The all-terrain crane is considered in the crane industry as being a luxury model 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 specific machine is its multi-functional ability to be able to traverse through all kinds of off-road terrain. Among the main selling features of this particular crane is that it travels equally well at high speeds down highways.
The Very First Rough Terrain Crane
Grove launched the first rough terrain crane to the market during the year 1959. The crane was designed for the intended use of being a multi-purpose equipment for application 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 transport small loads in carry mode. In the 1970s, the 4 axle Super-RT 1650 model was introduced by Grove. This specific 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 most notable machine of the company over the years.
The Crane's Disadvantages
Among the main disadvantages of the rough terrain crane was the issue that it was not capable of being driven on public roads with any other traffic. Japan was the only country in the world which would make an exception to this rule. Furthermore, another issue occurred when the crane's lowered boom tended to block the driver's left and right views, depending on how the cap was placed. These problems with the design of the crane ended up being both serious and dangerous and lead to numerous RT crane mishaps, particularly when turning. Thus, lowboys, flatbeds, low-loaders were adopted as the primary method of moving rough terrain cranes.