The all-terrain crane is considered within the crane business as being a luxury type 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 rough terrain crane and mobile truck crane. Another great quality of this equipment is its multi-functional ability to be able to navigate through all types of off-road terrain. Amongst the main selling features of this particular crane is that it travels equally well at top speeds down roads.
The First Rough Terrain Crane
Grove launched the first rough terrain crane to the market in the year 1959. The crane was designed for the intended application of being a multi-purpose machine for use on construction sites. The crane's tires have the industrial strength which is capable of handling all kinds of tricky terrain and is able to move small loads in carry mode. In the 1970s, Grove launched the 4 axle Super-RT 1650 model. This particular unit 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 would become the company's most remarkable machinery over the years.
The Crane's Disadvantages
One of the major drawbacks of the rough terrain crane was the issue that it was not capable of being driven on public highways with any other traffic. Japan was the only country in the world which will make an exception to this rule. Furthermore, another problem occurred when the lowered boom on the crane tended to block the driver's right and left views, which depends on how the cap was positioned. All the issues with the crane's design ended up being both hazardous and severe and lead to a lot of RT crane accidents, especially while turning. Thus, flatbeds, low-loaders, lowboys were adopted as the main means of transporting rough terrain cranes.