In the crane industry, the all-terrain crane is a luxury model of a mobile hydraulic crane. The reputation of this particular crane is like 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 particular equipment is its multi-functional ability to be able to navigate through all types 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
The very 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 numerous tasks on construction sites. The industrial strength of the crane's tires is capable of handling all kinds of difficult terrain and is able to transport small loads in carry mode. During the 1970s, the 4 axle Super-RT 1650 model was launched by Grove. This unit 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 equipment of the company over the years.
The Crane's Drawbacks
The rough terrain crane is not without its disadvantages since could not be driven on public roads with any other traffic. Japan is the one nation which has made this rule an exception. In addition, another problem occurred when the lowered boom on the crane tended to block the right and left views of the driver, which depends on how the cap was positioned. All the problems with the crane's design ended up being serious and hazardous and lead to lots of RT crane mishaps, particularly while turning. As a result, flatbeds, low-loaders, lowboys were adopted as the primary method of transporting rough terrain cranes.