120|HT Pairs Quality With Versatility

Wed March 05, 2025
Link-Belt Cranes

Waggoner Equipment Rental LLC of Wood River, Ill., recently purchased a 120-ton 120|HT to maximize its crane fleet's competitiveness.

Waggoner selected the 120|HT for its versatility and maneuverability, making it the company's fourth Link-Belt crane currently in operation, according to Link-Belt

Waggoner Owner Alana Yount said the 120|HT's mobility is exactly what its fleet needed to better service residential and commercial clients. Along with a need to regularly offload materials and components to handle general taxi crane projects, the 120|HT covers every base.

"It covers so many ranges of equipment needs," Yount said. "We can use it as an 80-ton or 100-ton as well as a 120-ton machine, which we utilize on a regular basis every week."

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The 120|HT assisted in lifting two 30,000-gal. tanks measuring 12-ft.-4-in. in diameter and 35 ft. tall at a recent job site in Shipman, Ill. Weighing approximately 15,000 lbs. each, the tanks were placed at a 42-ft. radius with 87 ft. of boom.

The next day, the 120|HT displayed its ability to use multiple counterweight configurations while lifting carbon steel piping, large chillers and HVAC units used to upgrade a St. Louis, Mo., hospital. The HT loaded the piping, weighing between 3,500 and 6,500 lbs., onto trailers prepped for transport. The pipes were staged at Waggoner's storage yard prior to transport, requiring the crane to work at an 80-ft. radius and more.

"We can downrent this crane, and it fills a lot of different holes in our fleet," said Brandon Yates, Waggoner commercial and residential project manager. "A lot of different counterweight options give us the capability to do various jobs. And it's comfortable to drive with ease in mobility. That's great."

"The HT's Pulse 2.0 operating system is simple to use and one of the crane's many invaluable features," Yates added.

He noted that the crane's V-CALC capabilities allow for flexibility in outrigger positions, expediting his crew's workflow and ensuring more work gets done in less time.

"It's easy to set up. It's very operator friendly," Yates said. "Having the V-CALC system on this crane along with its lifting capabilities is great."

Finally, in the same week, the 120|HT traveled 37 mi. to Carlinville, Ill., to help assemble a manufactured home. Consisting of two 15-ft., 3-in.-wide sections that weighed 40,700 lbs. and 38,900 lbs., respectively, the house featured a length of 76-ft., 4-in.

"The crane's modular counterweight system is especially handy for heavier lifts," said Sardigal, a Waggoner equipment operator. "By transporting the crane with a dolly in accordance with highway weight specifications, the ability to add counterweight depending on the lift allows Waggoner to be self-sufficient and minimize costly overflow loads."

"You get to the job site, and you have 49,000 pounds of counterweight with you to do your heavier picks and longer radius," Sardigal added.

Along with this, Sardigal described the experience of driving the 120|HT as "top notch."

"It's the best riding and driving crane I've ever been in," Sardigal said. "To and from the job, it's pretty close to a Cadillac riding down the road."