In the crane industry, the all-terrain crane is a luxury kind of a mobile hydraulic crane. The reputation of this particular crane is similar to driving a Range Rover or a Hummer on pavement. All-terrain cranes are considered to be a hybrid between a mobile truck crane and rough terrain crane. One more remarkable feature of this particular machinery is its multi-functional ability to be able to navigate through all kinds of off-road terrain. One of the main selling features of this crane is that it travels equally well at top speeds down roads.
The First Rough Terrain Crane
Grove introduced the very first rough terrain crane to the market during the year 1959. The crane was designed for the intended application of being a multi-purpose machinery for application on construction sites. The industrial strength of the crane's tires is capable of handling all types of difficult terrain and is able to move small loads in carry mode. During the 1970s, Grove launched the 4 axle Super-RT 1650 model. This model 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 will become the most remarkable machinery of the company over the years.
The Crane's Drawbacks
The rough terrain crane is not without its disadvantages because could not be driven on public roads with any other traffic. Japan is the one nation that has made this rule an exception. In addition, another issue 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 these issues with the design of the crane ended up being both dangerous and serious and lead to many accidents with RT cranes, specially when turning. As a result, flatbeds, low-loaders, lowboys were adopted as the primary means of transporting rough terrain cranes.