Our 25 tonne city crane hire in Sydney provides strong lifting capacity and useful boom reach in a compact mobile-crane design.
The crane is well suited to urban worksites where access and setup space are limited, but the job requires more reach or lifting capacity than a mini crawler crane or smaller city crane can provide.
It can be used for structural steel, rooftop air-conditioning equipment, machinery, roof trusses, pools, prefabricated building sections and other residential, commercial or industrial loads.
The crane establishes on hydraulic outriggers and performs controlled static lifts from a fixed position. Its compact carrier and short overall length help it manoeuvre through Sydney streets, driveways, commercial yards and congested building sites.
Contact St George Cranes with the load weight, required lifting radius, placement height and site details. We can assess whether the city crane is suitable and arrange a free site inspection for more complex lifting work.
25 Tonne City Crane Specifications
Our city crane combines a compact travel size with a telescopic main boom and hydraulic outriggers.
The crane’s stated tonnage is its maximum rating under defined operating conditions. It does not mean the crane can lift that weight at every radius, boom length or outrigger setting.
As the horizontal distance between the crane and the load increases, the available lifting capacity decreases. The weight of the hook block, slings, spreader bars and other rigging must also be included in the total suspended load.
Key specifications currently published for the crane include:
| Specification | Published figure |
|---|---|
| Crane type | Compact mobile city crane |
| Main boom length | Up to 30.5 metres |
| Main boom with extension | Up to approximately 34.3 metres |
| Travel width | Approximately 2.5 metres |
| Travel height | Approximately 3.6 metres |
| Published travel length | Approximately 9 metres |
| Crane body length listed elsewhere | Approximately 6.88 metres |
| Maximum outrigger width | Approximately 6 metres |
| Indicative radius with a 1-tonne load | Approximately 20 metres |
| Indicative radius with a 2-tonne load | Approximately 15 metres |
| Slewing range | 360 degrees |
| Lifting configuration | Outrigger-supported static lifting |
The published fleet information contains two different length measurements. One may represent the crane carrier or body, while the other may represent the overall road-travel length. The exact meaning should be confirmed before the page is published.
Every lift must be assessed using the approved load chart and operating information for the specific machine supplied.
What Is a City Crane?
A city crane is a compact mobile crane designed for worksites where road access, turning room and crane setup space may be restricted.
It normally has a short carrier, telescopic boom and hydraulic outriggers. The compact design allows it to manoeuvre through tighter urban locations than many larger mobile or all-terrain cranes.
Once positioned, the outriggers extend to support and level the crane. The boom can then lift loads from a fixed operating position.
A city crane may be selected where a project requires:
- More reach than a small crawler crane
- Less site space than a large all-terrain crane
- Outrigger-supported lifting
- Precise placement at height
- A compact road-going crane
- Strong lifting capacity at moderate radiuses
- Access through congested streets or commercial yards
It is primarily a static lifting crane. A Franna will usually be more suitable where a suspended load must be carried around the site.
What Is a 25 Tonne City Crane Used For?
The crane is suited to a wide range of residential, commercial and industrial work.
Common applications include:
- Installing structural steel
- Lifting roof trusses
- Positioning rooftop air-conditioning systems
- Handling generators and mechanical plant
- Moving industrial machinery
- Installing glass and façade components
- Lifting fibreglass swimming pools
- Positioning spas
- Handling prefabricated building sections
- Installing timber beams
- Lifting site sheds
- Placing landscaping materials
- Loading and unloading equipment
- Supporting commercial fit-outs
- Lifting materials for second-storey additions
- Removing equipment from restricted sites
The city crane may also be chosen for a relatively light load where a long boom or significant placement height is required.
For example, an air-conditioning unit may weigh less than one tonne but still require a substantial crane if it must be placed on a roof at a long horizontal radius.
Compact Crane Hire for Sydney Worksites
Sydney worksites often have limited room for large cranes.
Narrow roads, parked cars, boundary walls, scaffolding, neighbouring buildings and restricted driveways can all affect crane access. A large all-terrain crane may have enough capacity for the lift but be unable to reach or establish in the most useful position.
The compact design of a city crane can make it suitable for:
- Inner-city streets
- Narrow commercial yards
- Residential driveways
- Factory loading areas
- Shopping-centre service zones
- Laneways
- Small construction sites
- Sites surrounded by existing buildings
A compact crane still requires enough room to deploy its outriggers and rotate safely.
The full access route and setup area should therefore be checked before the booking is confirmed.
Main Boom and Lifting Reach
The crane has a published main-boom length of up to approximately 30.5 metres.
A short extension can increase the total boom and extension length to approximately 34.3 metres. The extension may assist with additional height or reach, although its lifting capacities will be lower than those available on the main boom.
A long boom can be useful for:
- Lifting over the front of a house
- Placing plant on commercial roofs
- Reaching behind a building
- Installing elevated steel
- Positioning materials on upper floors
- Working across courtyards
- Reaching over landscaping or fences
- Installing communications equipment
Maximum boom length does not equal maximum horizontal reach.
The crane must maintain a boom angle, and the load chart will determine how much can be lifted at each combination of boom length and radius.
How Much Can the City Crane Lift?
The available lifting capacity depends on:
- Working radius
- Boom length
- Boom angle
- Outrigger extension
- Lifting direction
- Hook and rigging weight
- Ground level
- Crane configuration
The crane may lift a heavy load close to the carrier but only a much lighter load at a long radius.
Your current fleet guide lists indicative capacities of:
- Approximately one tonne at a 20-metre radius
- Approximately two tonnes at a 15-metre radius
These figures are useful for an initial comparison but should not be used as approval for a lift. The crane operator must check the exact configuration against the applicable load chart.
The working radius is measured horizontally from the centre of the crane’s rotation to the centre of the suspended load.
It is not simply the distance from the crane’s tyres or outriggers to the lifting point.
Outrigger Setup and Operating Space
The crane uses hydraulic outriggers to create a stable lifting platform.
Your fleet information lists a maximum outrigger width of approximately six metres. Additional space may be required for:
- Outrigger pads
- Safe access around the crane
- Boom and counterweight movement
- Rigging personnel
- The suspended load
- Delivery vehicles
- Exclusion zones
- Pedestrian controls
A site may have enough room for the crane body but not enough space to extend all outriggers fully.
Some cranes can operate with partially extended outriggers, but this normally reduces available capacity. Any reduced configuration must be permitted by the crane’s rated-capacity system and load chart.
The proposed outrigger positions should be identified during the site assessment.
Ground-Bearing Requirements
Outriggers transfer substantial forces into relatively small areas.
The ground beneath each outrigger must be capable of supporting the crane and suspended load without sinking, shifting or failing.
Potential hazards include:
- Uncompacted fill
- Soft soil
- Wet ground
- Underground service trenches
- Stormwater pits
- Septic tanks
- Basements
- Suspended slabs
- Recently excavated ground
- Retaining-wall edges
- Damaged pavement
- Underground storage tanks
- Drainage infrastructure
Outrigger mats, timber or engineered support may be required to spread the load.
An engineer may need to assess the site where the crane will establish on a suspended slab, near an excavation or above underground structures.
Structural Steel Installation
The city crane can assist with structural steel on residential and commercial building projects.
Typical lifts include:
- Steel beams
- Columns
- Portal frames
- Roof trusses
- Stair sections
- Prefabricated frames
- Long-span members
- Supporting structures for plant
Its telescopic boom can provide the height and reach needed to place steel behind an existing building or within an upper-storey structure.
Before the lift, provide:
- The confirmed weight of each item
- Steel length and dimensions
- Approved lifting points
- Required placement height
- Approximate working radius
- Installation sequence
- Site photographs
- Relevant construction drawings
Long or awkward steel members may require spreader bars, taglines and additional rigging personnel.
Rooftop Plant and Air-Conditioning Equipment
A city crane is often suitable for rooftop mechanical and electrical equipment.
Possible loads include:
- Packaged air-conditioning units
- Condensers
- Ventilation equipment
- Generators
- Switchboards
- Pumps
- Solar equipment
- Water tanks
- Plant-room components
- Communications equipment
These items may not be exceptionally heavy, but the distance from the crane to the roof can require a longer boom and greater crane capacity.
Rooftop lifts may also involve:
- Parapets
- Antennas
- Powerlines
- Limited landing space
- Workers positioned on the roof
- Wind exposure
- Existing services
- Pedestrian controls below
The load weight, roof height and crane position should be confirmed before the crane is selected.
Residential Construction and Renovations
The crane can support residential projects where construction materials must be placed beyond the reach of delivery vehicles or smaller cranes.
Common residential lifts include:
- Steel beams
- Roof trusses
- Timber beams
- Spa shells
- Pool equipment
- Air-conditioning units
- Prefabricated walls
- Building materials
- Outdoor kitchens
- Landscaping products
- Second-storey construction components
The crane may establish on a driveway or street and lift materials over part of the home.
Driveway strength, overhead services, boundary clearances and outrigger space must all be assessed first.
A site inspection is recommended where the crane must lift over an occupied home or establish partly on public land.
Fibreglass Pool and Spa Lifts
The crane may be suitable for lifting a fibreglass pool or spa into a backyard.
Pool shells are large and can be affected by wind. Even where the shell is relatively light, a larger crane may be required if the lift must pass over a house or cover a long horizontal distance.
Important information includes:
- Pool or spa weight
- Overall dimensions
- Lifting-frame requirements
- Distance from the crane to the pickup point
- Distance to the excavation
- House height
- Trees and overhead services
- Crane setup area
- Excavation-edge stability
- Road or driveway access
The weight of the lifting frame and rigging must be included in the total load.
Machinery and Industrial Equipment
The city crane can assist with machinery and plant installation where the crane can establish close enough to the load.
Potential loads include:
- Manufacturing machinery
- Pumps
- Compressors
- Generators
- Electrical equipment
- Workshop machinery
- Tanks
- Packaged plant
- Motors
- Processing equipment
The equipment weight should be verified using manufacturer information, an equipment plate, engineering drawings or transport records.
The centre of gravity and approved lifting points must also be identified before rigging begins.
Where machinery needs to be carried through a warehouse or across a yard after lifting, a Franna or other moving equipment may be more suitable.
Glass and Façade Installation
The city crane may be used for glazing and façade work where the panels require greater height or reach than a small crawler crane can provide.
Possible applications include:
- Shopfront glass
- Large windows
- Curtain-wall panels
- Skylights
- Balustrade sections
- Façade panels
- Architectural cladding
Specialist vacuum lifters, frames or spreader bars may be required.
The weight of all attachments must be included when calculating the total suspended load. Wind limits are also important because broad glass panels can catch wind even when their weight is modest.
Why Hire a 25 Tonne City Crane?
Compact road dimensions
The crane can access many urban and commercial sites where a larger all-terrain crane may be difficult to position.
Long telescopic boom
A main boom of approximately 30.5 metres provides useful height and reach for rooftop plant, steel and construction materials.
Strong lifting capacity
The crane offers greater capacity than a small crawler or 10 tonne city crane for heavier and longer-radius work.
Stable outrigger operation
Hydraulic outriggers provide a wide lifting base when the crane is correctly established.
Precise static lifting
The crane can slew through 360 degrees and place loads accurately from a fixed position.
Suitable for urban projects
Its compact design is useful on residential streets, commercial properties and congested construction sites.
Road-going mobility
The crane can travel between suitable sites without requiring the mobilisation arrangements associated with large crawler cranes.
25 Tonne City Crane or 10 Tonne City Crane?
The 10 tonne city crane is smaller and may be preferable where:
- Access is extremely restricted
- Loads are relatively light
- A shorter boom is sufficient
- Outrigger room is limited
- The lift is performed at a short radius
The 25 tonne city crane may be more suitable where:
- Loads are heavier
- A longer radius is required
- More boom length is needed
- The placement point is higher
- Greater capacity at radius is required
- The smaller crane would operate too close to its limit
The smallest crane is not always the most economical option. A crane that is too small may need to establish closer to the load, require additional setup work or be unable to complete the lift.
City Crane or Franna Crane?
A city crane and a Franna perform different types of work.
A city crane may be preferable where:
- Greater boom height is required
- The load must pass over a building
- The crane will remain in one position
- Stable outrigger-supported lifting is available
- Precise placement at a longer radius is needed
A Franna may be preferable where:
- A load must be carried around the site
- Several lifting points are spread across a work area
- Outrigger space is unavailable
- Fast relocation between lifts is important
- The required reach is relatively short
The correct choice depends on the complete lifting task rather than the load weight alone.
City Crane or 55 Tonne All-Terrain Crane?
The city crane is more compact and may be the better option where access and setup room are limited.
A 55 tonne all-terrain crane may be required where:
- The load is beyond the city crane’s capacity
- A substantially longer radius is involved
- Greater hook height is needed
- The load must pass over a large building
- A larger capacity margin is required
- The city crane cannot safely perform the lift
We can compare the available machines against the load chart and site conditions before recommending a crane.
Road Setup, Traffic Control and Permits
Some jobs require the crane to establish partly or entirely on a public road.
Depending on the council, road and type of work, requirements may include:
- Crane permits
- Road-occupancy approval
- Traffic-control plans
- Parking restrictions
- Lane closures
- Pedestrian diversions
- Work-hour limits
- Notification of nearby properties
- Council fees
- Approval from a road authority
Applications can take time, so permit requirements should be investigated early.
The crane’s operating area must be separated from vehicles, pedestrians and members of the public throughout the lifting work.
Access Requirements
Before booking the crane, check the route from the street to the proposed setup position.
Consider:
- Road and driveway width
- Gate openings
- Tight corners
- Overhead wires
- Trees and branches
- Building awnings
- Scaffolding
- Parked vehicles
- Slopes
- Kerbs
- Ground clearance
- Turning room
- Exit access
A crane may fit through the narrowest straight section but still be unable to negotiate a corner.
Photos, plans and a video showing the full route can help with the initial assessment.
Overhead Powerlines and Site Hazards
The long boom makes overhead hazards an important part of the lift assessment.
Potential hazards include:
- Electrical powerlines
- Building service wires
- Telecommunications cables
- Trees
- Scaffolding
- Nearby cranes
- Roof structures
- Excavations
- Public roads
- Operating machinery
- Strong wind
- Poor visibility
Required approach distances and controls depend on the type and voltage of the electrical infrastructure.
The crane position or lifting method may need to change where hazards cannot be properly controlled.
Information Needed for a Quote
Provide the following information when requesting city crane hire:
- Confirmed load weight
- Load length, width and height
- Approved lifting points
- Collection location
- Final placement location
- Approximate working radius
- Required lifting height
- Site address
- Access measurements
- Setup-area dimensions
- Ground conditions
- Details of overhead services
- Preferred date and time
- Whether the crane will occupy a road
- Photographs, plans or drawings
Photos taken from the proposed crane position towards the load and placement point are particularly helpful.
A free site inspection may be recommended for long-radius lifts, road setups, pool installations or work near overhead services.
Crane Hire with Qualified Personnel
Depending on the project, city crane hire may include:
- An experienced crane operator
- A qualified dogman
- Licensed riggers
- Site inspection
- Lift planning
- Crane selection
- Slings and lifting equipment
- Spreader bars
- Outrigger mats
- Traffic control
- Permit coordination
- Exclusion-zone planning
- Coordination with builders and site managers
Complex or higher-risk lifts may also require an engineered lift study or additional documentation.
Sydney Areas We Service
We provide city crane hire across metropolitan Sydney, including:
- St George
- Sutherland Shire
- Inner West
- Sydney CBD
- Eastern Suburbs
- North Shore
- Northern Beaches
- Western Sydney
- South Western Sydney
- Hills District
Projects outside Sydney may also be considered depending on crane availability, travel requirements and the scope of work.
Book a 25 Tonne City Crane
Contact St George Cranes before selecting a crane based only on its tonnage or boom length.
The lifting radius, placement height, outrigger configuration, access and ground conditions can be just as important as the weight of the load.
Send us photographs, confirmed measurements and basic job information so we can assess the lift and prepare an accurate quotation.
For structural steel, rooftop plant, pool installations and difficult sites, arrange a free inspection before the lifting date.
[Get a City Crane Hire Quote]
[Send Us Photos of the Lift]
[Book a Free Site Inspection]
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the city crane’s boom?
The crane’s published main-boom length is approximately 30.5 metres. A short extension increases the total boom and extension length to approximately 34.3 metres.
Can it lift 25 tonnes at full reach?
No. The maximum crane rating only applies under specific short-radius conditions. Available capacity falls as boom length and working radius increase.
How wide is the crane while travelling?
Your fleet guide lists a travel width of approximately 2.5 metres. Additional clearance is needed for mirrors, turning and safe movement.
How high is the crane?
The listed travel height is approximately 3.6 metres. Overhead wires, trees, awnings, bridges and building entrances should be checked carefully.
How much room do the outriggers require?
The maximum published outrigger width is approximately six metres. Additional room is needed for support mats, access and the lifting exclusion zone.
Can it operate with partially extended outriggers?
Some city cranes can operate with reduced outrigger settings, but lifting capacity will normally decrease. The configuration must be permitted by the crane’s load chart and rated-capacity system.
How far can it reach with one tonne?
Your fleet guide lists an indicative radius of approximately 20 metres with a one-tonne load. The exact capacity must be confirmed using the load chart for the proposed boom and outrigger configuration.
How far can it reach with two tonnes?
The fleet guide lists an indicative radius of approximately 15 metres with a two-tonne load. This is a general comparison figure rather than approval for a particular lift.
Can the crane lift over a house?
It may be suitable where its boom length, hook height and capacity at the required radius are adequate. Accurate measurements or a site inspection will usually be needed.
Is it suitable for rooftop air-conditioning units?
Yes. City cranes are commonly used for rooftop plant where the load and working radius fall within the crane’s capacity.
Can it lift a swimming pool?
It may be suitable for some fibreglass pool and spa installations. Pool dimensions, total rigged weight, house height, radius and wind conditions must be considered.
Can it carry a suspended load?
The city crane is normally used for static lifting while supported on outriggers. A Franna is generally more suitable where a load must be carried around a site.
Can the crane establish on a driveway?
Possibly, but the driveway must be wide and strong enough to support the crane and outrigger forces. Underground services and nearby structures must also be considered.
Can it work from the street?
Yes, subject to available space, ground conditions, traffic management and any required council or road-occupancy approvals.
How much does city crane hire cost?
Pricing depends on travel, hire duration, required personnel, rigging, permits, traffic control and the complexity of the lift. Accurate job details will help us provide a suitable quotation.