The all-terrain crane is considered within the crane industry as being a luxury type of a mobile hydraulic crane. It has the status of being similar to driving a Range Rover or a Hummer on pavement. All-terrain cranes are considered to be a hybrid between a mobile truck crane and rough terrain crane. One more remarkable quality of this particular machinery is its multi-functional ability to be able to traverse through all types of off-road terrain. One of the main selling features of this particular crane is that it travels equally well at high speeds down roads.
The First Rough Terrain Crane
The 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 various tasks on construction locations. The industrial strength of the crane's tires can handle all kinds of difficult terrain and can transport small loads in carry mode. In the 1970s, Grove introduced the 4 axle Super-RT 1650 model. This model 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 will become the company's most notable machinery over the years.
The Crane's Disadvantages
The rough terrain crane is not without its disadvantages since it is not able to be driven on public roads with any other traffic. Japan is the one nation that has made this rule an exception. Furthermore, one more issue occurred when the lowered boom on the crane tended to block the left and right views of the driver, which depends on how the cap was positioned. All the issues with the design of the crane ended up being dangerous and serious and lead to many RT crane accidents, especially when turning. Thus, lowboys, flatbeds, low-loaders were utilized as the primary means of moving rough terrain cranes.