24.06.2021

First electric Maedas for Oz

Australian based rental company Preston Hire has taken delivery of the first two all electric Maeda MC285CB-3 spider cranes to arrive in the country.

Supplied by local distributor Pace Cranes, the Maeda MC285CB-3 offers a 2.8 tonne maximum lift capacity and a five section 8.7 metre main boom. They weigh 1,995kg and offer an overall stowed width of 750mm with an overall height of 1.47 metres. Power comes from a lithium-ion battery pack which provides up to 9.5 hours of continuous operation and be fully charged in just 3.5 hours. It can also be operated while plugged in and recharging. Features include non-marking tracks, HBC radio remote controls and multiple outrigger positions.
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Preston Hire taking two of the first all electric Maeda MC285CB-3s from Pace Cranes

General manager Andrew Lambert, said: “The Maeda 285 is one of the most popular machines in our crane fleet. Customers really like that it is light weight and tight in design for ease of access making it perfect for tight workspaces our customers work in. When the opportunity presented itself to combine a tried and tested model with forward thinking sustainability features, it was an obvious purchase for Preston Hire.”
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(L-R) Anthony Heeks of Pace Cranes with Andrew Lambert of Preston Hire

“Everyone in this arena needs to be looking at how we can work towards a more sustainable approach with the equipment that we own, operate and offer to the marketplace. This is obviously a technology we intend to keep exploring and as our fleet ages over the years, and we begin looking at disposing or deleting product from the fleet, we will certainly be looking at investing in sustainable products going forward.”

Based in Rydalmere, New South Wales, Preston Hire operates a fleet of spider and mini crawler cranes, access platforms, glass handling units, excavators and its superdeck systems from six locations in Australia and a further two in New Zealand. The company is also part of the Preston group which includes international rental company Preston Rentals, equipment sales company Yello Equipment and equipment servicing company Superservice.