 |
| Colourful box.
|
 |
 |
| Safety chain at
the boom head. |
 |
| Nice details at
the rear. |
 |
| Profile view. |
 |
| Detailed
chassis. Steering angle is minimal. |
 |
| Tilting cab. |
 |
| Opening flap at
the side. Hinge connections show a bit. |
 |
| The suspended load is a Tadano Faun ingot.
|
 |
| The offset angle
is controlled by a cylinder which tends to bleed.
A latch would have been better. |
 |
| Convincing
profile. |
|
 Comment on this model.
The Tadano Faun HK 70 is a crane mounted
on a truck chassis. The chassis is a five
axle 10x4 DAF CF. The maximum capacity of
the crane is 70 tonnes and it can lift to a maximum height
of 61m with the boom extension.
This version of the model is in the colours of Dutch
lifting and transport company
Baetsen.
Packaging
The model comes in a Tadano branded box which encloses a
pair of expanded polystyrene trays.
There were no
defects or missing parts on the review model.
There is some information about the real crane on the
box although it references a Mercedes-Benz Actros
chassis rather than the DAF CF of this model.
There are no instructions for the model.
Detail
The truck chassis is very detailed. The suspension and transmission are
modelled to a high
standard and various tanks are modelled too.
The wheels have good treaded tyres on detailed
hubs, with the fifth axle having larger diameter tyres.
The DAF cab has beacon lights on the roof, and the
'Transport Exceptionnel' sign and chevron graphics look
convincing. The lights have plastic lenses so
they look authentic. A small loop is provided at the front to attach
the hook during transport. Behind the cab the
equipment is modelled in plastic.
The outriggers are really good. They have
detailed metal beams and dual pistons on each leg which
do not show a screw thread. There are adjustable pads
which are pinned, and a set of plastic spreader plates are
also included.
The carrier deck has diamond plating and various
storage boxes are detailed down each side. At the rear there is a non-removable
ladder and a towing hitch which even includes a tiny winding
handle.
The crane cab has metal grab rails on the outside and windscreen
wipers. Inside the detailing is very good with a computer
console and joysticks modelled and there is even an absolutely
tiny graphic representing 'Faun' on the seat headrest.
Detail on the crane body is great with a mass of hydraulic
cabling running to the various motors and cylinders.
The only minor blemish is the silver pin used as the boom
pivot which is a bit obtrusive and would have looked better
painted. The counterweight is made up of five
plates like the real crane. The engine has also been
modelled and this is revealed by lifting two opening side
panels.
The five stage telescopic boom is metal and the bottom section
has a spool, a pair of lights and holders for the
extension boom, one of which is articulated. The main
boom cylinder is plastic with a reasonable colour match to the painted metal parts. At the boom
head the main pulleys appear to be a single piece and
they are silver rather
than painted as on the original.
The extension boom is metal and is cast well, and it has
a pop out guide pulley. There is a hydraulic cylinder
which controls the angle of this boom.
The hook is metal and has two pulleys and comes ready reeved.
It is less useful on the extension boom however where
either a single line hook or a hook block with an odd number
of pulleys would have been better. A safety cut-out
chain hangs from the boom top and it and the hoist rope
connector are pinned so they can be transferred to the extension
boom, although they do not fit well into the holes on it.
A metal ingot bearing the name 'Tadano Faun' is
supplied as a display load.
Features
The steering of the front two axles and the rear axle are linked
and a very small amount of movement is possible to obtain a more
interesting pose.
The truck cab tilts to give access to the engine block.
At the rear the pin in the towing hitch can be removed.
The rear outrigger beams extend out, and the front ones
fold out and can extend a little, and the pads can be lowered
and will support the crane.
The crane body has two opening panels to provide access
to the crane engine.
The counterweight is detachable
and can be either stowed on the carrier deck or attached
to the crane.
The crane functions work well with the hoist operated by
a supplied key. The boom sections lock into place
when extended, and as the extension boom is pinned to the
main boom side when not in use it does not fall off when the boom is raised.
The boom cylinder is not particularly stiff and bleeds down
over time so a pin is provided to insert through a hole
in the cylinder jacket.
The extension boom can be attached and also has a fold
out section so two lengths can be chosen. The angle of
the boom is controlled by a cylinder rather than a
latch.
Quality
It is a high quality model which is mostly
metal with appropriate use of plastic, and the paintwork
and graphics are excellent.
Price
The model is good value for the quality and detail offered.
Overall
This is a very good model of a truck-mounted crane.
The features and details are very good and it looks nice
in the colours of Baetsen. It is easy to highly
recommend.
Footnotes
The model was first shown in Tadano Faun blue and white
at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in February 2010, and appeared
for sale in May 2010. This DAF version in Baetsen
colours first appeared in March 2014.
|
|
|
|
 |
| The parts out
of the box. |
 |
| Impressive looking
machine. |
 |
| Counterweight
stowed in the middle to balance the axle loads when on
the road. |
 |
| Boom extension
is pinned securely during transport. |
 |
| Twin piston outrigger.
|
 |
| Detailed cab. |
 |
| Lots of hydraulic
hoses on the crane. |
 |
| Set up and
ready to lift.
|
 |
| Detailed extension
boom. |
 |
| Boom has a
smooth bend under load. |
|
