The all-terrain crane is considered within the crane business as being a luxury model of a mobile hydraulic crane. It has the status of being 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 quality of this specific equipment is its multi-functional ability to be able to navigate through all kinds of off-road terrain. Among the main selling characteristics of this crane is that it travels equally well at top speeds down roads.
The Very First Rough Terrain Crane
The first rough terrain crane was put on the market by Grove in the year 1959. The crane was intended for use and designed to handle various tasks on construction sites. The crane's tires have the industrial strength that can handle all types of tricky terrain and could move small loads in carry mode. In the 1970s, the 4 axle Super-RT 1650 model was introduced by Grove. This 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 most remarkable equipment 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 roads with any other traffic. Japan is the one nation which has made this rule an exception. Moreover, another issue happened when the crane's lowered boom tended to block the driver's left and right views, depending upon how the cap was positioned. All the issues with the design of the crane ended up being hazardous and severe and result in many accidents with RT cranes, especially while turning. As a result, low-loaders, lowboys, flatbeds were utilized as the main method of transporting rough terrain cranes.