Bucket truck or mobile lift

Trailers can be a pita for me personally, an extra layer of shit that can go wrong and more risky. If the roads are all flat and straight where you works it's less of a problem obviously but still worth considering imo. Sometimes I think it'd be nice to have a tight little rear mount alc or something like that, a lot depends on where you work I guess. If there are lots of fences and tight lots, backyard stuff, etc, a lift seems like a no brainer. Whereas other people, daniel murphy for example, seems to work in a place with huge lots and no privacy fences. It seems like he gets a lot of use from his bucket truck. Here you can only drive up to half or less of the trees that we work on.
 
L3VI said:
Trailers can be a pita for me personally, an extra layer of shit that can go wrong and more risky. If the roads are all flat and straight where you works it's less of a problem obviously but still worth considering imo. Sometimes I think it'd be nice to have a tight little rear mount alc or something like that, a lot depends on where you work I guess. If there are lots of fences and tight lots, backyard stuff, etc, a lift seems like a no brainer. Whereas other people, daniel murphy for example, seems to work in a place with huge lots and no privacy fences. It seems like he gets a lot of use from his bucket truck. Here you can only drive up to half or less of the trees that we work on.
Click to expand...
This is a great share. If I was back in @evo's neck of the woods then a big trailer would be an issue. My area is pretty flat (upper Midwest) with a good mix of high end lake places and rural homesteads. From what I've seen a bucket can do quite a lot here, but of course nothing in back yards.

Has anyone encountered times where the man lift is sketchy, like heavy rains? What about getting one stuck? Getting a bucket stuck in terrible but does happen (line clearance especially). Didn't know how big of an issue that is as the spider lifts are still pretty heavy.
 
Brando CalPankian said:
This is a great share. If I was back in @evo's neck of the woods then a big trailer would be an issue. My area is pretty flat (upper Midwest) with a good mix of high end lake places and rural homesteads. From what I've seen a bucket can do quite a lot here, but of course nothing in back yards.

Has anyone encountered times where the man lift is sketchy, like heavy rains? What about getting one stuck? Getting a bucket stuck in terrible but does happen (line clearance especially). Didn't know how big of an issue that is as the spider lifts are still pretty heavy.
Click to expand...
I don’t know.. there are about half a dozen buckets I know of on the island, and three spiders. One of the companies here owns two of the spiders and have a bucket. Long trailers can be a PITA. We only go from sea level to about 350’, but due to the glaciers it’s like a giant cat used this place like a scratching post. So more of a washboard. Many switch back driveways. I could see where trailers longer than 12’ could be problematic.
There are quite a few places to turn around the Isuzu with the chipper requires jack knifing. Disconnecting, backing out of the narrow winding drive way, turning around and backing back up to reconnect again. I could see a long trailer having to do that much more frequently which would get old very very fast!
 
Brando CalPankian said:
Has anyone encountered times where the man lift is sketchy, like heavy rains? What about getting one stuck?
Click to expand...

This one is sorta stuck. Slipped off of the ramps when they were wet. It happened here locally and has been shared on here before by another member. Minimal damage to the lift. Quite a bit of damage to egos.

I've also heard of lifts sliding on side slopes (ice or rain) and may have caused a fatality when it flipped in a lake. Operator was in the basket while tracking to the tree, if I remember correctly.
a9e5b9a6cc110e866f726afbc4c60468.jpg


Sent from my SM-S908U1 using Tapatalk
 
evo said:
I don’t know.. there are about half a dozen buckets I know of on the island, and three spiders. One of the companies here owns two of the spiders and have a bucket. Long trailers can be a PITA. We only go from sea level to about 350’, but due to the glaciers it’s like a giant cat used this place like a scratching post. So more of a washboard. Many switch back driveways. I could see where trailers longer than 12’ could be problematic.
There are quite a few places to turn around the Isuzu with the chipper requires jack knifing. Disconnecting, backing out of the narrow winding drive way, turning around and backing back up to reconnect again. I could see a long trailer having to do that much more frequently which would get old very very fast!
Click to expand...
This is my recollection of the peninsula to a T. Was less of a problem on the east side of the state, and even less of an issue where I am now. Still something to be cognizant of.
 
Jehinten said:
This one is sorta stuck. Slipped off of the ramps when they were wet. It happened here locally and has been shared on here before by another member. Minimal damage to the lift. Quite a bit of damage to egos.

I've also heard of lifts sliding on side slopes (ice or rain) and may have caused a fatality when it flipped in a lake. Operator was in the basket while tracking to the tree, if I remember correctly.
a9e5b9a6cc110e866f726afbc4c60468.jpg


Sent from my SM-S908U1 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Interesting. So similar to the issue tracked heavy equipment (dozers are what I'm familiar with) sliding off on a wet day. Seems like outrigger placement would be a big deal then too, as you have a lot less counter weight.
 
VenasNursery said:
View attachment 91906
Click to expand...
Can you work in that position or move the truck and settle the machine lower on outriggers ? We can work right off trailer with near maximum side reach , but our lift deploys off trailer , lower Than truck frame and has best stability for side reach when tracks are 12 to 18 inches off the ground. So we take it off for the stretch or far out setups.
Brando CalPankian said:
Interesting. So similar to the issue tracked heavy equipment (dozers are what I'm familiar with) sliding off on a wet day. Seems like outrigger placement would be a big deal then too, as you have a lot less counter weight.
Click to expand...
Don’t track with a human in the lift and keep all people away when moving it. We set up every time with 4 by 4 ground protection mats under the shoes on the feet of outriggers. Especially on loose ground and do double up or more mats , if soft soil and working of a particular side of the machine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Kask Stihl NORTHEASTERN Arborists Wesspur TreeStuff.com Teufelberger Westminster X-Rigging Teufelberger
Back
Top Bottom