City Cranes
"City Crane" is a term utilized to define small 2-axle mobile cranes that could operate in tight spaces where the typical crane cannot access. These city cranes are great alternatives for use inside buildings or through gated places.
City cranes were originally developed in the 1990s as a response to the increasing urban density in Japan. There are continually new construction projects cramming their ways into Japanese cities, making it vital for a crane to have the ability to steer through the nooks and crannies of Japanese roads.
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 single cab, a short chassis and a slanted retractable boom. The slanted retractable boom design takes up a lot less space than a comparable horizontal boom would. Combined with the short chassis and the independent steering, the city crane could turn in tight spots that would be otherwise unaccessible by other crane models.
Conventional Truck Crane
A traditional truck crane is a mobile crane which has a lattice boom. The lattice boom is substantially lighter in weight than 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. Conventional truck cranes do not raise and lower their cargo using any hydraulic power and require separate power in order to move down and up.
Manitowoc built the very first ever Speedcrane. It proved to be a successful machine though many adjustments needed to be added later on. 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 methods and designed his crane to change with the times. The Speedcrane was redesigned for a gasoline engine.