bucket truck or crane

I

irish93stang

In the market for a bucket truck but it looks like I can get a decent crane with more reach for the same price as an elevator rear mount bucket truck.And it will give me the ability to make small picks or load logs. Any thoughts on this? Pros cons?
 
what market, how big are the trees, what size crane. What kind of work do you prefer?

those back yard buddy cranes have their limitations in tree work....

I prefer the bucket, though I've never owned a crane.. you can't prune with a crane... if your rigging and falling skills are good, you can do a lot of jobs with a bucket that many others would bring a crane in on.. Skid steer can move materials on many jobs without crane access...
 
I would also consider what the insurance rates are for either piece of equipment. Call your agent and see how much more you will be spending a year.

Personally I would go with a crane if I was choosing between the two but I'm pretty biased against buckets though I see their value on certain jobs.
 
I priced a used 70' kboom and learned enough to want to go with a rear mount 60' as a step towards a 100'+ kboom. Yea there are a lot of cheap cranes out there. The way I looked at it was a crane I would have to operate all the time, I can not afford a crane operator right now, where as a bucket I can put one of the less skilled guys in on easy stuff to help train them more. Look at what it takes to maintain/service and insure the equipment you are thinking about. That's what made me want to wait a bit for a crane.
 
Its easy buying this stuff at times. The kicker is paying reg, ins, inspections, another driver, fuel tax, cdl, fees fees fees fees.

Life was great with one truck, one chipper. I just cant let go of the bucket now that it's here, and the trailer, and the loader. Oh man.
 
There is nothing to be against with a bucket that you would not be against with a crane first, and value on certain jobs? Buckets fit into tighter spots, weight less, cost less, and most trees we work on are crushed with a 60' bucket. Any bigger and hop out for now. Any tree you can get the bucket up next to gets destroyed, many times faster then climbing alone. I used to lead myself into denial that I did not need a bucket truck and some day I will just buy a crane. Sure I feel like I'm an efficient climber, sometimes. Well... I used some cranes and man lifts then started to price out used equipment, stick, kboom, forestry body, rear mount, spider lifts. I called the nearest dealer/service centers, asked about service/maintanance costs en such. Best bang seems a rear mount 60', unless you can afford a rear mount elevator.4x4 is bonus.
Myself I might get a 75' rear mount elevator ( although doesn't altec now make a 75' non elevator, overcenter boom now?)4x4 before a 100'+knuckle boom.

Our 60' rear mount, has a material handler/jib/winch/ jobber that is rated for 2000lbs at hights and angles I'm not comfortable with. We mostly use it for long horizontal branches close to structures, or loading 1000lbs average chunks from the ground. It's an altec am855mh.

Be certain to look at the reach/capacity charts. How big are most of the trees you work on? That was probably one of the most profound things I learned about. Like why most man lifts, non over center buckets and stick cranes eat it when it comes to reach.
 
id have too go bucket truck with elevator for me id get more use out of them due too powerlines an trimming an just getting the boom up in some spots
 
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