-driven device (the PTO) attaches to the vehicle's transmission, diverting engine power to a hydraulic pump. This enables the crane to lift, move, and rotate without requiring a separate engine.
• Two Engines (Double Engine System): Large all-terrain cranes may use a lower engine for transport and a separate upper engine for lifting. This prevents excessive wear on the carrier engine, which may operate 1, 000 hours/year,  compared to 2, 000 hours/year for the lifting engine. 
• The upper crane engine refers to the crane superstructure, while the lower refers to the crane carrier. 

Major engine manufacturers for mobile and crawler cranes include Liebherr, Cummins, Mercedes-Benz (MTU), Isuzu, and Caterpillar, providing diesel powerplants that meet emission standards depending on the year the crane was manufactured.  These engines are selected for high torque, compact design, and compliance with emission regulations.

Crane Engine Characteristics:

• Dual Engine Systems: Large mobile cranes use one engine to drive on roads and a second, separate engine to operate the crane.
• Electric/Hybrid Trends: Manufacturers like Liebherr and more are introducing electric ("Unplugged") crawler cranes, which follow the trend introduced in smaller tonnage models like Carry Decks and Mini Crawler Cranes.