The all-terrain crane is considered within the crane business as being a luxury kind of a mobile hydraulic crane. It has the status of being similar to driving a Range Rover or a Hummer on pavement. All-terrain cranes are considered to be a hybrid between a rough terrain crane and mobile truck crane. One more remarkable quality of this specific machinery is its multi-functional ability to be able to navigate through all kinds of off-road terrain. Among the main selling characteristics of this specific crane is that it travels equally well at high speeds down highways.
The Very First Rough Terrain Crane
Grove introduced the very first rough terrain crane to the market during 1959. The crane was designed for the intended use 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 difficult terrain and can move 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, together with a 135 ton lifting capacity. At the end of the day, the rough terrain crane would become the company's most notable machine over 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 roads with any other traffic. Japan is the one country which has made this rule an exception. In addition, another issue happened when the lowered boom on the crane tended to block the right and left views of the driver, depending on how the cap was placed. These issues with the crane's design ended up being both hazardous and serious and lead to a lot of accidents with RT cranes, especially when turning. Therefore, flatbeds, low-loaders, lowboys were used as the primary method of transporting rough terrain cranes.