The all-terrain crane is considered in the crane business as being a luxury kind of a mobile hydraulic crane. It has the reputation of being similar to driving a Range Rover or a Hummer on pavement. All-terrain cranes are considered to be a hybrid between a rough terrain crane and mobile truck crane. Another great quality of this specific machinery is its multi-functional ability to be able to traverse 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
The very first rough terrain crane was put on the market by Grove during the year 1959. The crane was intended for use and designed to deal with many tasks on construction locations. The crane's tires have the industrial strength which is capable of handling all kinds of tricky terrain and could transport small loads in carry mode. During the 1970s, the 4 axle Super-RT 1650 model was launched by Grove. This model has an 82.8 meter or 270 foot height under hook in production, in addition to a 135 ton lifting capacity. At the end of the day, the rough terrain crane will become the most notable machine of the company through the years.
The Crane's Disadvantages
The rough terrain crane is not without its disadvantages as it is not able to be driven on public roads with any other traffic. Japan is the one country that has made this rule an exception. Additionally, another problem happened when the crane's lowered boom tended to block the right and left views of the driver, depending on how the cap was positioned. These problems with the design of the crane ended up being both severe and dangerous and lead to many accidents with RT cranes, specially when turning. Thus, lowboys, flatbeds, low-loaders were adopted as the main way of transporting rough terrain cranes.