terms. Independent lenders who understand equipment values are helping operators navigate uncertainty.”
Most-Wanted Cranes
What types and sizes of crane are most in demand now?
“ Loads are getting larger and heavier, so higher-capacity cranes have been in demand,” said Exact Crane’ s Swan.“ But maintenance in confined areas has also been steady, so mini cranes, carry decks, small rough terrains and boom trucks are busy, as well.”
Swan added that this has been the year of the 160-ton rough-terrain crane.“ For the past 10 months we’ ve had three to 10 calls every couple of weeks for that size,” he said.“ Projects like data centers, refineries and large manufacturing facilities are pushing the demand.”
Select Crane’ s MacKenzie is also seeing demand for larger rough terrains.“ There is great demand for models in the 100- to 160-ton category, boom trucks in the 40- to 60-ton range, crawler cranes of 300 tons or more and both mid-sized and larger all-terrain cranes,” he said.“ Versatility, roadability and how often a crane can be out working are driving decisions more than just its capacity.”
MacKenzie added that most U. S. activity is in mid-range cranes.“ Those sizes give contractors flexibility to do plant work, bridges, precast and general construction,” he said.“ When customers step into a larger all-terrain or crawler, it’ s usually for a specific contract or a long-term shift in their work mix, so they are usually looking for long-term rental instead of buying.”
New vs Used
We asked whether the experts noticed any trends in the popularity of new versus used cranes, and how financing differed between them.
“ Customers seem to be plenty busy, so new cranes are certainly still on the move,” said Exact Crane’ s Swan.“ However, inflation and tariffs have affected the crane market. The most desired cranes are lightly used 2- to 5-year-old machines that beat the tariffs and price increases and have been paid down a bit. Finding those machines that are in good shape and for sale are few and far between.”
Select Crane’ s MacKenzie said that late model used cranes continue to be very strong.
“ They avoid long lead times, carry a lower price and remove the sting of higher interest rates and tariffs on new equipment,” he said.“ Larger fleets and brand-loyal customers still lean toward newer cranes so they can standardize controls, telematics and warranty support, but even they are looking harder at clean, low-hour used units when the numbers make more sense.”
Equify’ s Hoiby noted that financing a used crane can be different than financing a new unit.
“ New cranes come with predictable values and depreciation, so credit decisions are more straightforward,” he said.
“ Used cranes require deeper asset expertise and stronger valuation work. The structure changes, but the goal stays the same: protect cash and keep the operator working.” Financing Trends
“ There are many finance
Exact Crane, Select Crane, and Equify all report that higher capacity roughterrain cranes, for example this 160-U. S-ton Tadano GR 1600-3 in Exact Crane’ s yard, are in high demand.
www. contractorshotline. com January 9, 2026 15