City Cranes
"City Crane" is a term used to define small 2-axle mobile cranes that can operate in compact spaces where the standard crane could not access. These city cranes are popular choices for use through gated areas or within buildings.
In the 1990s, city cranes were originally developed in response to the growing urban density in Japan. There are continually 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.
Basically, city cranes are small rough terrain cranes that are made to be road legal. These cranes are characterized by having a 2-axle design with independent steering on each axle, a short chassis, a slanted retractable boom and a single cab. 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 is capable of turning in tight spots that would be otherwise unobtainable by other crane models.
Conventional Truck Crane
Traditional 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 can reach up and over an obstacle. Conventional truck cranes need separate power to be able to move up and down and do not lower and raise their cargo with any hydraulic power.
Manitowoc made the very first ever Speedcrane. It proved to be a successful machine though lots of adjustments needed to be added later on. Manitowoc hired Roy Moore as a crane designer to help streamline the design. He knew the industry was changing towards internal combustion engines from original steam powered methods and designed his crane to change with the times. The Speedcrane was redesigned for a gasoline engine.