This paper merges the advantages of data-driven control and sliding mode control in terms of applying and modifying two combinations of model-free adaptive control and sliding mode control suggested by Ebrahimi et al. in 2018 to the position control of tower crane systems. The modifications concern the classical definition of the control error or the tracking error and appropriate proofs are adapted and summarized. The two controllers are validated experimentally and compared in the control of the three positions specific to tower crane system laboratory equipment.