In the crane industry, the all-terrain crane is a luxury kind of a mobile hydraulic crane. The reputation of this particular crane is like 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. Another great feature of this machinery is its multi-functional ability to be able to navigate 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 introduced the very first rough terrain crane to the market in the year 1959. The crane was designed for the intended application of being a multi-purpose device for application on construction locations. The crane's tires have the industrial strength that can handle all types of difficult terrain and could move small loads in carry mode. In the 1970s, the 4 axle Super-RT 1650 model was launched by Grove. This specific model 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 most remarkable machine of the company over the years.
The Crane's Drawbacks
The rough terrain crane is not without its drawbacks since could not be driven on public highways with any other traffic. Japan is the one nation which has made this rule an exception. In addition, another issue happened when the lowered boom on the crane tended to block the driver's right and left views, that depends upon how the cap was positioned. All the issues with the design of the crane ended up being both hazardous and serious and lead to many RT crane accidents, especially when turning. As a result, lowboys, flatbeds, low-loaders were utilized as the main way of transporting rough terrain cranes.