The all-terrain crane is considered in the crane business as being a luxury type 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. One more remarkable quality of this specific machine is its multi-functional ability to be able to traverse through all types of off-road terrain. Amongst the main selling features of this specific crane is that it travels equally well at top speeds down roads.
The Very First Rough Terrain Crane
Grove launched the first rough terrain crane to the market in 1959. The crane was designed for the intended use of being a multi-purpose machinery for application on construction sites. The industrial strength of the crane's tires is capable of handling all kinds of tricky terrain and can transport small loads in carry mode. During the 1970s, Grove launched the 4 axle Super-RT 1650 model. This model has a 270 foot or 82.8 meter height under hook in production, along with a 135 ton lifting capacity. At the end of the day, the rough terrain crane would become the company's most notable machinery through the years.
The Crane's Disadvantages
The rough terrain crane is not without its disadvantages because it is not able to be driven on public highways with any other traffic. Japan is the one country that has made this rule an exception. Furthermore, another problem occurred when the lowered boom on the crane tended to block the right and left views of the driver, which depends upon how the cap was placed. All these problems with the crane's design ended up being both hazardous and severe and result in lots of RT crane accidents, particularly while turning. As a result, low-loaders, lowboys, flatbeds were adopted as the primary method of moving rough terrain cranes.