The family that owns Iron Stag Crane Service has been a part of the crane and lifting industry in Pennsylvania for 50 years. Although the company preferred all-terrain cranes for its rental business during most of that time, it now realizes the benefits of having a truck-mounted crane in its fleet.
One year ago the York-based company took delivery of a 110-USt Grove TMS9000E truck-mounted crane. Shane Eisenhart, co-owner and vice president of Iron Stag, said that while he originally preferred other types of mobile cranes over the truck-mounted variety, the TMS9000E’s strong load chart and roadability enticed him to add a truck-mounted crane to the company’s fleet.
“For the kind of rental work we do, going from job to job, I’m traditionally an all-terrain guy,” Eisenhart said. “But the TMS9000E rides so smoothly both on the highway and the job site, and it has such a great load chart, that we have found it an invaluable addition to our fleet. Also, it doesn’t need additional highway permits, which saves us both time and money when preparing for a job.”
A recent project to construct a storm drainage tank exemplified the benefits of using a truck-mounted crane where Iron Stag might have previously used another type of crane. The job required the company to construct the tank by lifting concrete segments that were manufactured using the latest advances in precast technology.
The TMS9000E lifted 6.75 USt precast segments to build the tank, all at a radius of 90 ft. The segments formed a watertight seal when placed in a predetermined sequence, eliminating the need for added fasteners or welding. The project took two days to complete. The job site, located in Mercersburg, Pa., will eventually see the construction of a convenience store.
“The Grove TMS9000E was a great choice for this project,” Eisenhart explained. “It was very easy to get to the job site and maneuver, and it had the right load chart. The crane operated very comfortably at a 90-ft radius, lifting at a 7.8-USt capacity.”
Eisenhart also cited the TMS9000E’s versatility and efficiency as reasons for success on this and other job sites. In fact, the company has been so impressed with the model, it added a second TMS9000E this past April.
“This crane model gives us the option to downsize its capacity when needed,” he explained. “We don’t have a 70-USt capacity crane in our fleet, so we can send the TMS9000E without its 5.5-USt counterweights and still lift at that capacity. Since we don’t need to send out a separate truck to haul the counterweights on those particular jobs, we can get to work quicker, saving considerable time and money.”
Iron Stag is a big supporter of Manitowoc-made cranes. In addition to the two TMS9000Es, the company’s fleet also includes a Grove GMK4115, a Grove GMK5165-2, and two National Crane NBT45s.
“We love our Manitowoc cranes — all of them have worked out well for us,” Eisenhart said. “A big part of that preference is the great service we’ve received from our dealer, Stephenson Equipment. The whole crew at Stephenson always delivers service that’s second-to-none.”
Stephenson Equipment, which provided Iron Stag with its entire fleet of Manitowoc cranes, has been providing sales and rentals of construction equipment, paving machinery and cranes since 1957. The Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based company serves customers from six locations across its home state and New York. Stephenson is an official dealer of Manitowoc, Grove, National Crane and Potain cranes.
Iron Stag Crane Service was founded by Ned and Shane Eisenhart in April of 2015. The company is family owned and operated, serving Pennsylvania with a variety of services that include bridgework, precast construction, cellular tower maintenance and more. While Iron Stag is relatively new to the industry, the Eisenhart family is no stranger to cranes – from 1946 to 2001, family members ran Eisenhart Crane Service, also based in York, Pennsylvania.
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