Within the crane industry, the all-terrain crane is a luxury model of a mobile hydraulic crane. The reputation of this crane is 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. One more great quality of this specific equipment is its multi-functional ability to be able to traverse through all kinds of off-road terrain. Among the main selling characteristics of this crane is that it travels equally well at high speeds down roads.
The First Rough Terrain Crane
Grove introduced the first rough terrain crane to the market in 1959. The crane was designed for the intended use of being a multi-purpose equipment for application on construction locations. The crane's tires have the industrial strength that could handle 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 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 machine through the years.
The Crane's Drawbacks
The rough terrain crane is not without its drawbacks since could not be driven on public highways with any other traffic. Japan is the one country that has made this rule an exception. Additionally, one more problem occurred when the crane's lowered boom tended to block the right and left views of the driver, depending upon how the cap was placed. These problems with the crane's design ended up being both severe and hazardous and lead to lots of accidents with RT cranes, particularly when turning. Thus, lowboys, flatbeds, low-loaders were adopted as the primary way of transporting rough terrain cranes.