Link-Belt 218 HSL
Series: Link-Belt Crawler Crane
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Link-Belt crawler cranes – LS lattice-boom cranes since the 1950s, HSL hydraulic cranes and TCC telescopic crawlers: 5 to 159 t service weight, Cummins, Isuzu, Detroit Diesel
Link-Belt of Lexington, Kentucky, is one of the oldest American crane makers: founded in 1874 in Chicago as a chain-drive factory, in crane building since the 1920s, owned since 1986 by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, with which the crawler cranes are developed jointly today. The register reflects three eras: the LS series (LS-78 to LS-518) with lattice boom and mechanical or early hydraulic winches from the 1950s to 1980s, the HSL series (138 HSL to 298 HSL, HYLAB for the earlier hydraulic generation) with fully hydraulic drive from the 1990s, and the TCC series (TCC-500 to TCC-2500), telescopic cranes on crawler undercarriages that have served the 'telescopic crawler' market since the 2000s.
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The numbers of the LS and HSL types are class identifiers, not capacities – the LS-108 is a 45 t crane, the LS-518 a 300 t crane; on the TCC the number gives the capacity in short tons times ten (TCC-500 about 45 t, TCC-2500 about 227 t). PL stands for the pile-driver carrier version. In the register the models run from 62.6 to 238.6 kW, 3,486 to 11,946 cm³ with three to eight cylinders, service weights from 5,443 to 158,626 kg and torque from 367 to 1,424 Nm; engines recorded are the Detroit Diesel 3-71 and 6-71 of the old LS cranes, Mitsubishi 6D24, Isuzu and the Cummins QSB and QSL of the newer generations.
Crawler cranes are the cranes of long jobs: they hold load on the boom for weeks on the same site, travel with load and need no outriggers – wind power, bridge building, precast erection and piling are their fields.
On used cranes, operating hours and load spectrum, the condition of winch ropes, sheaves and boom sections (deformation is a disqualifier), slew ring and undercarriage, and the completeness of boom parts and inspection records are what count.
Sources: Kennwerte der Modelle Link-Belt Raupenkrane, Link-Belt Cranes (Hersteller)
Technical data
Engine
| Engine make | Cummins QSBcorrect |
|---|---|
| Engine model | 6.7correct |
| Power | 273.7 hp (201.3 kW)correct |
| Rated speed | 2,000 rpmcorrect |
| Torque | 989.7correct |
| Speed at max. torque | 1,500 rpmcorrect |
| Cylinders | 6correct |
Dimensions and weights
| Ground clearance | 426.7correct |
|---|---|
| Unladen weight | 86,208.9 kgcorrect |
Working data
| Fuel tank capacity | 461.8 lcorrect |
|---|
Other data
| System voltage | 24 Vcorrect |
|---|
More machines with this engine (Cummins QSB 6.7, 2)
Where this model stands
Power-to-weight ratio: 2.3 kW/t (201 kW / 86.2 t)
Stronger than 62% of the crawler cranes in the register — out of 56 models with a stated power figure.
Calculated from the documented figures above — not a rating.
Frequently asked questions
How much power does the Link-Belt 218 HSL have?
The Link-Belt 218 HSL delivers 274 hp.
How much does the Link-Belt 218 HSL weigh?
The unladen weight is 86,209 kg.
What engine does the Link-Belt 218 HSL have?
6 cylinders.
What to check before buying
- Check the hour meter against the service records — a replaced instrument is the most common gap.
- Compare the data plate and chassis number with the papers.
- Check the weights in the papers against the figures here — attachments change them.
- Ask about parts availability for this build year — the running costs hang on it.
A general list for this type of machine — no substitute for an inspection or an appraiser.
We do not sell machines. We ask the dealers who carry this model and come back with price and lead time.
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This page carries 12 individual figures for this model. They come from 1 recorded source; every figure can be traced there. What we cannot document is not here — we leave gaps open rather than estimate them.
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Other models in this series
138 HSL
138 HYLAB5
228 HSL
238 HSL
248 HSL
298 SERIES 2
LS-108B
LS-108C
LS-118
LS-138H
LS-208H
LS-218H
Sources: [1]
Tower crane in 3D section
Turn the model, look inside and click an assembly — each one is explained.