20T Bubble Crane
Hire in Melbourne
20 Tonne City Class Crane, Around 2.4m Wide
A 20 tonne bubble crane is a city-class mobile crane that combines 20 tonne lifting capacity with a carrier around 2.4 meters wide and a boom reaching roughly 25 meters. It is the largest machine in the bubble class, and it goes places a conventional 20-tonne crane cannot.
The name comes from the rounded, bubble-shaped cab that gives these cranes their look. The design exists to keep the machine narrow enough for laneways and urban streets while still carrying serious capacity.
Capacity Without the Footprint
The 20-tonne city crane fills the gap between compact machines and larger all-terrain cranes. Roughly the width of a large van, it can lift up to 20 tonnes and reach around 25 metres, making it suitable for laneways, spaces between buildings and suburban streets with limited room. Its rough-terrain capability also allows it to work on unformed construction sites, while some models can travel with a load before completing the final lift on outriggers. This versatility makes it valuable for both individual lifts and longer building projects across Melbourne, Geelong, Bacchus Marsh or Western Victoria. Tell us the heaviest load, required radius and available setup space.
What the Bubble
Class Gives You
Five things define these machines:
Narrow carrier, full capacity. Around 2.4 meters wide, so it fits laneways, driveways and streets that rule out a conventional 20 tonne crane.
Long boom for the size. Roughly 25 meters of reach from a machine that occupies a fraction of the road space a comparable all-terrain crane needs.
Rough terrain capability. Works on unformed and uneven construction sites without requiring prepared hardstand.
Travels with the load. Rubber tire operation lets the crane shift material around the site as well as perform the lift, subject to rated on-rubber capacity.
Drives to site. No float transport, so mobilization is faster and cheaper than any tracked or heavy all-terrain machine.
What the Bubble Class Gives You
Five things define these machines:
Narrow carrier, full capacity
Long boom for the size
Rough terrain capability
Travels with the load
Drives to site
Compact Crane Hire in Melbourne
Compact Crane Hire in Melbourne
7T Slew Crane
13T Bubble Crane
16T Bubble Crane
20T Bubble Crane
Where 20T Bubble Cranes Get Used
Structural Steel Erection
Beams, columns, portal frames and roof steel erected on commercial builds, warehouses and multi-level projects with restricted setup room.
Rooftop Plant and HVAC
Air conditioning units, chillers, exhaust systems and services equipment lifted to roof level from constrained street positions.
Precast and Panel Installation
Concrete panels, facade sections and precast components placed on urban and infill developments where access is tight.
Laneway and Inner Urban Construction
General construction lifting on sites hemmed in by buildings, where the narrow carrier is the only reason a crane can attend at all.
Factory and Warehouse Maintenance
Machinery, plant components and equipment moved and installed inside and around operating industrial facilities.
Infrastructure and Utility Works
Pipes, beams, culverts, poles and services equipment placed on roadworks, bridge maintenance and utility installations.
Call us now at 0457 000 637.
How the Job Runs
How the Job Runs
Start with the weight and the radius.
Start with the weight and the radius.
Send the lift details
Heaviest load and dimensions, working radius, hook height, where the crane can set up, ground conditions, and any overhead services.
Send the lift details
Heaviest load and dimensions, working radius, hook height, where the crane can set up, ground conditions, and any overhead services.
Capacity confirmed at radius
Your figures checked against the load chart at the actual distance, setup position confirmed, permits identified, and a quote issued with costs itemized.
Capacity confirmed at radius
Your figures checked against the load chart at the actual distance, setup position confirmed, permits identified, and a quote issued with costs itemized.
Approvals and scheduling
Road occupancy and traffic management arranged where required, spotters booked if powerlines are involved, and dates locked to your program.
Approvals and scheduling
Road occupancy and traffic management arranged where required, spotters booked if powerlines are involved, and dates locked to your program.
Lift day
Crane drives to site, sets up on outriggers, lifts completed, then packs down and departs. On longer hires,s the crane stays for the duration.
Lift day
Crane drives to site, sets up on outriggers, lifts completed, then packs down and departs. On longer hires,s the crane stays for the duration.
What Comes With the Crane?
Six things covered as part of the hire:
Licensed operator supplied. Every crane comes with a ticketed operator holding the correct class of license for the machine.
Site assessmet before quoting. Setup position, outrigger spread, ground bearing, overhead services, and lift path confirmed upfront.
Traffic management arranged. Road occupancy permits, traffic control plans and accredited crews where the crane occupies road or footpath.
Electrical spotters where required. Certified spotters supplied for work near overhead powerlines, which is common on urban and suburban streets.
Crew supplied as needed. Riggers and dogmen, and spotters matched to the complexity of the lift.
Lift documentation prepared. SWMS, ground bearing calculations and engineered lift plans where the principal contractor requires them.
Running a build program with lifting across several weeks? Call 0457 000 637, and we will price the crane on a weekly basis rather than day
What Comes With the Crane
Six things covered as part of the hire:
Every Lift Meets Safety Standard
What is a bubble crane?
A city-class mobile crane built with a narrow carrier and a long telescopic boom so it can lift in confined urban spaces. Capacities in the class typically run from around 10 to 20 tonnes, with the 20-tonne being the largest.
Why is it called a bubble crane?
The name comes from the rounded, bubble-shaped operator cab that these machines are built with. It is an industry nickname rather than a technical classification, and city crane means the same thing.
How far can a 20T bubble crane reach?
Around 25 meters for this class, though the figure varies by model. Capacity at that distance is a small fraction of the rated 20 tonnes, so the useful number is what the crane holds at your actual working radius.
How wide is a 20 tonne bubble crane?
All Melbourne metro suburbs, plus Geelong, Bacchus Marsh, Melton, Werribee, Ballarat, Caroline Springs, Maidstone and the wider Western Victoria region. Our Maddingley depot keeps travel time and cost down for every client.
Can a bubble crane travel with a load?
Many models can lift and travel on rubber tires at a reduced rated capacity, which lets the crane move material around a site as well as perform placement lifts. We confirm the on-rubber rating for the specific machine before quoting.
Bubble crane or Franna?
A Franna carries loads across a site and travels at road speed, but has limited reach and no slewing at height. A bubble crane slews 360 degrees and reaches around 25 meters from a fixed setup. If the load has to go up and over, you need the bubble crane.
Bubble crane or all-terrain crane?
If the site can accommodate a larger machine, an all-terrain crane offers more capacity and reach. The bubble crane wins when road space, laneway width, or setup area rule the bigger machine out entirely.
Should I hire a 13T, 16T or 20T bubble crane?
Capacity at your working radius decides it, not the headline tonnage. A 20 tonne machine at fifteen meters may hold less than you expect, so send us the weight and the distance, and we will check the charts rather than guess from the class.
Do I need permits?
If the crane stands on the road, footpath or nature strip, generally yes. Road occupancy permits and traffic management plans are arranged as part of the engagement, coordinated with the relevant council.
What does 20T bubble crane hire cost in Melbourne?
Hourly, day, and weekly rates apply, with travel from our Maddingley depot, permits, and traffic management itemized separately where required. Because the crane drives to site, mobilization costs less than a tracked machine. Call 0457 000 637 for a figure.
Which areas do you cover?
All Melbourne metro suburbs, with Maidstone, Werribee and Caroline Springs among the areas we attend most often, extending through Geelong, Bacchus Marsh, Melton and Ballarat. Regional and interstate work is arranged on request.
0457 000 637
Open 24 hours
25 Rowsley Station Rd, Maddingley VIC 3340
Contact Us
The crane drives to site from our depot at 25 Rowsley Station Rd, Maddingley VIC 3340, directly on the Western Freeway. No float transport is involved, which keeps mobilization costs down and makes short-notice and multi-day bookings considerably easier to arrange. Maidstone is exactly the environment this class was designed for. Narrow streets, parked cars, close neighbors, and infill development sites where a conventional 20-tonne crane simply cannot position. The 2.4-meter carrier is often the difference between a crane attending and the job needing a different method entirely.