HomeWelcomeReviewsEditorials/PressReferenceShopping MallLinksPhoto ArchiveSearchContact
Terex AC 100/4L Mobile Crane - Merkel

Maker:  Conrad
Model No:  2107/06
Scale:  1:50
Review Date:  October 2016


Conrad Index
Mobile Crane Index


Cranes Etc Model Rating
Packaging   (max 10)7
Detail   (max 30)23
Features   (max 20)16
Quality   (max 25)19
Price   (max 15)9
Overall   (max 100)74%

Footnotes


Terex AC 100/4L Mobile Crane - Merkel video  [Youku video]
Terex style box.
The parts out of the box.
Steering is good.
Ready for the road.
Sharp small graphics.
Crane structure is good.
Two stage plastic outrigger beams.
Metal pulleys in the boom head. 
Lifting a load. 
Cranked fly jib. 
Comment on this model.

The Terex 100/4L is nominally a 100 tonne capacity mobile crane with a main boom length of almost 60m.  It can carry a 19m overall length double fly jib and another optional jib extension increases the overall system length to almost 82m.

The model does not include the optional jib extension.

This version is in the colours of Merkel, the German crane hire company.

Packaging

The model comes in standard two piece expanded polystyrene trays held together by a picture sleeve which has a photo of the real machine, and a graphic of the extended boom. 

The review model had no missing parts or defects.

There are no instructions provided with the model, but assembly is reasonably straight forward.

Detail

There is little detail on the underside of the chassis with the steering mechanism for the axles being purely functional.  The wheels have good all terrain tyres and it is good to see that the wheel design for axle 3 is different from those on the other three driven axles. 

The outrigger beams are made of tough plastic and the pistons are standard screw threads, with plastic pads.

The driving cab has door mirrors and stylised beacon lights on the roof.  The headlights have small plastic lenses and there is a towing hitch although it is too the hook cannot fix onto it directly.  Interior detail inside the cab is reasonable.  There are no number plates, which is a surprise given the real crane exists in the Merkel fleet.

Behind the cab, the carrier deck has diamond plated anti-slip surfaces and a couple of ladders are formed within the casting.  At the rear of the carrier the lights are painted and there is another small towing hitch.

The crane cab has plastic grab rails and inside there is an operator's seat and controls, with the computer console having detail.  The rest of the body is simple, with some metal hand rails.  The counterweight comes in six separate pieces including the cheek weights.  The main slabs have lifting points which could be used to attach thin chains.

The boom sections are diecast metal and fairly simple, and the top section of the telescope ends up narrow due to the modelling tolerances in diecast.  There is a small spooling drum on the lowest section.  In the boom head and fly jib the pulleys are metal.  The fly jib has a convincing metal lattice work section and the swingaway part is plastic although the colour match is excellent.

A single pulley hook is provided.  The pulley is metal, and the block has nice red and white stripes.

Features

The steering works very well and consists of linked front and rear pairs of axles.  This means crab steering can be simulated, but not all the steering modes of the real crane as axles 3 and 4 are not independent.

The outrigger beams are two stage and can be pulled out to any extension and the pads lowered.  They can successfully hold the weight of the crane.

The crane cab tilts to a reasonable angle.

A good feature is the counterweight which can be attached to simulate different configurations, and it can be posed on the carrier deck in a reduced configuration but it does not look realistic because of the upstand posts. 

All the usual crane functions work fine with the crane rotating and the boom able to be set at a reasonable angle, and the boom cylinder is stiff enough to hold a pose.  The six section telescopic boom can be smoothly extended to full length and each section has the usual locking mechanism to prevent the boom retracting.

The fly jib is pinned to the boom head using small plastic bolts and can be fixed to be straight, or at one of two offset angles.  The swingaway portion can be pinned into position or left retracted so overall the fly jib provides a variety of display options.

The winch is operated by turning the winch drum directly and it has enough friction to hold a reasonable load.

Quality

The model is robust and strong.

The Merkel livery and graphics are reproduced very well.

Price

It is a little pricey for a four axle crane model.

Overall

This is a nice model which is attractive in the Merkel livery, and it is a typically robust Conrad model.  It poses well, and looks good with other models.

Footnotes

The model first appeared in Terex colours at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in 2012 and was available soon after.  This version in Merkel's colours appeared in July 2016.
 
In the tray.
Profile view 
Chain (not included with the model) used to tie the hook for transport.
Simple detailing underneath.
Nice cab.
Anti slip surfacing.
Tilting cab.
 
Long boom.
Solid section is plastic.