The all-terrain crane is considered in the crane business as being a luxury kind of a mobile hydraulic crane. It has the reputation 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. Another remarkable quality of this specific equipment is its multi-functional ability to be able to navigate through all types of off-road terrain. Amongst the main selling characteristics of this particular crane is that it travels equally well at high speeds down roads.
The First Rough Terrain Crane
Grove introduced the very first rough terrain crane to the market during the year 1959. The crane was designed for the intended application of being a multi-purpose machine for application on construction sites. The crane's tires have the industrial strength that is capable of handling all types of tricky terrain and can transport small loads in carry mode. During the 1970s, Grove launched the 4 axle Super-RT 1650 model. This unit 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 machinery of the company through the years.
The Crane's Disadvantages
The rough terrain crane is not without its disadvantages as it is not able to be driven on public highways with any other traffic. Japan is the one nation which has made this rule an exception. Additionally, another issue happened when the crane's lowered boom tended to block the right and left views of the driver, depending on how the cap was positioned. These problems with the design of the crane ended up being dangerous and serious and result in numerous RT crane accidents, especially when turning. Thus, lowboys, flatbeds, low-loaders were utilized as the primary method of moving rough terrain cranes.