I manage purchasing for a medium-sized crane rental company. I don't operate the iron, but I'm the person who has to explain why a $14,000 parts order is sitting in the courier's system while a crew is on-site. I report to both operations and finance, so every rush fee gets a second look. I've placed maybe 300 parts orders for Potain equipment since 2020. I don't have hard data on what the rest of the industry does, but my sense is the buying habits I see locally are pretty normal.
Three Ways to Read This Article
This is not a 'one right way' article. The best decision for you depends on which of three situations you're in:
- Situation A: You have a Potain crane—maybe an MCT 85—and need replacement parts to keep it working.
- Situation B: You're equipping a maintenance crew with tools and accessories: bucket bags, power drills, lifting straps, that kind of thing.
- Situation C: You're comparing crane models, and somehow the search phrase 'heron vs crane' brought you here.
If you're actually here for the bird answer, sit tight. The heron and crane comparison is a surprisingly good way to think about Situation C.
Situation A: Buying Potain Crane Parts for a Crane You Already Own
This is the most straightforward category, but it's also where I've made my most expensive mistakes. In 2022, I ordered a brake part for an MCT 85 using the model name instead of the serial number. The parts person asked, 'Do you have the serial number?' I didn't. The part arrived, didn't fit, and we lost a day of rental revenue. The customer was understanding. I still ate the shipping cost to send it back.
Now I enforce a rule that sounds obvious: always order Potain crane parts by serial number, not just model number. The MCT 85 has several production revisions. What fits a 2019 unit may not fit a 2023 unit.
The second lesson is about urgency. When a crane is down, 'cheapest' is a trap. In March 2024 we paid $400 extra for next-day delivery on a control component. The alternative was a $15,000-per-week rental crane for a customer who had already granted one extension. I didn't love the invoice. I loved that the crane was back up in 26 hours.
You're not paying for parts delivery. You're paying for the schedule to stay intact.
That doesn't mean you should always pay for expedited shipping. If you're buying parts for planned maintenance, standard ground is fine. The time-certainty premium only makes sense when the cost of missing the deadline is higher than the premium. It usually is.
Honestly, I'm not sure why some expedited deliveries still miss their windows. My best guess is the courier's 'next-day' promise doesn't always account for remote sites. So now I ask for a delivery date confirmation before I pay the premium. And for load-bearing parts, I stick with genuine Potain parts or whatever the manual specifies. ASME B30.3 is the tower crane standard we reference, and it's clear about following the manufacturer's instructions. I'm not a compliance officer, but I've never seen a field service bulletin recommend the aftermarket part that arrives in a non-branded box.
Situation B: Buying the Gear Around the Crane
This is where 'bucket bag' and 'power drill' come in. A lot of people search for 'bucket bag' because they want a heavy canvas tote to carry hand tools. That's not what I mean here. On a crane site, a bucket bag is a load-rated bag you use to bring tools and small parts up to the tower. If it fails, you don't just have a hole in a bag—you have dropped tools on a jobsite. I wish I had kept better records of the cheap bags we went through before buying good ones. What I can say anecdotally is that the $25 hardware-store bag lasted one summer. The $70 rigging bag with rated straps and a secure closure is still going after three years. That's not a scientific study, but it's the kind of math that matters when your crew is working at height.
The other detail I look for is the closure. A drawstring that loosens while the bag is moving is a problem. The bucket bags we use now have a fold-over top with a buckled strap and a loop for the crane hook. They cost more, but they don't dump a bag of wrenches onto a sidewalk.
Power drills are another 'don't buy the absolute cheapest' item. If you're using a drill to remove inspection covers or run self-tapping screws into guard panels, a 12V drill will stall. I've gone back and forth between cordless brands, and honestly, the thing that mattered more than brand was buying a brushless model with a second battery. The crew stopped waiting for charges. That might sound like a small thing, but on a tower crane, charging a battery is not as easy as plugging in under the sink.
If the crew is already on-site and the bag ripped, the cost of a replacement is not just the item. It's the five guys waiting. In that scenario, I'll pay the rush shipping premium and not look back.
Situation C: Choosing Between Cranes (and Herons)
Now the 'heron vs crane' thing. A heron and a crane can look similar from a distance, but if you watch them fly, the difference is obvious: herons fly with their necks folded back, cranes fly with their necks outstretched. It's a detail that matters if you're a birdwatcher. The same idea applies to tower cranes. A Potain MCT 85 tower crane and a luffing-jib crane can both be 'Potain tower cranes,' but they are built for different jobsites.
I'm not a crane engineer, so I'm not going to quote load charts from memory. The MCT 85 is a top-slewing model that fits a lot of urban and tight-access projects in our fleet. A luffing jib is often better when you need to clear obstacles or work at extreme heights with a shorter radius. The right answer is the one that matches your site.
Here's the practical advice: don't choose a crane based on brand reputation alone. Choose based on the load chart, the counterweight requirements, the tie-in points, and the delivery route. The Potain MCT 85 tower crane is a proven machine—I put the P in Potain in my parts orders every month. But it's still the wrong model for some projects.
The 'heron vs crane' test is simple: look at the neck. The crane-buying test is equally simple: look at the site. If someone gives you a recommendation without asking about your site, they're treating you like a birdwatcher who can't tell the difference.
How to Tell Which Situation You're In
Sometimes a request doesn't fit neatly. Here's how I sort it:
- Ask what the part touches. If it's load-bearing or safety-critical—a hoist brake, a limit switch, a bolt—treat it like Situation A. Use the serial number and follow the manual.
- Ask what the deadline is. If the crew is already on-site and waiting, time certainty beats price. That's true for a power drill, a bucket bag, or a Potain MCT 85 spare part.
- Ask if you're truly choosing a crane. If you're beyond the brochure stage, you're in Situation C. Get the load charts and site dimensions before making a claim.
If you're still not sure which situation applies, start with a phone call to the dealer. A good parts person will ask for the serial number before they ask for the model. A good salesperson will ask for site dimensions before they recommend a crane. If they don't, find someone else.
