Crane Types: What Mobile, Tower, Crawler and Knuckle Boom Cranes Do

On heavy lifting work, choosing the wrong crane is not just a loss of efficiency — it is a serious safety risk. The type of crane is determined by the weight of the load, the lifting height, the duration of the work and the conditions on site. This article explains the most common crane types and what each is suited to.

Mobile Crane

A crane mounted on a truck or a purpose-built chassis that can reach site under its own power. It is the most commonly rented crane type in Turkey.

What it does: Prefabricated assembly, lifting roofing and steel structures, positioning heavy equipment, short-duration lifts.
Strength: Sets up quickly, moves easily from site to site, and covers a wide tonnage range.
Sub-types: Rough terrain for difficult ground within a site; all-terrain for both road and site.
When to choose it: When the lift is short and the machine needs to come and go.

Tower Crane

The fixed vertical crane that has become the emblem of high-rise construction sites.

What it does: Lifting concrete, formwork, rebar and materials to height on multi-storey and high-rise construction.
Strength: The most efficient solution for high reach over a long working period.
Weakness: Erection and dismantling take serious time, permits and cost; it makes no sense for short jobs.
When to choose it: On a vertical build that will run for months.

Crawler Crane

A very high-tonnage heavy crane that moves on tracks.

What it does: Very heavy lifts such as bridges, power plants, wind turbines and large industrial assembly.
Strength: Can travel even while loaded, and offers exceptional lifting capacity.
Weakness: The hardest crane type to transport and erect.
When to choose it: On very heavy, large-scale projects where a mobile crane is not enough.

Knuckle Boom Crane (Truck-Mounted)

A truck-mounted crane with a folding articulated boom. In Turkey it is also known colloquially as a "hiyap", after the name of a brand that produced this type of crane.

What it does: Loading and unloading trucks, moving material, point lifts of moderate weight.
Strength: Combines haulage and lifting in one vehicle; practical in an urban setting.
When to choose it: When you need to both transport material and place it.

Note: a "basket platform" and a "knuckle boom crane" should not be confused. A platform that lifts a person is access equipment; a crane that lifts a load is lifting equipment. For work involving people at height, see our access platform guide.

Four Critical Questions When Renting a Crane

How many tonnes, and how high? Tonnage alone is not enough: the further out the load, the less the crane can lift (the load chart).
Is there access to site? Ground conditions, room to manoeuvre and overhead lines all determine the crane type.
How long will the work last? Short job → mobile crane; long job → tower crane.
Are the permits in place? Urban crane erection in particular may require municipal permission.

Safety: On a Crane, the Operator Is Everything

On lifting work, an operator's experience translates directly into safety of life. That is why being able to see their track record matters when renting with an operator.

On Kiramak, both parties review each other at the end of every rental, and operator reviews are given under communication and work knowledge. Comments only open once both sides have written their review — so nobody can read the other first and retaliate. Past reviews appear on the listing page and help you decide when choosing an operator.

At the start of the job, the operator creates a start record with a photograph and location, which the renter confirms. The condition the machine arrived in is therefore on the record from the outset, which largely prevents damage disputes.

Summary

Short-duration, mobile work → mobile crane
Long-running vertical construction → tower crane
Very heavy, large-scale assembly → crawler crane
Carry and place → knuckle boom crane

Kiramak is launching soon, and you will be able to compare cranes on tonnage, price and operator option. Be the first to know when the app goes live — join the early access list.