21.08.2026

New 500 tonner for Weldex

Scottish crawler crane rental specialist Weldex has taken delivery of a new 500 tonne Liebherr LR 1500 lattice crawler crane, which forms part of an order for five cranes.

Launched in 2015, the LR 1500 can handle its maximum capacity at 7.5 metres radius, but perhaps more impressively, it can lift 400 tonnes at 12 metres. Maximum boom lengths are 108 metres or 132 metres when the back mast is installed. The maximum tip height is 168 metres, made up of an 84 metre main boom topped by 84 metres of luffing jib.

The crane has an overall working width of 9.1 metres but is relatively easy to transport with the largest components weighing no more than 45 tonnes, with overall widths of three metres or less. It is also equipped with a 30 metre derrick boom/back mast with up to 260 tonnes of ballast and a derrick radius that can be varied from nine to 16 metres, allowing the crane to work in tight spaces while offering the impressive maximum lift capacities. The crane went straight to work for one of the company's long standing-customers, supplied with an 84 metre main boom and a 30 metre derrick system.

Weldex managing director Iain McGilvray said: "We have a long-standing relationship with Liebherr which dates back to the 1990s. The combination of class leading cranes and excellent after-sales back up from the factory and the Liebherr Great Britain team provided us with the confidence to purchase this latest package of cranes."

The five crane order also includes a 150 tonne LTR 1150 telescopic crawler and a 300 tonne LR 1300.1, both of which have already been delivered, with a second LR 1300.1 and a 700 tonne LR 1700.1 to follow.

Weldex, based in Inverness, was established in 1979 by the McGilvray family to supply cranes to construction companies across Scotland. Today, the company is the largest crawler crane rental company in the UK, with cranes ranging from five to 1,350 tonnes, which it supplies internationally as well as in the UK.