Sales teams from Hird had one of their busiest ever two days at Britain’s biggest cranes and access show.
A lot of visitors to Vertikal Days 2025 attended the two stands managed by Hird to see and hear about some of the UK’s most advanced lifting and powered access equipment.
They were kept busy at a stand to promote Tadano, which owns Valla Cranes and access platform manufacturer Oil&Steel. On stand was the Valla V46R pick and carry crane and Oil&Steel’s Octoplus 17 spider lift.
The Hird Sales stand at the show, held at Newark Showground on the 10th and 11th of September, displayed more Valla cranes, the Valla V180RC and the Valla 220SE, plus an Oil&Steel Octoplus 21 spider lift.
Heads were also turned by a display of market-leading Winlet glazing robots and Winlet ErgoMover electric materials trolleys.
Maximising safety and productivity
Carl Cooper, Head of Sales and After-Sales at Hird Sales, said: “We’ve exhibited for many years at Vertikal Days. This year’s event generated even more interested, which made it a busy two days.
“Buyers from contractors and hire companies are keen to maximise productivity and safety, both of which impress customers and control costs, which is why we think our stands were centres of attention.
“We were delighted to welcome visitors who knew we would be at Vertikal Days and were keen to see specific equipment. This was the case right across the wide range of brands we had on display.”
Valla cranes create big buzz
With two of the larger pick and carry cranes in the Valla range on show, perhaps it was no surprise Hird’s stand created a big buzz, attracting a lot of visitors.
The Valla V180RC is part of the V Series range of battery electric mini cranes available from Hird. It has a maximum safe working load (SWL) of 18t, a maximum working height of 12.5m, and a maximum radius of 8.1m.
As with all V Series cranes, the Valla 180RC can be operated with a wireless remote control. However, as the ‘C’ denotes, this crane also has a sit-in cab.
The Valla 220SE, which is also operated from a cab, is a slewing pick and carry crane with a maximum SWL of 22t, a maximum working height of 15.5m and a maximum radius of 13.5m.
Valla designed it with help from Hird experts for maintenance duties in the aviation industry. However, it is just as effective for machinery moving in factories and process units, or fit-outs in the construction sector.
The Valla V46R – another mini crane in the V Series, which provides low noise, fume-free and low carbon footprint lifting, suitable for both indoor and outdoor projects – was equally popular on the Tadano stand.
Like all pick and carry cranes in the range, the Valla V46R is exceptionally compact. It is just 900mm wide and 1500m high, helped by it not having a cab. Yet it has a SWL of 4.6t and a maximum working height of 7.2m.
Valla V Series cranes are available with SWLs from 3.6t to 50t, and can be adapted during their manufacture to meet a wide range of specific customer needs.
Oil&Steel shows market-leading capabilities
The two Oil&Steel spider lifts on display demonstrated the company’s impressive ability to pack so many industry-leading features into its tracked platforms.
The Octoplus 17 on the Tadano stand, supported by Hird Sales, has a maximum working height of 17m and a maximum outreach of 7.6m, though is just 785mm wide when stowed for tracking.
With excellent ground clearance when set up for working at height and an array of safety features, the spider cherry picker is ideal for a wide range of applications, including tree management and building maintenance.
The spider lift’s slighter bigger sister, the Octoplus 21, displayed on the Hird Sales stand, allows operatives to work up to a height of 20.7m with an outreach stretching to 10.6m.
Yet it is also just 785mm wide when stowed for tracking, so can be moved down narrow paths and through equally narrow access ways, such as garden gates or shopping centres doors.
Both spider lifts can be supplied with low-emission petrol or diesel engines or with hybrid thermal engine and electric power. An all-electric lithium battery electric version provides zero-emissions and ultra-low carbon footprint operations.
Safe and productive material lifting with Winlet
Also not to be missed on the Hird Sales stand was the impressive Winlet equipment, including a Winlet 785 glazing robot – the best in the business for safe and productive installation of sheet glass.
Its four vacuum cups deliver a maximum working load of 785kg, while the glazing robot’s dual-cylinder vacuum pumps provides a failsafe to ensure the load will remain securely held.
As visitors to Vertikal Days found it, the Winlet 785 glazing robot and other glazing robots in the range are highly versatile. It can also lift plasterboard, sheet metal, wood, and plastic.
Fitted with special vacuum cups it can also lift textured and irregular-shaped materials like stone and glass-reinforced concrete.
As the UK and Ireland authorised distributor for all Winlet products, Hird Sales can supply battery electric glazing robots with loads capacities from 350kg to 1000kg.
It can also supply Winlet electric materials trolleys, which were represented at Vertikal Days by the Winlet ErgoMover. The all-terrain material trolleys are ideal for safely transporting materials weighing up to 1500kg in any working environment, including construction sites.
Hird Sales would like to thank Pam Penny, Clare Engelke, and the rest of the Vertikal Days team for their great support before and during the event.
Find out more
Talk to Hird Sales about all the impressive brands we represent, including Valla mini cranes, Oil&Steel access platforms, Winlet glazing robots and Winlet electric materials trolleys.
Tel: 01482 481 960
Email: [email protected]