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| Liebherr branded
box. |
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| Tracks
retracted. |
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| Just off the low
loader, the rig waits to have the rotary drive and kelly
bar added. |
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|
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| Moving to the drilling
location. |
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| Ready to drill.
The auger is a great part. |
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| Nice detailing
on the roof. |
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| Driving in the
pile casing. |
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| Good looking transport
loads can be set up. Here a
Nooteboom
low loader and
Dennison
trailer are used. |
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The Liebherr LB 45.1 is a rotary drilling
rig. It can drill to a maximum depth of 95m and can
handle pile diameters up to 4.5m.
Packaging
The model comes in a large Liebherr-style box and it is
packed within two expanded polystyrene trays with
various parts wrapped in soft
paper.
There were no missing parts on the review
model. The rope on two of the winch drums was
wound on the wrong side and this can be unwound and
re-wound correctly.
A large clear instruction leaflet is provided which is in
English and German. It is straightforward to assemble
the model. A key is provided
to operate the winches. No information is included about the real machine.
Detail
The metal tracks are delicately detailed, and some spare track links
are included in the box.
They are mounted on track frames which have working small rollers.
The cab has a metal grab
rail with a plastic mirror, and there is a plastic guard
on top and a small beacon light. Inside there are
controls and a computer console. Outside there are
textured walkways.
Around the body access panels are indicated, and there
are steps leading to the roof with a plastic access gate
at the top. The counterweight is a single casting
which represents the separate blocks used on the real
machine and it is not removable. The side has
excellent perforated grilles and some equipment is
visible inside.
The top of the machine roof has a textured
walking surface. There are excellent mesh grilles
on both sides of the top and on one side there is a
plastic hose support which is used in transport mode.
The structural support to the leader is very good with the
friction rivets used being barely visible. There
is a metal ladder which leads to a fine mesh platform.
A mass of hydraulic lines run from the body and there is
a protective metal truss. The winches have
hydraulic hose running to them.
The leader is an all metal part and the structure is
authentically represented, including various
perforations. At the top the boom for the auxiliary
winch has a tiny hydraulic ram. The hook and chain
provides weight. The rope crowd system is reeved
in the factory but is not functional. The pulleys used are metal and are
black so they look right.
The leader slide has more hydraulic lines and the drill mounts onto it.
There are long silver screws used to lock the slide
position but these are quite unsightly and small black
screws would have been much better.
The drill motor is modelled well. The kelly bar is metal.
It is not telescopic, but it has accurate shaping down
its length. The auger is a very nice metal part.
Features
The tracks rotate but they are stiff. The track frames are spring loaded
for easy removal of the tracks. The track frames are
also retractable so the model can be posed in either transport
or working configuration.
The leader can be posed in transport position, and the
leader top can be folded to lower the overall transport
length. For transport it would have been even better if the model had
a removable counterweight.
There is an adjustable foot at the bottom of the leader.
The slide moves and can be locked in position.The rope
crowd is not functional.
Two working winches enable the kelly bar and auxiliary hook
to be lowered and raised. The auxiliary hook can be
attached to a folding securing beam at the bottom of the
leader.
The auger is removable potentially allowing alternative
tools to be fitted.
Quality
This is a high quality model with a high metal content.
The grilles are modelled very well.
The paint and graphics are sharp.
Price
It is moderate value for money.
Overall
The LB 45.1 is a long awaited model and it is a welcome
addition to the roundation model sector. It is a
detailed high quality model..
Footnotes
The model first appeared at Bauma 2025.
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| The tray and instructions. |
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| The parts out of
the box. |
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| Equipment all fitted.
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| A mass of hydraulic
lines. |
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| Lots of detail
on the rotary drive. |
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| Excellent tracks
and cab. |
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| The leader is solid
and straight. |
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| The model comes
with a plastic base on which it can be posed. |
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| It makes a great
display combination when mounted on a low loader. |
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