Within the crane industry, the all-terrain crane is a luxury type of a mobile hydraulic crane. The reputation of this crane is like driving a Hummer or a Range Rover on pavement. All-terrain cranes are considered to be a hybrid between a rough terrain crane and mobile truck crane. One more great quality of this particular machinery is its multi-functional ability to be able to navigate through all kinds of off-road terrain. Amongst the main selling characteristics of this crane is that it travels equally well at top speeds down roads.
The Very First Rough Terrain Crane
Grove introduced the very first rough terrain crane to the market in the year 1959. The crane was designed for the intended application of being a multi-purpose machine for use on construction locations. The industrial strength of the crane's tires can handle all kinds of tricky terrain and can transport small loads in carry mode. In the 1970s, the 4 axle Super-RT 1650 model was introduced by Grove. This model has an 82.8 meter or 270 foot height under hook in production, along with a 135 ton lifting capacity. At the end of the day, the rough terrain crane would become the most notable machine of the company over the years.
The Crane's Drawbacks
The rough terrain crane is not without its disadvantages because it is not able to be driven on public highways with any other traffic. Japan is the one nation that has made this rule an exception. In addition, one more problem happened when the lowered boom on the crane tended to block the driver's left and right views, that depends on how the cap was placed. All these issues with the design of the crane ended up being both severe and dangerous and result in numerous accidents with RT cranes, especially when turning. Therefore, flatbeds, low-loaders, lowboys were adopted as the main method of transporting rough terrain cranes.