Today, Astro Crane is known in New England for renting hydraulic cranes ranging from 6 to 600 tons. When someone needs to lift heavy objects high up in the air as they build a building, or transfer supplies from one place to another, cranes are the way to go. Can you imagine the world in 2014 without any cranes? Without the power and utility of modern cranes, we’d all be living in caves or huts.

Did you ever wonder when cranes were invented? Way back in the late 6th century BC (aka around 515 BC) archaeological discoveries indicate that lifting tongs and lewis irons appeared on stone blocks of Greek temples. With holes in specific areas of these ancient blocks, it’s assumed that ancient Greeks must have used a rudimentary version of a crane to construct their elaborate temples.

In the years to follow, the winch and pulley hoist became popular, essentially replacing the use of ramps to construct buildings. The Greeks utilized these basic cranes in small teams, rather than having huge groups of unskilled laborers doing construction. They worked smarter, rather than harder, to get things done.

Aristotle, who lived in the 300s BC, is typically considered the first person to “write” about cranes in Mechanical Problems. In that century, more advanced compound pulley systems came into existence, helping build an even stronger Greek empire.

Since 1980, AstroCRANE has been helping build up New England with crane rentals and services. With an extensive, well-maintained crane fleet, AstroCRANE would be the envy of ancient Greeks if they took a time machine to the present age.

Call AstroCRANE at 800-696-2787 if you’re interested in renting cranes for use in New England.