Install service
Hi-ab crane installs — through the window.
No lift, stairs too tight, doorway too narrow? Truck-mounted crane lifts the machine to the first floor, glazier removes and refits the window, rigger guides it inside. $0 to the workplace.
When we call in a crane
The install where a truck-mounted crane is the only realistic route
Some Australian workplaces qualify for a free vending machine but there is genuinely no way to get one inside on foot. No lift. Stairwells too narrow. Doorways too tight even with the front door off. That's when we look up — and book a hi-ab.
1. Access assessment
We confirm truck standing position, overhead clearance for the boom, distance to the target window, window frame size and internal landing point. Site photos and dimensions on the request form save a whole day of back-and-forth.
2. Window out, machine in
A licensed glazier removes the sash or pane before the crane arrives. Machine is slung with rated soft-strop lifting slings, guided by a rigger inside the room, and set down on a pre-placed protection mat. Window goes straight back in.
3. Fully insured, fully documented
Licensed hi-ab operator, licensed glazier, dogman/rigger, spotter. Full public liability. Before-and-after photos of the window frame and machine position supplied to the site manager.
4. Operator wears the cost
Hi-ab hire, glazier callout, rigger day rate — all absorbed by the vending operator. The workplace pays $0.
Field notes
Read the crew's field note behind this service — how we decide between stairs and a crane, and what a first-floor window lift actually looks like.
Read: Hi-ab crane vending machine installs →FAQ
Hi-ab crane installs — FAQ
Do you use a crane to install vending machines in Australia?+
Yes — a truck-mounted hi-ab crane. It's the standard solution when there's no lift and internal access won't take a 250–300 kg machine. Most common approach is removing a first-storey window, slinging the machine in on rated lifting slings, and refitting the window the same day.
Does removing a window damage the building?+
No. A qualified glazier removes and refits the sash or pane on the day. Before-and-after photos are supplied to the site manager. Aluminium sliding windows and fixed-pane shopfront frames are the easiest; heritage timber sashes need more lead time.
Does the workplace pay for the crane, glazier or rigger?+
No. On the free vending program, the operator absorbs all install cost — hi-ab truck, licensed operator, rigger, spotter, glazier. The workplace pays $0.
What information do you need before you book a hi-ab?+
Truck standing position, overhead clearance (powerlines, awnings, tree canopy), boom reach distance to the window, window dimensions, and internal landing point. A hi-ab that turns up to a site it can't reach is a wasted day.
How far in advance do we need to book a crane install?+
Typically 2–3 weeks in metro capitals, longer in regional Australia. Hi-ab, glazier and rigger have to be scheduled together on the same window.
Ready for a free vending machine at your workplace?
Two quick questions and you're on your way. No contract lock-ins, no hidden fees.