Within the crane business, the all-terrain crane is a luxury model of a mobile hydraulic crane. The reputation of this particular crane is like 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 particular machinery is its multi-functional ability to be able to navigate through all types of off-road terrain. Amongst the main selling features of this particular crane is that it travels equally well at top speeds down roads.
The Very First Rough Terrain Crane
Grove introduced the first rough terrain crane to the market during the year 1959. The crane was designed for the intended application of being a multi-purpose machinery for application on construction sites. The crane's tires have the industrial strength which could handle all types of difficult 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 company's most remarkable equipment over the years.
The Crane's Drawbacks
The rough terrain crane is not without its drawbacks as 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. Moreover, one more problem occurred when the crane's lowered boom tended to block the driver's right and left views, depending on how the cap was positioned. These problems with the design of the crane ended up being dangerous and serious and lead to numerous RT crane mishaps, especially when turning. As a result, lowboys, flatbeds, low-loaders were utilized as the primary way of transporting rough terrain cranes.