Terex Cranes has issued a warning that counterfeit versions of a popular crawler crane model are being offered for sale, originating from South Korea.
It follows a similar warning in 2013 about the same crane being offered as counterfeit from China. Terex Cranes says its CC 2500-1 lattice boom crawler crane “is the crane model of choice for the copycat manufacturers”.
According to the company, which has its main factory in Zweibrucken, Germany, the units are assembled, branded and sold as used Terex cranes at prices well under market value and are either painted white using the Terex brand or red using the legacy Demag brand.
“This is a serious situation, not only because this infringes on our intellectual property but, more importantly, it poses a serious safety risk for our customers. The use of these inferior, counterfeit cranes can result in deadly consequences” says Klaus Meissner, director of product strategy for Terex Cranes.
While made to look like Terex units, these pirated cranes are often assembled with a blend of older and newer technology and components not designed to work together, explains Meissner. “These counterfeit cranes frequently exhibit poor weld quality, inferior steel structures and improperly fitted tracks. Additionally, many of the safety components designed into genuine Terex cranes are missing.”
“Unfortunately going by serial number alone will not determine with certainty you are buying a genuine Terex crane, as these plates can be fake as well,” adds Meissner. “Many of the counterfeit cranes were purchased either without an on-site inspection or through an inspection conducted by an unqualified person.”
According to Meissner, buyers should conduct a thorough inspection of any used crane by a qualified individual prior to purchasing the machine, especially in the markets of concern.
“If the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is,” he says. “Contact [Terex] and I will be happy to assist you in verifying that it is a genuine Terex crane.”