In the crane industry, the all-terrain crane is a luxury kind 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 mobile truck crane and rough terrain crane. Another remarkable quality of this specific machine is its multi-functional ability to be able to navigate through all types of off-road terrain. One of the main selling characteristics of this particular crane is that it travels equally well at high speeds down highways.
The Very First Rough Terrain Crane
The very first rough terrain crane was put on the market by Grove in 1959. The crane was intended for use and designed to deal with many tasks on construction locations. The industrial strength of the crane's tires could handle all kinds of difficult terrain and could transport small loads in carry mode. In the 1970s, the 4 axle Super-RT 1650 model was launched by Grove. This unit has a 270 foot or 82.8 meter height under hook in production, in addition to a 135 ton lifting capacity. At the end of the day, the rough terrain crane would become the company's most notable equipment through the years.
The Crane's Disadvantages
Amongst the main disadvantages of the rough terrain crane was the problem that it was not capable of being driven on public highways with any other traffic. Japan was the only country in the globe which would make an exception to this rule. Additionally, another problem occurred when the lowered boom on the crane tended to block the right and left views of the driver, depending on how the cap was positioned. These problems with the crane's design ended up being severe and hazardous and lead to many accidents with RT cranes, especially while turning. Therefore, lowboys, flatbeds, low-loaders were adopted as the primary method of transporting rough terrain cranes.