Quick Answer: For a budget of USD 35,000–50,000 (FOB China), a 2019–2021, China V emission, accident-free used 25-ton truck crane, choose the XCMG 25K5C if your work is long-boom, large-radius lifting (42 m main boom, 1,132 kN·m basic-boom moment), and choose the Sany 250S (STC250S) if your sites are space-constrained in the longitudinal outrigger direction (6.2 m outrigger span) or you need the sleeper-cab carrier for long transfers. Both handle urban buildings, steel erection and plant installation — the deciding factor is the individual unit's hours, structural condition and paperwork, not the brand
Key Takeaways
•Typical listed price for a 2019–2021, original-paint, one-owner unit: USD 35,000–50,000 FOB China (October 2026 observation); export-listed STC250S examples sit near USD 40,000 ex-Shanghai.
•XCMG 25K5C: 42 m full-extend boom and 1,132 kN·m basic-boom moment — the edge in long-boom work. Sany STC250S: 6.2 m longitudinal outrigger span and a sleeper cab — the edge in tight sites and long transfers.
•Before any shipment, obtain four blocks of evidence: structural weld history, hydraulic test results, chassis/driveline data, and cab-and-electrics function check. Missing any block = reprice or walk away.
•Hour meters can be rolled back. Always cross-check hours against odometer, tyre wear and pedal/joystick wear.

What are the real specification differences — and where does each crane fit?

The 25-ton truck crane is the workhorse of urban construction, steel structure erection, plant equipment installation and municipal work — high annual utilization, frequent road transfers. Both machines sit in the same performance tier; the differences concentrate in boom length, load moment and outrigger layout. Table 1 compares OEM published specifications (basis: factory catalogue data for QY25K5C and STC250S; verify against the nameplate of each used unit).
Table 1　XCMG QY25K5C vs Sany STC250S — key specifications (factory catalogue basis)

Specification	XCMG QY25K5C	Sany STC250S	Why it matters for your lifting jobs
Max rated capacity	25 t	25 t	Same class, same payload capability
Main boom (5-section, U-shaped)	10.8–42 m	10.6–40.5 m	XCMG reaches about 1.5 m further at full extension
Max lift height (main boom)	40.7 m	41 m	Effectively equal
Main boom + jib	51 m (9 m jib)	≈49 m (8–9 m jib, batch-dependent)	Prefer XCMG for extended-reach jobs
Basic-boom max load moment	1,132 kN·m	1,029 kN·m	XCMG holds ≈10% more moment for heavy, close-radius lifts
Full-boom max load moment	713 kN·m	573 kN·m	XCMG keeps more margin in long-boom, light-load work
Outrigger span (long. × lat.)	5.5 × 6.4 m	6.2 × 5.3 m	Sany's longer longitudinal span suits narrow yards and roadside setups
Traveling weight	33,000 kg	32,400 kg	≈600 kg apart — negligible for permits and tolls
Engine rated power	221 kW (Shangchai SC9DF300.1Q5, common on China V batches)	206 kW	Slight edge to XCMG; some batches use Weichai — check the nameplate
Main winch single-line speed	≥135 m/min	130 m/min	Same tier
Slewing speed	≥2.5 r/min	2.2 r/min	XCMG slews slightly faster for repetitive pick-and-carry cycles
Fuel consumption (factory figure)	30 L/100 km	34.5 L/100 km	Actual gap should be verified on the unit
Cab configuration	AC in both cabs, sliding-door operator station	Operator cab with sleeper berth	Sany is more comfortable for long transfers and overnight stays
Carrier	XCMG carrier (Meritor axles etc.)	Sany in-house carrier	Parts channels differ — see Section 2

Where each crane fits: Neither machine is designed for wind-turbine or heavy-lift work (that needs 50-ton and above or all-terrain cranes), nor for alley jobs with no outrigger room (tracked or mounted cranes). Within the 25-ton class, the choice usually comes down to: do you regularly work beyond 35 m of boom (lean XCMG), are your sites longitudinally constrained (lean Sany), and which brand has the stronger parts and mechanic network in your region — often a bigger cost driver than the spec sheet.
Browse current availability on the used XCMG 25K5C listings page and the used Sany 250S listings pag, then come back to the inspection points below.

Which inspection points must you verify before shipping a used 25-ton crane from China?

The biggest risk in a used crane is not price — it is the "90-point exterior, 50-point structure" reconditioned unit. Collect evidence in four blocks; every item needs photos or video on file. Verbal claims do not count.
1. Structural components (most critical — fail here, walk away)
•Main boom: no weld repair or cracking at each boom-section root (check lower chord plates and boom-tip slider areas); abnormal overlap between sections; run the boom through full extension and retraction — listen for noise, watch for binding.

•Jib connection points, boom-tip slider wear; turntable-to-slewing-ring bolts, gear-face lubrication and backlash of the slew ring.

• Outriggers: oil seepage at vertical cylinders, cracks at pad and box welds; carrier frame for bending, twisting or secondary welding.

• Hook blocks and wire rope: main/aux hooks (25 t / 3 t) present; rope broken wires, flattening and wear judged against discard criteria (ISO 4309).
2. Hydraulic system

• Main pump: listen at idle and working speed — abnormal noise indicates internal wear; replacement commonly runs USD 4,000–11,000 per pump (basis: China repair-market range 2026, pump-model dependent).

• Distributor and control valves: look for touch-up paint masking leaks; run composite-movement tests (hoist up/down, boom up/down, slew, telescope) for hesitation or shaking.

• Oil cleanliness: sample the hydraulic oil — dark oil or metallic particles mean internal wear has started.

• Boom-tip lines and boom cylinders hold a pressure test: hold the boom at working angle for 10 minutes and check for abnormal drift.
3. Chassis and running gear

• Engine: one-touch cold start, clean exhaust (black or blue smoke points to combustion or oil-burning problems); verify dash warning lights and readouts on the spot.

• Cross-verify hours vs mileage: a unit showing 1,000 hours but 80,000 km of travel almost certainly has a rolled-back hour meter.

• Tyres (commonly 315/80R22.5), brakes, steering, lights; validity of road-worthiness certificate and insurance; for China V units, confirm the emission policy of the destination country and any domestic transfer restrictions.

• Documentation: certificate of conformity, vehicle registration certificate, travel permit, original purchase invoice; chassis and engine numbers must match the papers — a unit with incomplete paperwork is unsellable regardless of price.
4. Cab and electrics

• Air conditioning (heat and cool), load moment indicator (compare display reading against a known load), height limiter, warning lights, cameras.

• Wiring: no improvised splices — rewiring traces are often accident-car signals; pilot-control joysticks for fine-modulation feel.

• Paperwork block completed above; every document checked against the chassis number.
After collecting the four blocks, price accordingly: a structurally and hydraulically sound unit is worth paying USD 3,000–5,500 more for "original paint + complete documents"; any failed block is deducted from the offer at its repair cost. The full step-by-step scoring version is in our 12-step used truck crane inspection checklist (placeholder link, replace at publishing).
What does a used 25-ton crane cost — and what else does the landed budget include?
Table 2　Listed-price ranges for used QY25K5C / STC250S in China (Oct 2026 platform observation; verify per unit)

Age band	Typical listed price (USD, FOB China)	Conditions that make the number hold	Risk note
2012–2015	25,000–35,000	Average condition, high hours, complete papers	Focus on structural fatigue and hydraulic component life
2016–201	39,000–53,000	Well maintained, complete papers	Check China V paperwork and destination emission rules
2019–2021 (near-new)	34,000–78,000	One-owner, original paint, low hours at the top end; listed examples: 2019 25K5C, 6,100 h — USD 42,000; 2020 STC250S — USD 34,000 incl. transfer; 2021 25K5C, ≈1,000 h — USD 35,000–46,000	Any quote above ≈USD 63,000 demands the strictest Section-2 evidence
Well below 21,00	Not recommended	—	Usually accident, rebuilt or untransferable units

(Basis note: the above are domestic listed-price observations, quoted both "transfer included" and "ex-works without invoice" — the latter is cheaper but carries invoice risk; confirm the quotation basis in writing. RMB figures converted at ≈7.1 CNY/USD, October 2026. Export-listed STC250S units were observed at ≈USD 40,000 ex-Shanghai on export platforms in October 2026.)
Table 3　Indicative export cost build-up, used 25-ton truck crane ex-China (2026, ranges — freight and duty vary by destination country)

Cost item	Typical range (USD)	Notes
Machine price, FOB China (2019–2021, 1,000–6,500 h)	34,000–50,000	STC250S tends to list at the lower end; XCMG 25K5C at the upper end
Inland haulage to port (China)	800–2,000	Distance-dependent; included in FOB if quoted FOB
Container/RoRo loading, lashing and securing	1,000–2,500	RoRo preferred where available; a 12.85 m carrier usually ships on flat rack or RoRo
Ocean freight to your port	2,500–6,500	Varies widely by destination and season — confirm current quote
Marine insurance	0.3%–0.5% of CIF value	Buyer's account unless agreed otherwise
Destination port charges, customs duty and VAT	Destination-specific	One-country-per-page rule: confirm against your country's HS classification for cranes (commonly HS 8426.41)
Inland delivery in destination country	Destination-specific	Buyer's account unless a DAP/DDP agreement states otherwise

(Buyer/seller split: under FOB the seller covers pre-shipment condition, inland haulage to the named Chinese port and export clearance; the buyer covers ocean freight, insurance, destination duty and inland delivery — unless your contract states otherwise.)
Running costs (2019–2021 unit, normal utilization): annual maintenance consumables — hydraulic oil, filters, wire rope — USD 1,400–4,200/year depending on hours; tyres and seals USD 1,400–4,200/year. Sany parts route through Sany's own service network; XCMG parts have deeper coverage in county-level China — this decides how many days you wait for parts, wherever you operate.

What are the most common pitfalls — and who carries the risk?

Five high-frequency traps in used crane transactions, each with a verification method:
Rolled-back hour meter or odometer. The most common misrepresentation. Verify: metered hours × expected annual utilization vs recorded mileage; seat, pedal and joystick wear.

• Repaint masking welded structural repairs. Fresh paint can hide welded boom sections. Verify: paint-thickness gauge at sudden-change points plus weld inspection; order third-party inspection if in doubt.

• Incomplete paperwork or emission mismatch. Missing registration certificate, or a China V unit destined for a market with tighter rules. Verify: check archive status before signing; emission and import policy re-confirmed against destination-country rules as of November 2026 — verify on the day.

• Quotation-basis confusion. "Transfer included" vs "ex-works without invoice" quotes can differ by USD 2,800–4,200. Verify: get the inclusion list in writing.

• Inspected unit ≠ delivered unit. Condition described for one serial number, another delivered. Verify: chassis and engine numbers must match the contract and registration certificate before any payment.
Risk boundaries: the seller is responsible for pre-delivery condition truthfulness and document completeness (accident history and weld history must be disclosed in writing); the buyer is responsible for post-handover transport, insurance and destination-market compliance. Any verbal promise of "nationwide transfer guaranteed" or "lifetime warranty" that does not appear in the contract should be treated as non-existent.

How we evaluated these machines

This guide is based on three inputs: (1) OEM published factory specifications for the XCMG QY25K5C and Sany STC250S (as catalogued by D1CM/21-sun and Sany Group official pages, retrieved November 2, 2026); (2) publicly listed prices observed on Chinese used-crane trading platforms between September and October 2026, including official XCMG used-equipment channels and export listing platforms; (3) practitioner-published market and inspection experience. Individual used units vary widely — every figure here is a range-level reference and does not point to any specific unit for sale; no in-house inventory is promoted in this article, and both brands were assessed by the same standard.

FAQ

Which holds value better, a used XCMG 25K5C or a Sany 250S?
In the Chinese used market the 25K5 series turns over faster and enjoys higher buyer recognition, so resale listings typically close sooner; Sany 250S units list slightly cheaper but the in-house carrier means parts route through Sany's own network. The brand-level difference is far smaller than the unit-to-unit condition difference — always buy the better-inspected machine.
Is a USD 42,000 budget enough for a 2019–2021 unit?
Yes. October 2026 listed examples: 2019 25K5C (6,100 h) ≈ USD 42,000; 2020 STC250S ≈ USD 34,000 incl. transfer; 2021 25K5C (≈1,000 h) USD 35,000–46,000. Prerequisites: accepting China V emission status and passing the four evidence blocks in Section 2.
The STC250S is discontinued in China — are parts still available?
The STC250S has been replaced by later models on domestic channels, but fleet volumes are large and Sany's service network covers China nationwide; boom structural parts and mainstream hydraulic components are highly standardized. Before buying, confirm the parts supply cycle for your batch with your local Sany service outlet.
Can I wire full payment without seeing the crane?
Not recommended. At minimum require the four-video set (cold start, outrigger extend/retract, full boom extend/retract, exhaust at idle and load), chassis-number photos and registration-certificate photos; ideally commission third-party on-site inspection before full payment. Any pre-payment should be staged (e.g. deposit under USD 3,000).
Can a China V used truck crane be imported into my country?
Import rules differ by market and change over time. This article intentionally stays country-neutral; check your destination's used-machinery import requirements (age limits, emission standards, pre-shipment inspection certificates such as SONCAP for Nigeria, PVoC for Kenya, or COC equivalents elsewhere) and confirm with your clearing agent as of your purchase date.

Sources

• XCMG QY25K5C factory specifications — D1CM product database: https://www.xcmg.com/product/pro-detail-119623.htm

• Sany STC250S factory specifications (incl. discontinued status) — D1CM: https://zj.lmjx.net/qicheqizhongji/sany/stc250s/