 |
| Liebherr-branded box. |
 |
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| The parts out
of the box.
|
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| Folded up. |
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| Capacity board.
|
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| Mast raising
cables.
|
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| Trolley and
erection motors
and metal hook. |
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| Setting a load. |
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| With members of
the family:
TK 8, Form 6,
32 TT. |
|
 Comment on this model.
The Liebherr 81K has a maximum lifting capacity of 6
tonnes and a maximum radius of 45m. It can lift
1.4 tonnes at maximum radius. It can operate at
various tower heights and can also climb using
additional tower sections.
Packaging
This version of the model comes in a large box
which is dictated by the tower being in the erected position
rather than folded onto the base. The packaging is a good quality
outer sleeve with a photo and inside there is a two piece polystyrene tray containing
the parts, some of which are carefully wrapped.
There were no defects or missing parts on the review
model.
A good quality instruction sheet is provided which is in
English and German. There is no information about
the real crane which is a pity.
Detail
The base has metal outriggers with simple screw thread
pads. On top of the base is a toothed slewing
ring.
The cabinets are metal and nicely decorated, and the two
winch drives are good too. A couple of small
graphics add detail.
The counterweight slabs are metal and the casting is
good with the Liebherr name embossed, lifting points are
modelled in the top and step irons are included.
Not all the pieces are separate however and an extra
block of four is supplied which is more than the real
crane has. It is a modelling compromise
brought about by the need to counteract the heavy jib
and give the model some stability.
The mast sections are a good metal casting
although there are no ladders, and the rope-operated
mast raising system is modelled with small pulleys.
There is a capacity board at the bottom which has very
sharp graphics. At the top is the distinctive cab.
The sides are plastic and there is a seat inside.
The complex jib consists of three separate sections
which are metal and are fabricated as a two castings -
the top sides and the bottom. The geometry and
profile of the erected jib is very good. The
trolley and erection motors are modelled and plastic Liebherr sign
boards clip on, although care is needed not to obstruct
the trolley movement.
The suspension cables and
rods are high quality and a
very good job has been done to match lengths to obtain equalised tension. Both the trolley and hook are
metal and they are nice items. A small piece of
chain is included which adds detail and weight. It
is needed as the thread used for the hoist rope is not
the right flexibility to be free-flowing unless there is
some decent tension.
Features
The outriggers fold out but cannot be locked in
position so they move easily and have to be watched as
the crane overbalances if they are not set right. The
pads screw down.
The crane rotates but it is stiff.
Increasing the height of the mast using the winch is
implemented and it works well enough although the
rigging of the jib means only one height can be set so
it is not as flexible as the real crane.
The trolley can be positioned anywhere along the jib by
hand although it was 'sticky' on the review model at the
first articulation point.
The hook can be raised and lowered and works
reasonably well as long as there is some load on.
The crane can be erected and it is a large size -
60 cm
high overall and nearly 100 cm end-to-end. It can be
folded up with care although it is not stable on the
base fully folded and needs a support at the end to keep
it level. A supplied tie needs to be used to
keep the folded arts in position and this is not a
realistic-looking solution.
Quality
This is largely a metal model with some nicely
engineered parts, and it stands straight and true.
The paint and graphics are very good.
Price
It is good value overall given it is large when erected.
Overall
The 81K is an interesting and complex crane and this is a
reasonable effort by NZG to model it. Compromises
have had to be made to model it in this scale and so
some of the functionality and flexibility of the real
crane is missing, and the model is close to the limit of
stability when standing. It certainly looks good and is
impressive so it is highly recommended.
Footnotes
The model first appeared at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in 2013.
At the BAUMA Show in 2013 a version with transport axles
and a Mercedes-Benz support truck appeared as
model 8701.
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|
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| The model inside
the box. |
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| Fully
erected. |
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| Counterweight
stack providing temporary support at the end.
|
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| Nice winches
and cabinets. |
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| Counterweight
stacked high. |
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| Nice wire
cables and rods. |
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| Distinctive
cab. |
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| Jib profile is
very good. |
|
