Bucket truck advice

niceviews

niceviews

Location
Asheville, NC
So I'm looking at getting a bucket truck and one of my tough questions to figure out is if it is worth the extra money to get into an elevator style lift to get from 60 to 75 feet? It seems like a substantial difference, about $40K, for 15 feet. This will be the first bucket truck I will operate regularly and I'm just not sure which is a better investment. Any thoughts are appreciated.
 
I dont know about the budget aspect of it, but previously at work we went from a 55' Aerial lift of CT to purchasing a brand new Altec 75' elevator and I would say the short answer is YES. It opens up a whole other world as far as being lazy and not having to get out of the bucket. Depends on what you'll use it for.

Around here 100-110' pines are not out of the ordinary, and 90-95' oaks and maples are pretty standard too, so everything from deadwooding to removals becomes just *that* much easier. Not to mention the extra boom length in general, so maybe you dont *need* to get the bumper of the truck parked right up under the tree to max out your reach.

From a financial perspective my commment is useless, from a work perspective, I wholeheartedly say yes, that extra 15' is HUGE.
 
the elevators are also really nice because they allow different angles to access your work. being able to raise the lower booms pivot point 10 feet up opens a lot of new angles. nice for sneaking through the branches or those times where you could reach it if you could just get the lower boom a few feet lower but there's a house in the way.
 
Yep, spend the money. Bill N (above) said it well. Different angles achievable - make the machine much more versatile.

Also, the height advantage will save you time and money over the years. I can't tell you how many times I would have had to climb out of the old 55' footer without our (now 5 year-old) Altec 75' with elevator.

Safety taboot. You may justify it by thinking about how you may try to save time and take just a little bigger top than you feel right about just to save yourself from climbing that extra 15'. Think about how many 30"+ dbh trees you rig out manually now, and how many of those are still over 20" 70' in the air. I'm thinking about white pines around here.

This is a lifetime truck, right? Get all the bells and whistles you want. You only have one life to live - enjoy!
 
Hey guys I'm pricing out an altec 75 vs a terex 75 right now. There seems to be a significant price difference. I run a 60' terex now and love it. Its been a great unit. Thoughts on which is the better boom? Thanks!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Hey guys I'm pricing out an altec 75 vs a terex 75 right now. There seems to be a significant price difference. I run a 60' terex now and love it. Its been a great unit. Thoughts on which is the better boom? Thanks!

[/ QUOTE ]

x2. I'm about to upgrade from a 60' rear mount ALC (AWESOME truck!) to an Altec or Terex and have the same questions. All info is greatly appreciated.

Btw, I think the ALC control levers are perfection- ergonomic, fast, and simple. Will I hate the pistol grip??
 
The pistol grip rocks once you get used to it. The levers do a fine job too though. Way fewer grease points on the altec and longer greasing intervals is nice too!
 
Good points.

Do you have the elevator control built into the pistol grip or is it better as a seperate control from the pistol grip.

Any thoughts on Terex vs Altec?

What truck do you have under yours?
 
The elevator is part of the pistol, rotate like a motorcycle throttle. I can't see any reason to make it a separate control, if that's an option. Doesn't really interfere at all. I want to say its on an international 4900 with a dt466e? Love the engine kill switches, makes talking much more enenjoyable!
 
I want to elaborate on what JeffL here - if the kill switches are an option - pay whatever you have to in order to get them, especially in the bucket platform.

I can't tell you how important this has become to the safety of our crew - shut the truck down aerially before a cut takes place, make sure you get the "all clear" yell from all members on the road - no screaming, and no "i couldn't hear you!" after a mistake takes place.

The kill switch encourages communication, a fundamental part of safety for any crew.
 
A good point, Winch.

Are all trucks with kill switches able to be restarted from the ground in the event of an incapacitated bucket operator? The one I use is this way.
 
Thanks for the input. I guess they are mostly points that I've thought about, and are good reasons to get a bigger lift. I guess there is another question. If I can only get the funds/financing for a smaller lift, am I wasting my time/money? Do I wait and save for a bigger lift? I don't doubt the 75' would get me more places as a lot of trees are pushing 75+ in the this area, but a 60' would get me most of the way there most of the time. 'Most' being the keyword.
 
Nick, if you can't afford a 75, then a 60' rear mount is still a mighty serious takedown machine. If you don't currently own a bucket, it will open a new world to you, and save the body immeasurably. A 60 is a beast.

Plus, if a 75 is a must-have for you but unaffordable now, get a 60 and then upgrade in a few years with all the loot the 60 earns.

Still love to hear some Terex v. Altec info from you folks in the know out there.
 
best world is having both, a 55 and a 75 like I do. Don't buy the big one first tho because it won't fit into places quite often, won't be easy on riding on lawns and having 2 rigs is easier to set up than 4. Also the big one is going to move slower and be less able to move delicately with the boom. Many days I have both on a job in sequence.

75 works best with cranes.

I like my set up with the 75 without the elevator as it has more sideways reach, unless it is over center and that scares me to think about a 75 with over center. I am currently shopping for a 90 to 95 footer.
 
a lot of it is going to depend on your location, size of trees, and topography of the clients properties.. If your trees max at 75', you might do OK with the 60' bucket. Trees here generally max at about 100-110', though the first tree I used the 75' bucket on was a 145' tulip...

No matter what size your trees are the extra side reach of the 75'er is awesome..

If you get a good deal on the 60'er and take good care of it, you should be able to re-sell it for near what you paid, when it comes time to upgrade. In the mean time its going to make you some serious $$$..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Back
Top Bottom