Michelin gives family crane business a lift

John Sutch Cranes has confirmed it will specify Michelin tyres across its fleet of mobile cranes, tractor units, trailers and rigid trucks, after a trial set of Michelins covered more than twice the distance normally seen from the firm’s previous tyre of choice.

The family business compared the performance of the 445/95 R25 Michelin X-Crane + tyres fitted to one of its three-axle Liebherr cranes, versus an identical crane doing similar work, but running on the same size tyres from another premium brand.

Ian Seddon, Service & Transport Manager at John Sutch Cranes, explains: “The advantages of adopting a Michelin policy have been clear to see from our trial; delivering longer lasting performance and very even wear. We’re also seeing similar performance from two further sets of Michelin tyres fitted to a pair of our five-axle Grove cranes.”

Seddon and his team monitored the trial tyres closely throughout, drawing careful comparison between the two premium brands: “As well as covering twice the distance, the Michelins didn’t suffer any of the irregular wear we saw on the other tyres. They also took the different surfaces and terrain we encounter on-site in their stride.”

The switch to Michelin tyres is expected to secure long-term savings in running costs, leading to the decision to expand the Michelin policy across the firm’s entire commercial vehicle fleet.

“Using Michelin tyres will help us save costs in the long run as we won’t be fitting replacements nearly as often, plus the lower rolling resistance we’ve seen should help to unlock continued fuel efficiency benefits. Plus, of course, fitting tyres which last longer means we’ll be consuming fewer raw materials.”

The Michelin X-Crane + is built with an ultra-resistant rubber compound that increases tyre life and helps to eliminate irregular wear – meaning the tyres generate fewer vibrations on the road, improving operator comfort. Strong cables inside the casing and a longer-lasting bead area increase reliability, helping to protect against downtime. The tyres are also designed to run cooler, compared to rival manufacturers, which improves longevity and reduces the chances of early replacement or breakdown issues.

John Sutch Cranes will replace the tyres across its HGV fleet as wear dictates, switching to tyres from Michelin’s X Multi HD range – a heavy duty regional tread pattern. These tyres stand out for being robust, versatile and ideal for fleets required to operate on-road, while also coping with aggressive off-road surfaces during last mile deliveries onto construction sites.

Key to securing the change in policy has been support from Michelin Territory Business Manager, Ian Fitzpatrick. “Ian gave us a lot of really useful advice and brought our attention to the X Multi HD range which we are confident is going to be great for our trucks.

“He’s also introduced us to Michelin’s free accidental tyre damage guarantee, which will cover the majority of our truck tyres and give us the additional peace of mind that investing in a premium policy with Michelin has been the right move.”

Established in 1990, John Sutch Cranes is a mobile crane hire and contract lifting specialist, based in the north west of England. The company operates a fleet of 38 cranes of various makes and sizes, seven trucks and 11 trailers.