City Cranes
"City Crane" is a term utilized to define small 2-axle mobile cranes that could operate in compact areas where the typical crane could not access. These city cranes are popular choices for use through gated places or in buildings.
City cranes were initially developed during the 1990s as a response to the increasing urban density in Japan. There are always new construction projects cramming their ways into the cities in Japan, making it necessary for a crane to have the ability to navigate the nooks and crannies of Japanese streets.
Essentially, city cranes are small rough terrain cranes which are built to be road legal. These cranes are characterized by having a 2-axle design with independent steering on each axle, a slanted retractable boom, a single cab and a short chassis. The slanted retractable boom design takes up a lot less space than a comparable horizontal boom would. Combined with the independent steering and the short chassis, the city crane can turn in tight spots which would be otherwise unaccessible by other types of cranes.
Conventional Truck Crane
Traditional truck cranes are mobile cranes with lattice booms. This boom is much lighter boom than is found with a hydraulic truck crane boom. The many sections on a lattice boom are able to be added so that the crane can reach up and over an obstacle. Traditional truck cranes need separate power to be able to move down and up and do not raise and lower their loads utilizing any hydraulic power.
The very first ever Speedcrane was built by Manitowoc. It was a successful machine even if further adjustments needed to be added. Manitowoc hired Roy Moore as a crane designer to help streamline the design. He understood the industry was moving towards internal combustion engines from original steam powered means and designed his crane to change with the times. The Speedcrane was redesigned for a gasoline engine.