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Spider crane hire

Spider cranes are mini cranes with fold-out outriggers that set up in tight spaces, indoors and out. Tell us the job and we pass it to firms that cover your area.

  • Free to use, no obligation
  • One short form, about a minute
  • We pass your request to crane hire firms that cover your area
  • We are not a crane hire company and do not plan lifts

Request crane hire

Free, no obligation. About a minute.

What kind of crane do you need?
When do you need it?
For how long?
Contract lift or crane hire with operator?

What is the difference?

Where is the lift, and what is it?
Who should the crane hire firms contact?

Hire Crane is an introduction service. We do not hire out cranes or plan lifts, and we never sell your details to marketing lists.

What is a spider crane?

A spider crane is a compact crane on tracks whose outriggers fold out like a spider's legs, letting it set up level on uneven ground or in a confined space.

They are a kind of mini crane. Folded, many are narrow enough to pass through a doorway or garden gate. Capacities typically run from under a tonne to several tonnes.

When is a spider crane the right choice?

  • The lift is inside a building, or behind a house, with no route in for a mobile crane.
  • The load is moderate: glass, steel beams, plant and machinery rather than very heavy items.
  • The crane needs to set up on uneven or sloping ground.

For heavier loads or longer reach, a mobile crane may be needed. To deliver and lift materials in one visit, look at HIAB hire.

Glazing

Spider cranes are widely used to place large glass panels, often with a vacuum lifting attachment. If the job is glazing, say so in the form, with the size and weight of the largest panel.

Who plans the lift?

Under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), every lifting operation has to be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out safely. BS 7121, the British Standard code of practice for the safe use of cranes, sets out how that is usually done. Contract lift or crane hire with operator: the difference.

What to have ready

  • The site address and postcode, and where the crane could stand.
  • What is being lifted: its weight if you know it, its size, and whether it has lifting points.
  • How far and how high: the distance from where the crane stands to where the load lands (the radius), and the height it has to clear.
  • Access: gateway and door widths, overhead cables, trees, and whether the crane needs to set up on a road or pavement.
  • Ground conditions: soft ground, cellars, drains and recent backfill all matter, because outriggers put a lot of load through a small area.
  • Dates, and whether you want a contract lift or crane hire with operator.

Firms with spider in their name

From the Google Maps results we collected for our town pages, firms whose name mentions spider, most reviewed first.

Listed for information from Google Maps search results on 10 October 2026. These firms are not our partners, we have not checked them, and a listing here is not a recommendation. Ratings are Google ratings on that date.

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Questions people ask

What is the difference between a spider crane and a mini crane?

A spider crane is a kind of mini crane. The name comes from its outriggers, which fold out like legs. In practice the two terms are often used for the same machines.

Can a spider crane lift glass?

Yes, glazing is one of their most common uses, usually with a vacuum lifting attachment. Give the hire firm the size and weight of the largest panel.

Will a spider crane damage my floor or garden?

The outriggers spread the load, but it is still concentrated. Hire firms use pads or mats where needed, and will ask what the crane is standing on.

Need a crane?

Tell us the job once. We pass it to crane hire firms that cover your area and they contact you directly.

Request crane hire