The all-terrain crane is considered in the crane business as being a luxury model of a mobile hydraulic crane. It has the status 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. Another great feature of this equipment is its multi-functional ability to be able to traverse through all types of off-road terrain. Amongst the main selling characteristics of this specific crane is that it travels equally well at top speeds down highways.
The First Rough Terrain Crane
The very first rough terrain crane was put on the market by Grove in 1959. The crane was intended for application and designed to deal with many tasks on construction locations. The industrial strength of the crane's tires is capable of handling all kinds of tricky terrain and is able to move small loads in carry mode. During the 1970s, the 4 axle Super-RT 1650 model was launched by Grove. 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 remarkable machinery over the years.
The Crane's Disadvantages
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 occurred when the lowered boom on the crane tended to block the right and left views of the driver, that depends upon how the cap was placed. All the problems with the crane's design ended up being both serious and hazardous and result in lots of RT crane accidents, specially when turning. Therefore, flatbeds, low-loaders, lowboys were used as the main means of transporting rough terrain cranes.