Manitowoc officials were charged up about the response they got at CONEXPO-CON/AGG in Las Vegas to their new model S282 boom truck. "We had a dozen orders coming in here, and we picked up another 23 by the end of the show," said Jay Shiffler, sales director for boom trucks and self-erecting cranes in North America. The S282 has a maximum reach of 82 ft, and it can be set up completely in seven minutes by one operator.

MARRIAGE The S282, the first joint project of Manitowoc and Potain, debuted at CONEXPO.(Photo by Janice L. Tuchman for ENR)

The new model is the first joint project from Manitowoc's boom truck group based in Georgetown, Texas, and Potain, the French crane maker that was acquired last year by Manitowoc. From the turntable bearing up, S282 is a self-erecting tower crane adapted by Potain engineers. From the turntable bearing down, the lower section is a boom truck subframe and outrigger from Manitowoc mounted on a truck chassis.

Manitowoc's crawler division also contributed because it had the software to produce the product's technical manuals, said Brad Rogers, vice president and general manager of Manitowoc Boom Trucks Inc.

The S282 has a height under hook of 52 ft, 6 in., and a capacity of 1.3 tons at the maximum jib radius of 82 ft. It has an optional 20¡ offset jib position to increase height under hook to 73 ft, 6 in., and it is able to work with a folded jib to allow for lifting in tight spaces. It can be fitted with 300-hp or 410-hp truck chassis.

One new buyer is Bill Finkle Sr., of dealer Cropac Equipment Inc., Oakville, Ontario, Canada. He sees the S282 as a "real tool" for steel erectors, HVAC contractors and others who will be able to do "multiple jobs in a day—easily," with this machine. "It will take the place of a much larger machine for buildings up to four or five stories," he said. Major advantages include the radio remote controlled operation and safety devices that "don't allow you to overlift," said Finkle.