In 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. Another great quality of this particular machine is its multi-functional ability to be able to navigate through all kinds of off-road terrain. Amongst the main selling characteristics of this crane is that it travels equally well at top speeds down highways.
The Very First Rough Terrain Crane
The very first rough terrain crane was put on the market by Grove in the year 1959. The crane was intended for use and designed to handle numerous tasks on construction sites. The crane's tires have the industrial strength which is capable of handling all kinds of tricky terrain and is able to transport small loads in carry mode. In the 1970s, Grove launched the 4 axle Super-RT 1650 model. This particular 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 company's most notable machinery through the years.
The Crane's Drawbacks
Amongst the main disadvantages of the rough terrain crane was the problem that it was not capable of being driven on public roads with any other traffic. Japan was the only nation in the globe which would make an exception to this rule. Moreover, another issue occurred when the lowered boom on the crane tended to block the driver's right and left views, that depends on how the cap was placed. These problems with the design of the crane ended up being both serious and dangerous and result in numerous RT crane accidents, particularly when turning. As a result, lowboys, flatbeds, low-loaders were adopted as the main means of transporting rough terrain cranes.