If you need Demag crane pendant parts, you already know this isn't like ordering a tie rod for your Subaru truck. A pendant is the pushbutton station that tells a crane what to do. If it's wrong, the crane doesn't move. If it's intermittently wrong, it's worse—because a crane that stops mid-move with a load in the air is everyone's problem. That's the short version. The long version is about part numbers, brand history, and a mistake I made twice.
If you're actually looking for how to make a paper crane, I'm flattered, but this isn't that page. This is about the steel kind that lifts things.
This question has no single answer. It depends on which Demag you have, what's broken, and how much of the control system you're willing to replace. I'll walk through three common situations and the checklist I use now.
Before anything: which Demag do you have?
Here's what I wish someone had told me before my first order: Demag isn't one company anymore. In 2019, Tadano completed its acquisition of the Demag mobile crane business from Terex. That deal covered crawler cranes, all-terrain cranes, and mobile crane service parts. It did not cover the overhead crane and industrial component business that uses the Demag name in factories.
If you're looking for the Tadano acquires Demag mobile cranes 2019 details: Tadano announced it in 2018 and closed in 2019. According to Tadano's 2019 press release, the move strengthened its position in the global mobile crane market. The practical result is simpler: mobile crane parts now come from the Tadano network. Overhead crane and hoist parts for factory Demag cranes come from a different channel, connected to the Demag Cranes & Components heritage under the Konecranes group.
Don't call the wrong hotline. I did. It cost me two days.
Scenario A: Your overhead crane pendant is dead, flaky, or damaged
Most of my mistakes live here. In my first year handling crane parts, 2017, I ordered a replacement pendant using only the crane model number from the tag. The crane was a Demag overhead unit in a metal shop. The replacement arrived and didn't fit. It looked right. It didn't fit. The original pendant had been swapped years earlier, and the tag on the crane didn't match the pendant.
If you're searching for Demag crane pendant parts, start with the pendant itself, not the crane. Open the cover. Most pendants have a part number or a wiring diagram inside. Take a photo of the label and a photo of the contacts. That step would have saved me $780 and a week of downtime. Actually, $780 was only the restocking fee; the total was closer to $1,300 with shipping and the emergency part source.
I don't have hard data on industry-wide wrong-order rates, but based on our own orders over five years, my sense is that one out of five returns traces back to someone ordering from the crane nameplate instead of the pendant label.
From there, you have a choice: original Demag parts or a compatible replacement. My view has shifted. For a simple 4-button contact pendant on an older crane, compatible parts can be fine. For anything with more than a few buttons, or any electronic control, I lean original. That's not because OEM is immune to problems. It's because the wiring diagram that comes with an OEM part usually matches the part. With generic parts, you sometimes get an extra resistor or a different terminal layout that no one warns you about.
And please send yourself a digital copy of the wiring diagram. We used to keep paper records in a binder. Switching to a shared folder with photos cut our reorder turnaround from five days to two. Efficiency is a kind of money.
We didn't have a formal pre-order checklist until a 24-volt order shut down a line for six hours. After that, I made a template. Every order now gets the same verification: crane type, control voltage, pendant part number, wiring diagram present.
Scenario B: You have a Demag mobile crane and need parts
This is a different world. The 2019 acquisition didn't just change the logo on the sales brochures. It changed the parts pipeline. If you own a Demag crawler crane, undercarriage components and control parts now trace back through Tadano's network. The old Demag part numbers are still useful, but the dealer contacts and service process are not the same.
I have way less hands-on experience with mobile crane telematics than with factory cranes. Honestly, I've never fully understood how Tadano merged the old Demag parts numbering into their system. If someone has better insight, I'd love to hear it. What I do know is that the serial number matters more than any other data point.
Before you call for a replacement pendant or a harness, get the serial number off the carrier deck and the hoist if there is one. That number lets the dealer identify the correct variant. Without it, you're guessing. A used radio remote that 'worked when pulled' can be a deal or a trap. We once bought a used handset for a boom crane at a salvage price. The pinout didn't match our receiver. Instead of saving $300, we spent $900 on diagnostics and two site visits. The part would have been a no-brainer if we'd checked the pins first. My Subaru truck had nothing to do with that mistake—I just chased the cheap price and skipped the documentation.
Bottom line for mobile cranes: treat the serial number like the title to a vehicle. If the seller can't confirm compatibility with that serial number, red flag.
Scenario C: You're thinking about a generic pendant or DIY repair
This is the gray zone. If your crane is newer and uses a serial communication system, don't let a generic pendant anywhere near it. The data protocol is not public, and 'almost works' is not good enough when a hook is carrying a load. If the crane is older with simple contactor controls, a compatible pendant can work. The deciding factor is the control panel, not the pendant.
I learned this the expensive way. The numbers said a generic pendant would be 40% cheaper. My gut said buy OEM. We bought generic, and the final cost was only about 30% less—after we paid an electrician to install a resistor that the generic manufacturer didn't include. It worked. But my neat spreadsheet looked stupid.
There's a temptation to test a suspect pendant by tapping the buttons while someone watches the hook. I call it bucket golf: keep shooting and hope the ball drops. On a crane, bucket golf is how you overshoot a load or break someone's fingers. If the pendant doesn't respond correctly on the first test, stop. Diagnose. Don't play bucket golf with a multi-ton load.
A quick note on pricing: a basic pendant assembly with cable can cost anywhere from $300 to $1,200 depending on button count and enclosure rating, based on quotes we received in late 2024. That's a ballpark, not a guarantee. Verify current prices before you tell anyone a number.
How to tell which scenario you're in
Use this checklist. I wish I had from day one.
- Identify the crane type: overhead, gantry, jib, or crawler/mobile.
- Find the serial number on the crane structure and the hoist.
- Open the pendant cover. Photograph the label, contacts, and wiring diagram.
- Check the control voltage. It's usually on the schematic or contactor coil.
- Determine the parts channel: the industrial crane channel for factory Demag, the Tadano network for mobile cranes.
- Before ordering, ask: Is this exact part compatible with this serial number? If the rep says probably without checking, that's a deal-breaker.
There's no universal answer to which pendant part you need. The right answer depends on electrics, history, and risk tolerance. But the path is always the same: stop guessing, document everything, and call the correct support channel. Trust me on this one.
And if the only crane you care about is how to make a paper crane, you're still in the wrong place. The folding instructions are less stressful. No load ratings, no part numbers. Just paper.
