What is best for mostly removals and some pruning/cabling? I am in the market for a bucket truck and have never been in one,a bucket that is. Been climbing for 14 years and would love to have a removal crew out making money while I do the pruning.Obviously the center mount would be best from my point of view because it would have a chip box, drag a chipper- therefore a self contained unit. The guys say rear mount w/ flatbed is best. What do you say?
rear mount or center mount bucket
- Thread starter dude70
- Start date
marlinspiker
Participating member
- Location
- Pennsyltucky
rear mounts are easier to manuever and get in tight spots
- Location
- Cleveland,oh
Yea,i agree with the above post.The only real advantage to the rear mount is maneuverability.Also as you mentioned the rear mounts would require an additional truck and chipper.Although it's not always productive to chip into the bucket your using for the work,depending on how you are able to set up.Sometimes your going to have to stack the brush while your working and then turn the bucket around to chip into.Most of the center mount buckets are cdl rigs.I think most of the rear mounts are under cdl,if thats an issue for you.
If I could have my dream scenario it would be a rear mount a 75 foot with a 10 foot elevator.
Back in the day I used to laugh at "bucket babies".
That was in my 20s when I was a strong climber.
It kind of stinks because now my disks in my back are wearing out and I'm not near as strong as I used to be. ( and I'm not near as flexible to move around in the tree either).
Anyway, I was looking at equipment and thinking that a 75 foot rear mount with a 10 foot elevator would be great.
That would be the truck I would use to call my bobcat into the job.
Then secondly a 27 to 30 yard capacity chipper truck and chipper.
The only reason I say this is that shutting down your operations to go dump your chips all the time would be a total pain in the butt. You don't want to be paying your men when your bucket goes away To dump.
forestry combos are great for line clearing scenarios, but even then, if their work is really really heavy, you'll notice that they have a secondary chipper truck that they are chipping in to.
If you have an extra chipper truck I would certainly recommend a rear mount.
Back in the day I used to laugh at "bucket babies".
That was in my 20s when I was a strong climber.
It kind of stinks because now my disks in my back are wearing out and I'm not near as strong as I used to be. ( and I'm not near as flexible to move around in the tree either).
Anyway, I was looking at equipment and thinking that a 75 foot rear mount with a 10 foot elevator would be great.
That would be the truck I would use to call my bobcat into the job.
Then secondly a 27 to 30 yard capacity chipper truck and chipper.
The only reason I say this is that shutting down your operations to go dump your chips all the time would be a total pain in the butt. You don't want to be paying your men when your bucket goes away To dump.
forestry combos are great for line clearing scenarios, but even then, if their work is really really heavy, you'll notice that they have a secondary chipper truck that they are chipping in to.
If you have an extra chipper truck I would certainly recommend a rear mount.
- Location
- Cleveland,oh
I worked out of a bucket for 4 years and climbed for 8.I know guys who also laughed at "bucket babies".i used to think,why do these guys want to wear out there bodies and be crippled when there 50.It doesn't make sense.They make equipment for a reason why not use it?While there at it why don't they laugh at "chipper babies"and stack all the brush on a flatbed truck,haul it to there house and burn it?
Why not go back to cross cuts and axe's?I'm not directing this directly at you danielson,so don't take it the wrong way.I'm just commenting on a common phrase i've heard in this industry over the years.I never really understood it.
- Location
- Cleveland,oh
Re: rear mount or center mount bucket *DELETED*
Post deleted by 6t56
Post deleted by 6t56
- Location
- Fayetteville AR
probably the reason is a whole lot of people buy a bucket and think thats all there is to do tree work. While a lot fewer buy a chipper with that notion. (Now a chain saw, thats a different story!) Abracadabra! Instant tree guy potion!
- Location
- Pennsylvania
Our first bucket truck was 55' terex with a chip box. We also had chip truck and we rarely chipped into it, usually had alturnamats in it. We sold that and have a 75' rear mount Altec with an elevator. That truck is great. It's amazing what can be done with that extra 25'. Add a power pruner out 12' and you can reach some stuff. Use a 21' Silky and you can prune an amazing amount of stuff.
Our first truck was non-cdl, new bucket is cdl. I don't think you can get a 75' on a non-cdl chassis(I wouldn't want that much boom on such a "small" truck. 55' you can easily get on a non-cdl chassis. I know a guy that bought a new 55' center mount with a chip box. 3 years later he got a '75 center mount with a chip box. They usually just haul stuff in the chip box. With a rear mount you get 2 additional outriggers(which can make all the difference in the world- I have been on a job where a 2 outrigger bucket went over when an outrigger- on cribbing - went over when the ground sank - scarey as hell to look down a hill and see the front of the truck in the air and no boom in sight!)
Our first truck was non-cdl, new bucket is cdl. I don't think you can get a 75' on a non-cdl chassis(I wouldn't want that much boom on such a "small" truck. 55' you can easily get on a non-cdl chassis. I know a guy that bought a new 55' center mount with a chip box. 3 years later he got a '75 center mount with a chip box. They usually just haul stuff in the chip box. With a rear mount you get 2 additional outriggers(which can make all the difference in the world- I have been on a job where a 2 outrigger bucket went over when an outrigger- on cribbing - went over when the ground sank - scarey as hell to look down a hill and see the front of the truck in the air and no boom in sight!)
We currently have a 55' center mount with a chip box. The chip box dosent get used to chip into to often because we have a chip truck. We do mostly large removals of large dead oak and poplar (liriodendron tulipifera). To get the most highth out of our bucket we have to either pull the truck side wase to the tree or nose up to the tree and work over the cab. I have had the opertunity to help a guy who had a rear mount 75'. That was so much nicer. We could back up to the tree and have the rest of the truck away from the drop zone. Because even if your roping your pices when your dealing with stone dead wood your going to have small and acosionally a larger pice break off the pice your lowering. I relly dont like having that cab so close to the tree. The farther the better. Also I found it easer to load and unload the mats on the rear mount than in and out of the bed of the chip box. But that is just personal prefrence. If you are doing nasty removals of dead trees and can afford it get the 75' you will apriciate is soo much more than the 55'. Good luck.
I'm hearing great facts and opinions. What I gather is that rear mount will get you closer, have better manuverability, stays and works while the dump truck hits the dump and allows for easier chipping seeing that there is another truck with the chipper there to clean up as you go. We do alot of hazerdous tree removals here and I'm tired of being in the tree trying to find safe ways to rig while beeing in the tree. All is good so far but this cat has got to have used up plenty of his 9 lives. Thanks for the input and if there are any more facts or opinons please keep them comming.
- Location
- ma
centermounts are always in the drop zone.... ahhhhhhhh always..
- Location
- Cleveland,oh
If your looking for equipment mainly for removals,your gonna want a crane.A crane will smoke a bucket in productivity hands down.I'm talking about removals only,pruning is obviously another story.
- Location
- North of Boston
Depends on the setups. If you can always get the truck to the tree, and past it, a center mount will work great. This work out in the country with open yards.
If reach is needed, and tight spots or crap set-ups are the norm for you a rear mount is the way to go.
I personally can get more done, and my crew chips better witht he rear mount setup. The crew with a forestry package has to drag the brush back to the chipper and make a turn with their load. Rear mount crew 9 times out of 10 can drag staright to the chipper, easier and faster!
We have several rear mounts from 3 manufacturers, Terex, Altec, and Versalift. We also have Terex and Altec forestry packages. if given the choice I would take a rear mount out everyday over a forestry package.
Good luck!
If reach is needed, and tight spots or crap set-ups are the norm for you a rear mount is the way to go.
I personally can get more done, and my crew chips better witht he rear mount setup. The crew with a forestry package has to drag the brush back to the chipper and make a turn with their load. Rear mount crew 9 times out of 10 can drag staright to the chipper, easier and faster!
We have several rear mounts from 3 manufacturers, Terex, Altec, and Versalift. We also have Terex and Altec forestry packages. if given the choice I would take a rear mount out everyday over a forestry package.
Good luck!
classictruckman
Participating member
- Location
- Ottawa Valley, Ontario, Canada
If you want to look at a crane, you can find a new 17- 25 tonner for around the same price as a bucket, get much more productivity out of it and get a bucket for it too if you need it.
I use a set up of a 57' lift with a forestry unit, chipper, 1 ton with a chip body and a mini loader. If I'm on a bucket job then we chip into the chip truck and load logs into the bucket or the opposite one climbing jobs. If I have a small removal or easy prune job were the wood stays all I need is the bucket an chipper and I can do the whole job by myself. IMO the rear mounts while nice for access are worthless other then a lift and a place to store plywood.
- Location
- ma
im knot gonna fight with you about this one,,
I'm leaning towards the rear mount as of now. I do respect the center mount opinions though and before hearing the pros and cons today was leaning that way. The thought of having it all in one unit sounds great but for productivity and ease of use it seams the rear mount is the way to go. I do have a chip dump allready. I agree with classictruckman that a crane is the way to go for removals. Some of the easier removals I have done have been large removals with a crane, rented. I'm a small company trying to squeek by and if I can get another crew making money while I do specialized pruning keeping the fancy folks happy then I am one step closer to that carrot that I can never seem to get.
- Location
- ma
waiting for that perfect wave,,or that powder day,, when you stand on that board and sail away,,
