Crawler Lift purchase

Best crawler lift

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    Votes: 1 33.3%

  • all

    Votes: 2 66.7%
  • Total voters
    3
Mangoes said:
Nice pics Deevo.

Just to reiterate - I'm not denying the tracked, compact lifts are an excellent tool. Over the coming years they will be a valuable tool when dealing with fatal EAB infestations and HO's who delay the timely attention to their tree liabilities.

It would be a big selling tool if one of the sales companies did an overlay of an XT60 range diagram with a comparable tracked machine. Just to help tree pros relate to something their used to.
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No problem, I guess between not much sleep being so busy and being excited about my lift still I don't know which way is which lately! Lol we have confirmation now that EAB is in our township, just north of Barrie. Good and bad new I guess!
 
Menchhofer said:
Additionally the lift is MAJOR selling point when estimating. Customers love the fact you are not putting weight of bucket truck on their drive or lawn. And that no one will be climbing trees on their property as the lift is so much safer. Older people especially like this.
Yes, it does take a few more minutes to unload, but we are not in any race to get finished. One year with the lift and we are purchasing another. It is all bout being flexible and what works for you.

I remember just a few years ago how everyone did not care to purchase a lift...they would rather climb. Now they are selling like hotcakes!!!!
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Where I live it is a race and people don't care how we get it done... They just want the cheapest bid.
Btw We put mats down if the lawn is possibly going to get damaged.

No one could survive in our market with a lift like yours... Flexibility for us is climb, bucket or both...Glad the lift does it all for you.
 
If the lifts weren't so damn expensive, comparatively speaking, I would already own one. The Crypt Gall Wasp killed Oaks I've been climbing are scary! A lift would make life much less stressful. Especially with all these massive trees in the tiniest of backyards.There are very few used lifts available in decent shape.
 
frashdog said:
Where I live it is a race and people don't care how we get it done... They just want the cheapest bid.

No one could survive in our market with a lift like yours... Flexibility for us is climb, bucket or both...Glad the lift does it all for you.
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If you really wanted too, you could bid jobs cheaper because the lift is so much faster in most cases. It is also about the sales technique regarding how the work is going to be completed.

The lift virtually eliminates climbing and increases productivity. Sure they cost a bit but so does a bucket. So did my house. I simply do not understand some of the negative comments regarding their use. Change is difficult for some people. I am just glad I made the switch as in a few years they will be as common as chippers.
 
Menchhofer said:
If you really wanted too, you could bid jobs cheaper because the lift is so much faster in most cases. It is also about the sales technique regarding how the work is going to be completed.

The lift virtually eliminates climbing and increases productivity. Sure they cost a bit but so does a bucket. So did my house. I simply do not understand some of the negative comments regarding their use. Change is difficult for some people. I am just glad I made the switch as in a few years they will be as common as chippers.
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I couldn't agree with you more! Instead of doing one $2500 removal you can easily fit 2 in a day with these lifts, we have a great system going, few of us get em down, 2 finish up cleaning up and off to the next job. They are sales magnets themselves! Once others see them in action the spin off works a regular thing now!
 
To those of you who own these units, a few questions:

How easy do they tip over while traveling? Are there level-meters on them to make sure you don't go too far? Can you use the outriggers while "walking" them to the job to make sure they don't tip?

How fast can you return to the ground once aloft? I think a major advantage to my crew would be coming down to help them between cuts. The one towable aerial lift I've used (a crappy old Bil-Jax) was soooo slow compared to the 75' Altec I used to use at Biltmore, that it made it just plain silly to come down to help the crew - they would already be done by the time I got down.

Does anyone here run a hybrid one, or an all-electric one? I really like quiet stuff.
 
Its painfully slow to reach the ground on the tuepen i ran. With that said your are right in saying the mess would be cleaned by the time you came down from 60-75 feet. Yes you can drive with outriggers down.
 
We have no problems with the lifts going up or down from 90 ft what alone from 65-75ft. The good ones have alarms on them when your angle is close to maximum with regards to terrain. I think you guys over exaggerate just a bit.
 
Mench said "I think you guys over exaggerate just a bit." Not sure what you are referring to - the Bil-Jax I rented would take a full two-three minutes to get down from tight positions. Bucket truck I was used to was more like 30 seconds or so. It all adds up. If that is what you are referring to, that is...

thanks for the input Brendonv. Do you have one to sell me? I bet the outriggers are all waxed up if so:p
 
Winch said:
To those of you who own these units, a few questions:

How easy do they tip over while traveling? Are there level-meters on them to make sure you don't go too far? Can you use the outriggers while "walking" them to the job to make sure they don't tip?

How fast can you return to the ground once aloft? I think a major advantage to my crew would be coming down to help them between cuts. The one towable aerial lift I've used (a crappy old Bil-Jax) was soooo slow compared to the 75' Altec I used to use at Biltmore, that it made it just plain silly to come down to help the crew - they would already be done by the time I got down.

Does anyone here run a hybrid one, or an all-electric one? I really like quiet stuff.
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If we are going anywhere with a grade we have the outriggers out as a precaution, yes there are alarms so you don't go over to far, and the newer lifts go up and down almost as fast as buckets, mine has a fast rpm switch to rev up if you want go up quicker. Mines a diesel and electric option for running indoors which I've ran a few times, slightly slower running on the electric, but inside works not about speed. Seriously though they've come along way in just a few years accommodating tree workers. I don't come down between cuts only when the tree is down to the ground! Lol! These aren't the cheap towables these are engineered and made far more superior then them, and even the normal genie or jlg a lifts.
 
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Menchhofer said:
If you really wanted too, you could bid jobs cheaper because the lift is so much faster in most cases. It is also about the sales technique regarding how the work is going to be completed.

The lift virtually eliminates climbing and increases productivity. Sure they cost a bit but so does a bucket. So did my house. I simply do not understand some of the negative comments regarding their use. Change is difficult for some people. I am just glad I made the switch as in a few years they will be as common as chippers.
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my perceived negative comments are simply my ignorant perceptions on their shortcomings when I imagine using one.

You guys clearly live in a another world from my market...
People here let buckets all over their yards, they don't care about ruts for the most part, the people who do care we put mats down or climb. That said 90%+ of our jobs are bucket jobs... You lift guys think they are quicker then a bucket truck, for real?! If so... Can a used lift can be found under $50k ? If so maybe you have a point.

Another question for you lift guys... Would you consider yourselves accomplished climbers? Able to do it all, outside those rare dead/dangerous trees no climber in their right mind would try?

Cost is the big hurdle right now. Any dingdog can get a used bucket truck and chipper with all the gear needed for a fraction of the cost of a new lift.

Another question. I keep reading people saying they are made for tree work .. Do they take hits from wood as well as a bucket truck does? I have not seen one that looks like it could.

How do they handle snow?and ice?

Sorry, I feel you might be delusional to think they will be as common as chippers some day. Maybe if large companies buy fleets of them and flood the used market with them like buckets and chippers.


Not saying I would not consider a crawler lift some day... Probably gonna have a big kboom way before it though.
 
deevo said:
I couldn't agree with you more! Instead of doing one $2500 removal you can easily fit 2 in a day with these lifts, we have a great system going, few of us get em down, 2 finish up cleaning up and off to the next job. They are sales magnets themselves! Once others see them in action the spin off works a regular thing now!
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Come on you are making $5k a day with those things?! Like I keep saying... Your market is not the same as ours.

We have no problems getting trees on the ground. Our crux of productivity is clean up. That said we have a mini with a bmg, and a bandit 1890. I make it rain wood wether I'm climbing, bucket or a combo. I then come down and assist clean up. Yea I could double my productivity running a second "clean up crew"... Long term logistics would be a nightmare for me to keep everyone busy with the distances between some jobs and nature and variety of jobs we work.

Glad it all works out like a fairy tale for you guys.
 
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frash i think your right about needing be in an area with a market for these lifts. i dont know if where i work qualifies, but i can see where it would / wouldnt be an asset. most places where a lift would be key are where material moving is the kicker. i dont think it would be a major advantage over climbing on my crew. we run a two man crew, hardly ever three. a lot of jobs i think it's crazy that we only have two guys. but the tree comes down quick and we have two guys to move whatever material is left.
ive seen specific situations where having a lift would be a dream, but when im done day dreaming, we draw straws, climber goes up (or matts go down, rear mount snakes in, then goes up), and the tree comes down.
but them oaks smoked out by black oak gall wasp dont last too long when left dead standing, and im only seeing more dead crowns around...
i for one am really digging this thread and hope the responses keep coming.
 
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