The all-terrain crane is considered within the crane business as being a luxury model 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 mobile truck crane and rough terrain crane. One more great feature of this specific machinery is its multi-functional ability to be able to traverse through all kinds of off-road terrain. Amongst the main selling characteristics of this specific crane is that it travels equally well at high speeds down highways.
The First Rough Terrain Crane
Grove launched the first rough terrain crane to the market in 1959. The crane was designed for the intended application of being a multi-purpose machine for use on construction locations. The crane's tires have the industrial strength which can handle all types of difficult terrain and could move small loads in carry mode. In the 1970s, Grove introduced the 4 axle Super-RT 1650 model. This specific unit 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 company's most remarkable machine over the years.
The Crane's Drawbacks
The rough terrain crane is not without its disadvantages as could not be driven on public highways with any other traffic. Japan is the one country which has made this rule an exception. Furthermore, another issue happened when the lowered boom on the crane tended to block the right and left views of the driver, depending upon how the cap was positioned. These issues with the crane's design ended up being both severe and dangerous and lead to lots of accidents with RT cranes, specially while turning. As a result, lowboys, flatbeds, low-loaders were used as the main means of transporting rough terrain cranes.