City Cranes
The term "City Crane" means a small 2-axle mobile crane that is designed to be used particularly in tight places where regular cranes can not venture. These city cranes are popular choices for use within buildings or through gated places.
City cranes were originally developed in the 1990s as a response to the increasing urban density within Japan. There are always new construction projects cramming their ways into Japanese cities, making it vital for a crane to have the ability to navigate the nooks and crannies of Japanese roads.
Essentially, city cranes are small rough terrain cranes that are built to be road legal. These cranes are characterized by having a 2-axle design with independent steering on each axle, a single cab, a short chassis and a slanted retractable boom. The slanted retractable boom design takes up less space than a comparable horizontal boom would. Combined with the short chassis and the independent steering, the city crane could turn in compact spots which would be otherwise unaccessible by other kinds of cranes.
Conventional Truck Crane
Conventional truck cranes are mobile cranes with lattice booms. This boom is a lot lighter boom than is found with a hydraulic truck crane boom. The multiple sections on a lattice boom can be added so that the crane could reach up and over an obstacle. Conventional truck cranes do not raise and lower their loads with any hydraulic power and require separate power to be able to move up and down.
The first ever Speedcrane was built by Manitowoc. It was a successful machine even if further adjustments had to be added. Manitowoc hired Roy Moore as a crane designer to help streamline the design. He knew the industry was moving towards IC engines from original steam powered means and designed his crane to change with the times. The Speedcrane was redesigned for a gasoline engine.