06.06.2011

Crane Counterfeiting on the rise?

If the number of photographs we receive showing examples of crane counterfeiting is any indication, the practice of crane counterfeiting is on the rise again, or probably more likely we are seeing the true depth of the problem from earlier times?

As in the past all examples appear to have come out China and include copies of most of the big brands – Tadano, Kato, Liebherr and Terex. When we use the term Counterfeit we are not talking about the close copies that some less scrupulous manufacturers have built and marketed under their own names. The ones we are referring too are copies – usually poor quality – of a manufacturer’s crane that are badged up to fool less knowledgeable buyers on the used equipment market.

The worst and possibly the most blatant case is one we have been sent today, where Henan Hongfu Construction Machinery Co., Ltd is advertising what it claims is a Terex Demag AC500-2 All Terrain from 2006 on a web site called EC Plaza Global.

The advert is as follows:
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The crane claiming to be a Demag AC500-2

SELL DEMAG AC500-2 All Terrain CRANE
Demag AC500-2
Type: All Terrain Crane
Manufacturer: Terex-Demag
Model: AC 500-2
Year: 2006
Capacity: 500 mton / 600 us ton
Main Boom: 14.7-56 meter
Main Boom Extension: 6-30 meter
Engine: DaimlerChrysler Drive: 16x8x14
Max Counterweight: 180 ton
Kilometer 5.469km
Operation hours carrier 258h
Operation hours superstructure 570h
Condition: used email for price

A quick trawl through the internet found a further three examples of these copies, fortunately they look nothing like the real thing so few savy western buyers will be fooled for a minute. But sadly less informed buyers might be.