Kato’s 70-tonne Roughter gets a customer-led refresh: the SR-700L II
Kato Works has introduced the SR-700L II, an updated version of its 70-tonne rough terrain crane. The changes are incremental rather than structural, and the manufacturer says they come directly from operator and owner feedback on the outgoing machine.
An update, not a redesign
Rough terrain cranes in the 70-tonne bracket rarely change wholesale, and Kato has not tried to make this one an exception. The SR-700L II arrives as a targeted revision of a machine that has been in the range for several years, with the manufacturer stating that the modifications were prompted by suggestions from existing users rather than by a new engineering programme.
Kato has been explicit about the scope of the work: the SR-700L II keeps the architecture of the model it replaces, with the revisions confined to detail improvements requested by customers. For fleet owners that is a deliberate signal — parts commonality, familiar controls and known handling characteristics are preserved, while the day-to-day irritations reported from site are addressed.
That approach is characteristic of the Roughter line, which Kato has evolved through successive suffixes rather than clean-sheet replacements. The company points buyers towards its distributor network for the detail of what has changed on individual markets’ specifications.
Where the SR-700L II sits
The crane is rated at 70 tonnes at a 2.5 m radius, placing it at the upper end of the rough terrain class where Japanese and European builders compete for refinery, plant maintenance and infrastructure work. The six-section boom telescopes from 10.0 m to 44.5 m, and a two-section jib adds between 8.3 m and 13.2 m with offsets from 7° to 60°.
Power comes from a Cummins QSL9 to Tier 3, a specification aimed at markets outside the tightest emissions regimes — a reminder that Kato builds this size class primarily for the Middle East, South East Asia and other non-Stage V territories.
On the road
At 12.50 m long, 2.99 m wide and 3.68 m high, the SR-700L II is a substantial machine to move, with a gross vehicle weight of 39,800 kg split almost evenly between the axles — 19,950 kg on the front and 19,850 kg on the rear. That balance matters for transport planning, since axle loading rather than gross weight is usually the binding constraint on public roads.
Kato has not announced separate regional launch dates for the crane and directs enquiries to its official distributors. Buyers weighing the SR-700L II against the previous model will want to compare load charts market by market, since jib offset ranges and optional equipment on Roughters have historically varied between territories.
Source: Kato — Photos: Kato
Crane facts
- Model: Kato SR-700L II rough terrain crane
- Maximum capacity: 70 t at 2.5 m
- Boom: 6 sections, 10.0–44.5 m
- Jib: 2 sections, 8.3–13.2 m, offset 7°–60°
- Engine: Cummins QSL9, Tier 3
- Dimensions: 12.50 m long, 2.99 m wide, 3.68 m high
- Gross vehicle weight: 39,800 kg
- Axle loads: 19,950 kg front / 19,850 kg rear