Used Truck Crane Prices 2026: XCMG QY25K5, SANY STC250, Zoomlion ZTC250 — China Market Rates, DDP to Thailand, and Why a Crane Clears Customs as a Vehicle

Short answer: in 2026, a sound 25-tonne-class used truck crane — the XCMG QY25K5, SANY STC250 and Zoomlion ZTC250 tier — trades in the Chinese used market at roughly RMB 200,000-700,000 (about USD 28,000-98,000) depending on year, and lands at a Thai jobsite at approximately USD 48,000-130,000 all-in DDP. A new Chinese-brand crane of the same class delivered in Thailand runs about USD 175,000-210,000, so a properly inspected used unit is typically 30-60% of new. The 12-16 tonne class (XCMG QY12B.5, QY16B.5) sits a further 35-50% below the 25-tonne band. But the sentence worth remembering here is not about price: a truck crane is classified at customs under HS 8705.10 as a special-purpose motor vehicle, not as machinery under 8429, and the paperwork is completely different. See paragraph five — most buyers discover this after the vessel has arrived.

Three model lines dominate. The XCMG QY25K5 / QY25K5-I is rated at 25 tonnes with a five-section U-shaped telescopic boom of 10.5-40.1 m, an 8 m / 15 m bi-fold jib, roughly 30 tonnes gross vehicle weight, and a chassis engine usually from the Weichai WP10 family at around 245-250 hp. The SANY STC250 and Zoomlion ZTC250V match it closely on capacity and boom length; the real differences are hydraulic component brands, the load-moment indicator, and whether spare parts are actually stocked in ASEAN. Below that, the QY12B.5 and QY16B.5 are the low-price entry point; above it, the QY50K and STC500 cover the 50-tonne class. There is also a badly under-used fourth option: truck-mounted knuckle-boom cranes (the XCMG SQ series, plus used Palfinger and HIAB units). If your work is mainly unloading pipe, precast and cargo at site, a 3-12 tonne-metre knuckle-boom truck costs far less to buy, register and operate than a mobile crane — and buyers skip past it constantly. Decide whether you need lifting work or self-loading before you argue about brands; that choice matters more than any spec sheet.

Prices tier by year: 2011-2014 units at roughly RMB 200,000-320,000; 2015-2018 at RMB 330,000-500,000; 2019 or newer at RMB 520,000-750,000. Two variables matter more on a crane than hours do. First, the emission standard — China III, IV or V — which drives the purchase price and also determines whether you can resell the unit in China or a third country years later. Second, the twin meters: a truck crane keeps a chassis odometer and a separate upperstructure hour meter, and a mismatch between the two is the clearest evidence of tampering you will get. A crane showing 300,000 km on the chassis and 2,000 hours on the upper has been driven, not lifted; the reverse pattern is usually an ex-rental machine with heavy lifting duty. Price the boom and the upperstructure, not the odometer.

Inspect in this order to save time. First, the boom: extend it fully, sight down both sides for side-bend, check the wear pads, and look hard for weld repair at the boom foot and at the section overlaps. A bent or re-welded boom is a walk-away, not a discount — a replacement boom assembly approaches the value of the whole machine. Second, the single-cylinder pin-lock mechanism on five-section U-booms: cycle every section fully in and out twice and listen for the pins seating, because a failure here strands the boom extended. Third, the slew ring: boom out horizontally, measure tip droop and bearing play; replacement runs about USD 6,000-12,000 installed. Fourth, outrigger drift: fully extend all four, lift the tyres clear of the ground, leave it 30 minutes and measure the sag — any visible drop means cylinder seals or holding valves. Fifth, the winch, wire rope and hoist brake, plus the load-moment indicator and anti-two-block — these must function, because a Thai inspector will not certify the crane without them. Sixth, a load test at 75-90% of rated capacity at a stated radius before you pay the balance. We include that load test in the inspection report as standard.

Import is where cranes and excavators diverge most. A truck crane falls under HS 8705.10 as a special-purpose motor vehicle, not under 8426/8429 as machinery. Used motor vehicles entering Thailand are subject to Ministry of Commerce import controls, and used special-purpose vehicles such as mobile cranes are generally importable only with prior permission — your broker must confirm the permit route before the crane is bought and the vessel booked, not after it lands. The duty rate under 8705.10 is materially higher than the 0-5% machinery band, and excise treatment for a special-purpose vehicle differs from that of a passenger vehicle; a China-ASEAN FTA certificate of origin (FORM E) may reduce the applicable rate, but the final figure comes from the classification ruling at clearance. Two more items to budget once it lands: road use requires registration with the Department of Land Transport, and operation requires a certified operator plus an annual mobile-crane inspection certificate — the ปจ.2 form — signed by a licensed engineer under the Ministry of Labour crane regulations. If you are a BOI enterprise, the age tiers in BOI Announcement 6/2558 still apply (under five years for duty exemption), but most crane buyers are rental companies operating outside a BOI project.

On freight, a 25-tonne truck crane measures 12.5-13.5 m long, about 2.5 m wide and 3.4-3.7 m high at roughly 30 tonnes gross, so it does not go into a container. The standard method is RORO — the crane drives on and off under its own power — from Shanghai, Ningbo or Nansha to Laem Chabang, typically USD 5,500-9,000 depending on route and season. Flat rack with the boom removed is technically possible but rarely cheaper once rigging and reassembly are counted. Ocean transit is one to two weeks, but allow 5-8 weeks door to door, because the import permit and vehicle clearance take longer than machinery clearance does. We quote DDP only — ocean freight, clearance, duty, taxes and the final road leg bundled into one number — because vehicle-category destination charges vary far more than machinery charges do. For a quote, send us the model, year, chassis kilometres and upperstructure hours, the emission standard you require, your delivery address, and whether the crane needs Thai road registration or will work inside a plant only. That last answer changes both the paperwork and the price.