A Legend is Born: Link-Belt’s New 298 HSL

Lexington, KY — Link-Belt has announced the completely new 298 HSL, a 230-ton (208.6 mt) hydraulic lattice boom crawler crane. While the 298 fills out Link-Belt’s crawler crane line providing Link-Belt quality between 200 and 300 tons, it more importantly provides the replacement answer for all the aging 230-ton crawlers in fleets around the world. Because of this crane’s performance, easy assembly and disassembly, and easy transportability, that replacement decision just got a lot easier.

Grace Under Power
Continuing the highly successful HYLAB tradition, the 298 HSL brings pin-point controls and bullet proof reliability to the table. With a 230-ton (208.6 mt) capacity, it has 55,000 lbs (24 947.58 kg) of maximum line pull and a maximum line speed of 525 fpm (160.02 m/min). Wide, 35-in (889 mm) front and rear drums demand 28-mm rope to handle the line pull generated.

But strength is nothing without control. Patterned after the recently introduced 218 HSL, the controls on this 230-ton crawler will set the standard to which others are compared. A Mitsubishi Tier 3 approved 6M70-T3 power plant, rated at 365 hp (272 Kw), powers the pump package to allow line speed to remain more constant under load, giving the operator smooth performance and fine control. Front and rear hoist drums are driven by variable displacement hydraulic piston motors that power the double planetary drive. Hoist and lowering control is further enhanced by hoist drums with adjustable speed control. This allows the operator to synchronize drum speed making custom crane operations easy.

Optional on the 298, is front and rear drum “freefall” using a new wet brake design that resulted from customer-driven research. This wet disc-style brake has superior “feel.” Less robust designs come on hard and release quickly.

Not the Link-Belt wet brake; it allows precise control of even the lightest loads in the freefall mode. A third drum is also an option. These features provide greater operator control and significantly longer component life.

Easy Come, Easy Go
The 298 HSL’s counterweight removal system (patent applied for) removes the hydraulic cylinders and integral frame in one piece with the counterweights to reduce the main transport load weight. The removal system has remote control. Counterweight pin releases are within easy reach for one person, expediting the whole assembly/disassembly process. The 160,000 lbs (72 574.78 kg) of upper counterweight are designed for easy handling and blended load-outs. The main unit transports at less than 88,000 lbs (39 916.13 kg).

Reaching Out
The 298 HSL offers a 60 ft–300 ft (18.29–91.44 m) tubular lattice boom. A jib is also available up to 90 ft (27.43 m) and is offsettable to 5, 15, and 25 degrees. For additional tip height, a 270-ft (82.3 m) main boom can be combined with the 90-ft (27.43 m) jib for a maximum tip height of 365.5 ft (111.25 m). Further, the “blocked-over-end” capacities make this crane extremely versatile and productive.

Details on the 298 luffer will be released soon so stay tuned!

Lap of Luxury
The 298 HSL’s cab is highly functional, yet very comfortable. In addition to the full complement of backlit gauges and adjustable armchair-mounted controls, the ergonomic design offers the operator several advantages: greater visibility; more room; adjustable boom, swing, and load hoist controls; six-way adjustable seat; and an AM/FM digital clock radio. Audio and visual alarms for swing, full engine instrumentation, and a service monitor augment the controls. And for those hot days, air conditioning is standard. As a result, the 298 is a pleasant place to work.

To make the operator’s life even easier, Link-Belt’s rated capacity limiter is standard equipment. The color graphic display features load-on-hook, as well as maximum allowable load-on-hook, boom length, boom angle, tip height, and an audible/visual warning. The limiter also features a function kick-out for both overload and anti-two block occurrences. The system uses a sensor in the boom hoist dead end to feed data to the load limiter computer.

Standard left, right, and front catwalks that remove and stow easily for transport make the outside of the 298 HSL almost as comfortable and convenient as the inside.

Link-Belt’s new 298 HSL will long be remembered as the legend of the crawler crane market.