The all-terrain crane is considered in the crane business as being a luxury kind of a mobile hydraulic crane. It has the reputation of being 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. One more great quality of this machinery is its multi-functional ability to be able to traverse through all types of off-road terrain. Among the main selling characteristics of this crane is that it travels equally well at high speeds down roads.
The First Rough Terrain Crane
Grove launched the very first rough terrain crane to the market during 1959. The crane was designed for the intended application of being a multi-purpose device for use on construction locations. The industrial strength of the crane's tires is capable of handling all kinds of difficult terrain and could transport small loads in carry mode. During the 1970s, Grove introduced the 4 axle Super-RT 1650 model. This specific model has an 82.8 meter or 270 foot 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 most remarkable machine of the company through the years.
The Crane's Drawbacks
The rough terrain crane is not without its drawbacks since 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. Furthermore, another problem happened when the crane's lowered boom tended to block the left and right views of the driver, depending on how the cap was placed. These problems with the design of the crane ended up being both hazardous and severe and lead to lots of RT crane accidents, specially while turning. Therefore, flatbeds, low-loaders, lowboys were adopted as the main method of moving rough terrain cranes.