I hate bucket trucks.

[shaddart]

they are loud- all day long

they are expensive as hell

they tend to encourage pruning of the outer extremes, denying the arborist the interior point of view

they crush root zones! (in yard)

they are loud (sorry, i didn't hear you the first time)

they encourage skipping the cut if the bucket can't reach

they encourage cut and hold sore elbows

the damn bucket truck is in the drop zone - again!

less peaceful for neighbors

one more way to die - (catapult/flicked like a booger if not properly tied in with fall arrest harness)

collateral cambium/ broken limb damage courtesy of boom

need 2 trucks on the job burning fuel unless you chip into the bucket which means dragging brush farther

noise all day long_ yup, the third time i've said it.


That is just off the top of my head- I could go on and on

- Paul

 

[tomthetreeman]

Meh. Every tool for its job. Climbing is ideal for tree care, but in a day to day setting with employees in trees all day every day, it is not always the practical solution. I guess if you're polishing buds for a living it's fine, but in general tree care/removal practices, a bucket becomes necessary quickly.

-Tom

 

[Leroy]

Buckets are sweet for removal of dead sketchy trees. although you could just use a crane which is even sweeter.

 

[ROYCE]

True, Kinda. A good operator can reduce about 50% of those things you listed. I started doing tree work climbing. I then went to a bucket and was always wanting to climb the tree rather than prune it with a bucket. I thought it was faster to climb it. It wasn't, I just needed to get BETTER at operating the bucket. I now challenge myself to try and remove the tree or prune the tree from one set-up.
A good pole saw can get to the inside of a tree to prune from the bucket. What works really well, is a good bucket operator and a good climber both working the same tree. Bucket does outside and climber does inside. Climber rides bucket up to his tie in point and then ties in and starts working.

 

[theXman]

Ha ha ha. Really like the post, the title caught my eye. This is why I NEVER purchased one and likely never will.

Also, my brother that has one says that they are very dangerous off pavement if they only have one set of stabilizers.

My K-boom kinda became my long reach bucket truck sometimes I guess. At least it's a longer reach and not under the tree so much.

 

[ROYCE]

But there fast as Hell!! You can slam trees down with a bucket all day long day in and day out. It does get kinda boring though

 

[Boomslang]

Like anything in this industry, it has its place

 

[shaddart]

ok, well, i'm also wondering: how long does it take for the increased efficiency to pay for the added cost ($100k?)

 

[JeffGu]

I refuse to buy anything with wheels on it that cost more than my house did.

 

[CutHighnLetFly]

shaddart, i think if your doing a lot of removals, it wouldnt take as long as your might think. if your focus is pruning, then maybe not as worth the investment.
like Royce said, all about the operator

 

[JiKeidan]

they are loud- all day long

they are expensive as hell

they tend to encourage pruning of the outer extremes, denying the arborist the interior point of view

they crush root zones! (in yard)

they are loud (sorry, i didn't hear you the first time)

they encourage skipping the cut if the bucket can't reach

they encourage cut and hold sore elbows

the damn bucket truck is in the drop zone - again!

less peaceful for neighbors

one more way to die - (catapult/flicked like a booger if not properly tied in with fall arrest harness)

collateral cambium/ broken limb damage courtesy of boom

need 2 trucks on the job burning fuel unless you chip into the bucket which means dragging brush farther

noise all day long_ yup, the third time i've said it.


That is just off the top of my head- I could go on and on

- Paul

don't be rediculous! the bucket isn't giving you candy for being lazy! that's your choice, not to lay down ply wood or relocate the truck to the other side of the tree!

besides, a new back and new knees will run you more than that house of yours xD

 

[ROYCE]

ok, well, i'm also wondering: how long does it take for the increased efficiency to pay for the added cost ($100k?)

Okay, so not every tree is a bucket tree. However, if you get a good bucket with a short wheel base you get good at "shoe horning" it into some pretty tight spots.
How many trees can you climb in one day? A bucket can do double that if not more with a good set-up.

You know what I hate, Chippers. There loud, always running. Dangerous, use a ton of fuels and cost a crap load of money to keep running. I would rather just stack the brush on a flat bed trailer and dispose of it that way A bucket is another tool that has it's place and when added with a crew of other good equipment and operators becomes an asset to the crew.

 

[Stihlmadd]

bucket truck = arborist mobility scooter

 

[JiKeidan]

"hover round! ..round... round... ound... oun..... un..."

 

[Coen]

I like the chipper comment. I know what ours does for us, but man, I would love a better alternative. My mind has been on a grapple truck all winter.

 

[Raven]

Whoa! Lots of opinions and smart advice in this thread. I'm in the hater's camp myself - Climbers rule and buckets drool!

But seriously when you need one you need one. Nothing worse than climbing a sketchy removal or doing long tip reductions right over a driveway - doh.

 

[theXman]

Like anything in this industry, it has its place

I do agree. But sometimes you just gotta hate something for the fun of it.

 

[Boomslang]

Trucks, chippers, chainsaws, employees....all are loud, expensive, damaging, and potentially dangerous. That's the nature of the game. It's too bad we can't all be paid rec climbers.

 

[familytreeman]

(catapult/flicked like a booger if not properly tied in with fall arrest harness)

my uncle D saw a boom fail on an operator

The boom dropped 30 or 40 ft , hit the ground and threw the op into the air, landing on the ground

D says if he had a fall arrest harness on, he would have flipped out and been immediately whipped to ground by the lanyard , which would have killed him.

-When I use lifts , I use a fall arrest lanyard , but this story always scared me about lifts possibly failing, and what good does the lanyard do you if the bucket drops?

 

[frashdog]

Love and hate...at first I though your rant was from experience.

I only climbed for a while! Fine tune prunes to big remote technical removals . Proclaimed I'd never get a bucket. Swore I was getting a knuckle boom first! Made up all these excuses, till it made $en$e! I really looked at knuckle booms 70'-80' realms. $75,000 area, one was a rear mount refurb from a palfinger dealer. Found a couple I was about to go look at till I realized I did not want to marry the crane, as great as it might be. I wanted a piece of equipment that I could comfortably (safe and efficiently) put employees in use of it. I still dream of a crane some day, but that machine would need to be worked often and by a dedicated operator. Wonder who that would be. We don't use the bucket every day, some times not for a week. But when we do use it, the weather calls for 100% chance for some heavy precipitate in the form of tree body parts falling from the sky.

As mentioned their full destructive potential is truly unleashed with an adept climber aboard ready to hop out and do what's gotta get done! Just imagine all the other bucket truck guys in town don't know how to climb?