Liebherr MK 88 User Manual

Mobilbaukran MK 88

Traglast (max.): 8.000 kg
Reichweite (max.): 45 m
Max. Traglast an der Spitze: 2.050 kg

Reprint:

MK 80 vs. MK 88:

Manual versus

Inhalt

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Das int e rna t ion a le F ach m aga z in

für Kra n - u n d H e bet e chn i k

Automatic

Das internationale Fachmagazin für Kran- und Hebetechnik

Auszug der 83. Ausgabe, 16. Jahrgang April/Mai 2012

KM Nr. 83 | 2012 Kranmagazin

1

In Aktion

MK 80 vs. MK 88:

Manual versus Automatic

With the MK 80 a hydraulic cylinder plays a key role in the erection process.
Result: The procedure takes longer, the undercarriage engine has to run during
setup. 

Intermat 2000: With the MK 80, Liebherr presented the first MK product developed on an AT chassis. Nine years
later, also at the Paris trade fair, the company presented a completely newly developed successor – the MK 88. The
KM editorial team wanted to know what distinguishes the two 4-axle cranes.

“MK 80 vs. MK 88” – this
was the mission that brought
KRANMAGAZIN to Kappel­Grafenhausen in the state of
Baden-Württemberg in Ger­many, where MSG Krandienst
GmbH has a branch office.

“We obtained our first MK
about four years ago” explains
Björn Jatz from MSG. “We

The MK 80 only has a 30° jib
luffed jib position angle.

started out with an MK 63,
which we were able to hire
out very well right from the
outset. But we soon discov­ered that this crane was too
small for our requirements.”

Therefore, in May 2010
the company put its first
MK 88 into service, followed
by a second one in Novem-

ber 2011. In October 2010,
MSG Krandienst GmbH also
invested in a second-hand
MK 80. The crane, which was
manufactured in 2002, was
only intended to remain in
the MSG fleet temporarily
but, like the two new MK 88s,
it was extremely popular with
MSG’s customers, and so, the

company still hires it
out.

This gave KM
the opportunity to
see the two mobile

Text and Photos: Manuela Buschmeyer

construction cranes in opera­tion and make a direct com­parison. Support came from
MSG’s crane drivers Felix
Bildstein and Martin Hart­mann. The latter has worked
as a crane driver with MSG
since January 2010 and is an
experienced MK 88 user. In
October 2011, Felix Bildstein
moved from the heavy trans­port section to mobile tower
cranes and initially began
operating the MK 80 before
changing over to the MK 88.

Kranmagazin KM Nr. 83 | 2012

Two convinced MK drivers:
Martin Hartmann (left) and
Felix Bildstein.

In Aktion

Within the scope of a test
drive and with the assistance
of the two drivers KM wanted
to literally “experience” the
conceptual differences be­tween the two AT undercar­riages.

But before the test starts,
the different tyres on the
cranes catch our eye. While
the MK 88 has 14.00 R 25
tyres, the MK 80 has to make
do with 445/65 R 22.5. This
is quite a significant factor,
since due to the design, the
MK undercarriage – like all
AT construction cranes – is
very low.

As we all know, the chal­lenge for mobile cranes is to
reconcile two opposing re­quirements. On the one hand,
naturally the crane should
have a large radius and must,
therefore, be equipped with a
suitably large jib. On the oth­er hand, for road transport, in
other words, when it is col­lapsed, it must not exceed the
4-m width limit.

And although such a situ­ation didn’t occur during the
90-minute test drive, during
which both operators drove

With the MK 88 the erection process
is done via cables.

the two cranes alternately
through the Rhine Valley and
the undulating foothills of
the Black Forest, both driv­ers pointed out that the low
design of the construction
cranes on an AT undercar­riage required a certain touch
in case of depressions in the
road surface or when driving
into uneven building sites.
“With the MK 80 more than
the MK 88 because it has the
smaller tyres,” the two drivers
agreed.

During our test drive

the MK 88 was well
ahead of the MK 80

on hills.

We find another difference
when take a look in the un­dercarriage cab: MK 80 with
clutch pedal, MK 88 without.
While the MK 88 uses the
automatic 12-gear transmis­sion ZF AS Tronic, the MK
80 is equipped with ZF Ecos­plit transmission (16 forward
gears). Although gear selec-

KM Nr. 83 | 2012 Kranmagazin