50-Tonne Mobile Cranes in the UAE: Sany, Tadano and XCMG Compared
Sany STC500, Tadano GR-500 and XCMG QY50 compared from the makers' data, plus the Liebherr LTM 1100 for when 50 tonnes is not enough. What to ask before hire.
By Sufian7 min read
A 50-tonne mobile crane is the workhorse of UAE lifting: steel erection, precast, plant installation, tank and pipe work. Three machines come up most often in this class: the Sany STC500, the Tadano GR-500 and the XCMG QY50. They share a headline number and little else. One is a rough terrain crane, two are truck cranes, and the booms, counterweights and outrigger layouts differ.
This guide sets out what each maker publishes, and where the 100-tonne Liebherr LTM 1100 comes in when 50 tonnes is not enough.
Know which version you are looking at
Crane names cover several generations. The figures below are for these builds:
- Sany STC500T5, from Sany's specification V1.9 (November 2022). The older STC500 had a 42.5 m boom and a lighter counterweight, so an older unit will not match these figures.
- Tadano GR-500EXL, a 51 t rough terrain crane with a 5-section boom, left-hand drive. The older GR-500EX had a 4-section boom of 34.7 m.
- XCMG QY50KA, from XCMG's brochure, with the standard CNHTC D10.38-50 engine. XCMG offers two other engines as options.
- Liebherr LTM 1100-4.2, the 4-axle, 100 t crane. The newer LTM 1100-5.3 is not covered here.
Ask the supplier for the exact model code and the year, then compare it with the data sheet.
Side by side
All figures are the maker's, from the data sheets named above.
| Sany STC500T5 | Tadano GR-500EXL | XCMG QY50KA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Truck crane, 8x4 | Rough terrain, 4x4x4 | Truck crane, 8x4 |
| Max lifting capacity | 50 t (min. radius 3 m) | 51 t | 50 t |
| Main boom (retracted to extended) | 11.55 to 44.5 m | 11.1 to 42 m | 11.4 to 43.5 m |
| Boom sections | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Jib | F9.2 m and F16 m fixed jib | 2-stage 8.0 / 12.7 m | 2-section 9.5 m, max 16 m |
| Counterweight | 4.8 t, fixed | 5.3 t | Not published in our data |
| Gross vehicle weight | 42,000 kg | 38,300 kg | 42,200 kg |
| Overall length x width x height | 13.9 x 2.8 x 3.8 m | 13.39 x 2.96 x 3.865 m | 13.93 x 2.78 x 3.63 m |
| Outriggers | 6.05 m x 7.4 m span | 7 m max width | 7.1 m transverse |
| Engine | DF Cummins ISLe340 30, Euro III | Mitsubishi 6M60-TLU3R | CNHTC D10.38-50, China V |
| Power | 250 kW | 200 kW (267 hp) | 276 kW |
| Torque | 1,425 Nm | 785 Nm | 1,560 Nm |
| Transmission | 9-speed manual | Automatic, 6 forward / 2 reverse | 9-speed manual |
| Top speed | 85 km/h | 48 km/h | 85 km/h |
| Fuel tank | 350 L | 300 L | 320 L |
| Hook block weight | 550 kg | Not published in our data | 515 kg |
The Tadano's gross vehicle weight comes from Tadano's 2014 right-hand-drive provisional sheet, because the current left-hand-drive data sheet does not print it. Treat it as indicative.
What the numbers say
Rough terrain or truck. The two truck cranes travel at up to 85 km/h on the road and carry a 9-speed manual gearbox. The Tadano tops out at 48 km/h, but it has four-wheel steering with a 6 m turning radius (10.3 m in two-wheel steer) and a short two-axle layout. Sany's minimum turning radius is 12 m. If your site is a soft or cramped plot and you stay on it for weeks, the Tadano suits. If you move between sites across emirates every few days, a truck crane covers the road faster.
Boom and counterweight. The Sany has the longest main boom of the three (44.5 m) and the XCMG is close (43.5 m). Sany lists a main boom and jib length of 60.5 m. The Tadano's boom is shorter at 42 m, but its 5.3 t counterweight is larger than the Sany's 4.8 t and is integral with the slewing frame. XCMG's counterweight is not in our data. Capacity at working radius depends on boom length, counterweight and outrigger setting, so ask for the load chart that matches your lift. The 50 t figure is a maximum, not what any of these cranes lifts at 20 m radius.
Set-up footprint. Outrigger span affects whether the crane fits the site: 7 m on the Tadano, 7.1 m on the XCMG, and 7.4 m transverse (6.05 m longitudinal) on the Sany. Measure the working area, not just the access road.
Engines and emissions. The Sany's carrier is a Euro III engine and the XCMG's standard engine is rated China V. XCMG also offers the WD615.338 (China III) and D10.38A-50 (China IV), so check the engine plate on the unit you are given. The XCMG's standard engine makes 276 kW and 1,560 Nm, the highest of the three.
Winch. Sany gives a main winch single-line speed of 135 m/min. Tadano gives 106 to 150 m/min over the first six layers and a first-layer line pull of 56 kN. That line pull is 44.1 kN on Tadano's 2014 sheet and on its Middle East page, which shows how much sheets differ by year. Always check the sheet for the unit in front of you.
Check dimensions against the unit
Reseller listings for the XCMG quote 13,770 x 2,800 x 3,570 mm, while the maker's drawing gives 13,930 mm long and 3,630 mm high. The drawing is the better source. If the road route has a height or width limit, measure the machine as it will travel, with the hook block stowed and the jib removed.
Where the Liebherr LTM 1100 fits
The Liebherr LTM 1100 is a different class of machine. The maker's figures for the LTM 1100-4.2:
| Liebherr LTM 1100-4.2 | |
|---|---|
| Max lifting capacity | 100 t at 3 m radius |
| Main boom | 11.5 to 60 m, 7 sections |
| Counterweight | 17.2 t basic |
| Gross vehicle weight | 48,000 kg |
| Overall length x width x height | 13.503 x 2.75 x 3.95 m |
| Outrigger base | 8.5105 m x 7.0 m at full extension |
| Engine | Liebherr D846 A7, 6-cyl, stage 3 / Tier 3: 350 kW (476 hp), 2,230 Nm |
| Transmission | ZF 12-speed AS-TRONIC with intarder |
| Top speed | 75 km/h |
| Fuel tank | 400 L |
On the road it is not far off the 50 t cranes. Its gross vehicle weight of 48,000 kg is 5,800 kg above the XCMG's 42,200 kg, and the overall length is similar. The cost comes on site: an outrigger base of 8.5105 m longitudinal by 7.0 m, and 17.2 t of counterweight to be delivered and fitted. The boom also takes longer to extend: about 400 seconds from 11.5 m to 60 m, against about 90 seconds on the Sany and XCMG for their shorter booms.
Move up to a class like this when one or two lifts on the job exceed what the 50 t cranes can do at the radius you need, or when you would otherwise have to plan a tandem lift with two smaller cranes. For routine work below 40 m it is more crane than you need, and you will pay for it.
Before you hire
- Load chart for your lift. Ask for the chart for the boom length, counterweight and outrigger setting you will use.
- Exact model, year and engine. Compare with the data sheet, not the name on the side.
- Operator and rigger. Is a certified operator included? Who supplies the slinger and signaller?
- Inspection certificate. Ask for a current one, and for the load-test date.
- Ground. Outrigger mats, ground bearing and any buried services under the pad.
- What is in the quote. Mobilisation and demobilisation, minimum hours, overtime and standby.
Browse cranes for rent in the UAE and send a request with your lift weight, radius and height.
Model pages
The full maker data for each, with sources:
