 | | The box with window. |  |  | | Very good detail on the tracks and body. |  | | At the rear there is plenty of detail. |  | | Fine details on the track frames. |  | | Overall impression of the body is favourable, but oh dear that white thread. |  | | The tracks are retracted for transport. |  | | The Sennebogen 683 looks good on a low loader, here with a Nooteboom Trailer. |
| The Sennebogen 683 is one of a fairly unusual type of crane in that it has a telescopic boom on a crawler chassis and at the time of the review this is only one of two such crane models. The real crane is an 80 tonne capacity machine which can lift up to 42m with a 16m extension possible. The weight of the machine is around 82 tonnes.
This model is badged as made by Brami although it is often listed as a Ros model.
Packaging
Unusually for a crane model, it comes in a box with a clear window so the model can be seen. It is securely packed. In fact the use of ties to attach the model to the packaging means that some care has to be exercised removing it so that something is not inadvertently damaged. The review model had no defects or missing parts.
Included with the model is a small key to operate the winch. There is no assembly required, and no instructions are provided. There is little information about the real machine except some basic details on the box, which is a pity.
Detail
First impressions of the model are good. The tracks are metal with finely detailed pads which sit on well detailed track frames. These have very good sprockets and various casting details including step irons although these are cast in a folded down transport configuration. Between the track frames, ballast boxes are modelled with lifting eyes detailed within the casting.
The cab is a strong point on the model although it appears to be largely plastic. It has lights top and bottom and a windscreen wiper and mirror. Inside the detail level is good with controls and levers all visible. Outside there is a plastic walkway. Behind the cab, the body has some fine grilles and very good small graphics, and some textured walkway plates.
At the rear the counterweight looks impressive as it initially appears to be separate counterweight pieces. In fact it is all one casting. The Sennebogen name is cast into and painted on the lower plates which looks very good as does the red and white hazard markings. Lifting chains are permanently attached to the self-ballasting cylinders, and the detail in this area is all metal. There are also securing chains which represent those that are used to retain the counterweight blocks securely together, although in reality they are a little too large in this scale.
Other detail at the rear includes a toolbox and a good fuel filler pipe and cap. The two winches look good although the effect is spoiled by the strange choice of white thread as the rope which just looks wrong.
The boom is a five stage telescope. The lowest section is metal and is good with detail including a cable drum and the main lift cylinder has a hydraulic line detailed on it. The upper boom sections are plastic and unfortunately they look it. The colour match is a little off and they are fairly crudely made and not in keeping with the rest of the model which is a pity. At the boom head the pulleys are brass although the main bank of pulleys is just a single piece. The same is true of the metal hook block.
Features
The tracks are spring loaded and easily removed from the model. In use they are very good indeed, rolling very smoothly. The track frames are extendible which means they can be drawn in when the machine is transported and opened up to provide a wider base during lifting.
The cab tilts well although an opportunity has been missed to make the walkway outside the cab foldable for transport. On close inspection this looks like it would have been relatively easy to achieve with careful model design.
The crane rotates and the boom can be raised with the cylinder being stiff enough to hold any angle. The telescope sections pull out in a satisfactory manner without feeling as though they are particularly engineered. The hook can be raised and lowered although it does not lower under its own weight partly due to the lack of free rolling single pulleys in the boom and hook block.
An area of disappointment is the counterweight where, although the detail is great, a little more effort could have produced a removable system . In fact close inspection of the model indicates this could have been easily achieved so presumably it was a deliberate decision not to provide this functionality. At least the lift cylinders can be raised and lowered so this provides some interest.
Quality
The metal parts of the model are very good quality with a fine level of detail. The plastic elements are rather less good with the boom sections in particular lowering the overall feel of the model.
Paintwork and graphics are very good on the whole.
Price
The model is a reasonable price for what is offered although it seems to have a more variable level of pricing than most models so the advice is to shop around.
Overall
This a model of contrasts. On the one hand it is very good with the tracks and bodywork being of a high standard. However some of the modelling choices made such as the white thread and the plastic boom sections let the model down somewhat. At least the white thread can be replaced with something black and many collectors will want to do this to make the model look better.
Overall the model will be wanted by crane collectors. There is just a feeling that an opportunity has been missed to create a really good model.
Footnotes
The model was first shown at BAUMA in 2007. Although the model is sold under the Brami brand with both the box and the model being marked with the Brami name, it is often listed as being manufactured by Ros as model number 00195.4.
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|  | | Out of the box, only a key is required. |  | | Tilting cab looks good. |  | | Cab details are pleasing. |  | | Boom sections are plastic - and they look it. The white string does not help the look either. |  | | Boom partially extended. |  | | Ready to hit the road. |
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