The all-terrain crane is considered in the crane industry 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 mobile truck crane and rough terrain crane. One more remarkable quality of this specific machine is its multi-functional ability to be able to traverse through all types of off-road terrain. Amongst the main selling features of this specific crane is that it travels equally well at high speeds down roads.
The First Rough Terrain Crane
Grove introduced the first rough terrain crane to the market in 1959. The crane was designed for the intended application of being a multi-purpose equipment for use on construction locations. The industrial strength of the crane's tires is capable of handling all types of difficult terrain and could transport small loads in carry mode. In the 1970s, the 4 axle Super-RT 1650 model was launched by Grove. This specific model has an 82.8 meter or 270 foot height under hook in production, along with a 135 ton lifting capacity. At the end of the day, the rough terrain crane would become the most notable machine of the company over the years.
The Crane's Disadvantages
The rough terrain crane is not without its disadvantages since it is not able to be driven on public highways with any other traffic. Japan is the one country which has made this rule an exception. Furthermore, one more issue happened when the lowered boom on the crane tended to block the driver's left and right views, which depends upon how the cap was placed. All the issues with the design of the crane ended up being both serious and dangerous and result in a lot of accidents with RT cranes, specially while turning. Thus, low-loaders, lowboys, flatbeds were utilized as the primary method of transporting rough terrain cranes.