The all-terrain crane is considered within the crane business as being a luxury kind of a mobile hydraulic crane. It has the status of being similar to 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 great quality of this particular equipment is its multi-functional ability to be able to traverse through all types of off-road terrain. One of the main selling characteristics of this particular crane is that it travels equally well at top speeds down highways.
The Very First Rough Terrain Crane
Grove launched the first rough terrain crane to the market during 1959. The crane was designed for the intended use of being a multi-purpose machinery for use on construction sites. The crane's tires have the industrial strength which is capable of handling all types of tricky terrain and could move small loads in carry mode. During the 1970s, Grove introduced the 4 axle Super-RT 1650 model. 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 will become the company's most notable machine over the years.
The Crane's Disadvantages
The rough terrain crane is not without its disadvantages as could not be driven on public highways with any other traffic. Japan is the one country which has made this rule an exception. Moreover, another problem happened when the lowered boom on the crane tended to block the right and left views of the driver, depending upon how the cap was positioned. All the problems with the design of the crane ended up being severe and dangerous and lead to many RT crane mishaps, particularly when turning. Therefore, flatbeds, low-loaders, lowboys were adopted as the primary way of transporting rough terrain cranes.