WSI 9004 - Spierings SK599 AT5 Mobile Tower Crane
Model Review June 2008

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The Spierings is a complex model.

The picture box.

Inside the box.

The parts out of the box including brochure and certificate of authenticity.

The front and rear pairs of axles steer well.  One beacon light gets fitted above the cab door, and a floodlight gets fitted at the mast top (vertically above the first 'S' in Spierings in this photo).

Another beacon light fits on the cabinet at the top of the mast, to the right of the crane cab.

Spierings Kranen BV is a Dutch company founded in 1987. It specialises in lorry-mounted tower cranes which have become increasingly popular due to their mobility and very fast set-up times on site which are typically only 15 minutes.  These cranes are especially useful in urban environments where they are more efficient at lifting up and over existing buildings than conventional telescopic cranes.  Spierings cranes can be found in Europe and Canada and the company continues to expand.

The SK599 AT5 is a 60 tonne five-axle crane that can lift a maximum of 9 tonnes, and 1.9 tonnes at the maximum radius of 50m.  It can lift to a height of 32.6m and, with the jib raised at 30°, the maximum height is 56.3m.  To see photos of the real machine click here.

This model has been released to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of Spierings and it is the first of a Spierings crane.  It is 1:50 scale and is made in China by the Dutch company WSI.

Packaging

The packaging is a conventional picture box enclosing a pair of expanded polystyrene trays containing the model which is well wrapped inside. Interestingly the box says that the model is not suitable for children under three years old.  It certainly is not, and a complex model like this is really best suited as an 'adult' collectible. There were no defects or missing parts on the review model.

A brochure is provided with the model which includes technical specifications in English, Dutch and German. It also includes instructions which are good for showing how the model is assembled and disassembled. There are a number of small parts such as beacon lights which have to be fitted and the manual does not help with the location of these so the collector has to do it by inspection (see photos). It does not mention some of the other functions such as the working lift, nor how to set the jib to a luffed angle.

As expected for a model of this type, erecting and dismantling the model has to be carried out with care as it is a precision model with some delicately engineered parts.  It is however fully reeved at the factory so this is one less task for the collector.

Also included is a Certificate of Authenticity and this appears to be individually initialled by Leo Spierings which is a very nice touch.

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