In the crane industry, the all-terrain crane is a luxury type of a mobile hydraulic crane. The reputation of this crane is similar to driving a Range Rover or a Hummer on pavement. All-terrain cranes are considered to be a hybrid between a rough terrain crane and mobile truck crane. Another great quality of this particular machinery is its multi-functional ability to be able to traverse through all types of off-road terrain. One of the main selling features of this particular 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 the year 1959. The crane was designed for the intended use of being a multi-purpose device for application on construction sites. 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. In the 1970s, Grove introduced the 4 axle Super-RT 1650 model. This particular unit has a 270 foot or 82.8 meter height under hook in production, together with a 135 ton lifting capacity. At the end of the day, the rough terrain crane would become the most notable equipment of the company over the years.
The Crane's Drawbacks
Amongst the main drawbacks of the rough terrain crane was the issue that it was not capable of being driven on public highways with any other traffic. Japan was the only country in the globe that will make an exception to this rule. Furthermore, another problem happened when the crane's lowered boom tended to block the driver's left and right views, depending on how the cap was placed. All the issues with the design of the crane ended up being both dangerous and severe and result in many RT crane mishaps, specially while turning. Thus, low-loaders, lowboys, flatbeds were adopted as the main method of moving rough terrain cranes.