Spider lift or knuckle boom?

familytree

familytree

Location
Haddonfield, nj
We just finished moving into our new shop yesterday and we finally have some room to expand. My boss has been playing around with the idea of buying a spider lift, I've been arguing the point for a kboom. Nothing is a definate.

So I leave it to you guys. What's your input? If you had 120,000 to spend on either piece of equipment what would it be and why? Just remember our work sites may differ. Here in jersey, housing is tight and cramped. This can effect how much we could use a k boom.

Thanks for your input.
 
Can you buy a knuckleboom for $120,000


We have a spider lift, the 75' model Teupin. I think a knuckleboom would net you more production. It's hard to keep the spiderlift busy. It's slow, and is really most useful in very dead tree removals, but not on a day to day pruning basis.



SZ



ps. I hate you.
 
Marc, I would look at what other equipment you already have and then buy something to accompany that and fit a hole. We just bought a boxer mini with a grapple from TNT. That will fill a hole in our line-up. Remember, you don't have to spend that $120K all at once. But, if you do, I'll sell you something.
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We just bought a boxer mini with a grapple from TNT.

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We got one of those a few months ago. For $120K, you can buy 5 of them!


Big Power in All Places!


SZ
 
Thanks mark but it's not my money.

The reasonings behind the spider lift are good. We have been dealing with "unclimbable" trees as of late and we end up subing out that work to someone who has a spider lift.

Also, we are having an incredibly difficult time hiring on a second climber. I've been the only climber for almost 3 years, with a few sprinkled in here and there for a month or so. We just can't hire on anyone that can keep up with our demands and who is a team player.

The spider lift eliminates some of this problem. We have a very well trained ground crew but they aren't able to climb. A spider lift enables us to get these skilled guys to the work at hand while I climb other trees.

Ez, I know you can't buy a new kboom for that much but possibly a used one.

I would much rather have the kboom. I think that it will give us a lot more versatility and really help me out in the tree and also it will help negate our sub contractor fees that we pay to have a crane on the job (around 12k-15k per year). We only spend around 3k a year for spider lift services.

Ez, when you say that the spider lift is slow, what do you mean? Can you be more specific? How about you sell a fricken fert job/air spade job soon so I can drive down there and learn a bit and we can finally get this fight to the death settled.

Ps. Your parents, yeah, they never loved you, they only loved sydog.
 
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Ez, when you say that the spider lift is slow, what do you mean? Can you be more specific?

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I mean literally slow. About half the speed of a bucket, at best.

Takes time to get it to the set up, and then setting it up. Lord forbid you have to set it up a couple of times on one job.

Don't get me wrong, it's a great machine, and is the answer to the question of "is it even possible to climb that tree?". But it is Brontosaurus slow.



I'll sell what I want, when I want. Nothing you can do about it. Maybe I don't want you to come down here before the Fall Climb, I'm too busy right now to kill you, what with the baby due in under 2 weeks, the air conditioning system to replace out of the blue ($6,000+ surprise!), my 11 year old best friend Cane (my dog) getting violently ill and forcing a $500 vet visit to let me know everything is OK, he just probably ate one too many squirrel carcasses, and I got my country's 500th anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder, and Gilder to frame for it...


I'm swamped.



SZ


ps. your dog texted me saying that he fakes it when you two are together. "Arf, Arf, AAAARRRrrrrrFFffffff!" Sound familiar?
 
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Also, we are having an incredibly difficult time hiring on a second climber. I've been the only climber for almost 3 years, with a few sprinkled in here and there for a month or so. We just can't hire on anyone that can keep up with our demands and who is a team player.

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LMAO your really are a nation unto yourself. I would like at this time give to you an invite to work any sat or sun you have open



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Don't get me wrong, it's a great machine, and is the answer to the question of "is it even possible to climb that tree?". But it is Brontosaurus slow.

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Then the Spider lift is faster than FT and will help the company more then a K boom.
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All BS aside, I'd tell him to look for a Crane truck.
 
thanks ez, i was wondering what the speed would be like compared to a regular bucket truck

crane truck is a good idea. problem is, our bucket truck is getting a bit haggard and i think he is looking to replace that with the spider lift. i told him that you can in fact attach a bucket to a kboom (at least on all marks you can) so that is why a kboom is still an option.

im a big fan of x's versatility of his kboom. thats the reason i think a kboom is worth its weight in gold
 
The spider lift is good if it's an inaccessible backyard for a truck. How many jobs are like that? It is slow and can be a pain to set up a couple of times. I'd really do an analysis of past jobs that you did and could've used either piece of equipment, jobs that were subbed, jobs that were lost because of the lack of this gear. See if the work you do or could do really justifies the expenditure.
 
The crane, in my eyes, wins every time. We lose crane jobs a lot because competitors have much better prices because they own there own cranes.

rarely am i forced to walk away from a tree. maybe 2-3 a year. this year is a bit different. The only people having work done are the ones that don't have a choice. The tree is so dead that if they don't do something now then it will cost them 20 times as much to fix there home. I have already been forced to walk from 2 trees this year (thats a big disadvantage to having a salesman who doesn't/can't climb) so that we could call in a crane
 
Who will be operating the equipment purchased. This is also An important answer you need. The kbooms do have a basket option. either way the operator needs to be trained and familiar with the operation of the equipment(wheter its a spider lift,bucet truck.,or kboom).
 
This thread is right up my alley. I have been tossing this debate around for at least 4 years.
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I still go back and forth on this.

Some pros for a spider lift (BTW. Teupen is 1 of at least 6 nice units. Personally I think the Reachmaster LL76 would be the ticket). In my area I have to deal with is this. The mature trees out here have been neglected for many years. I typically have to climb out to the tips of nearly everything to make a series of thinning and reduction cuts to lighten the loads of stuff. I have to reduce co-doms on a majority of trees too. A lot of tree I can get out to and use just a hand saw (or MS200T). Then there are the real spreaders... When I have to climb out to spindly stuff and then make reduction cuts with a pole pruner or pole saw.

It really bothers me when I am working my arse off to make these cuts when I know in my mind a spider lift could do it with ease and speed (sure it may not be as fast as a bucket, but it is a lot faster than a human). And I believe the collar cuts would be a lot cleaner if I were in a lift. Simply because I could get right to it and make the cut with a hand saw... And I know this because I have rented a trailer lift and squeezed into some tight areas to do work with.
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In my immediate area/town we have large & new sub-divisions which have all sorts of 10-15 year old trees, which need serious structure pruning. I am getting a lot of calls for training these trees. Personally I hate climbing smaller trees. I don't like to lanyard into 2"-3" stems, concentrate on keeping my body vertical (because if I don't that 2"-3" stem will break), and then reach out all around the tree to make reduction cuts. --We especially had a surge of Autumn Blaze Maples planted in this area too. So, with these trees I'd rather have a spider lift.

Then, there is an issue with city contract work. They will not let climbers bid on boulevard trees. Only companies with an aerial lift. So, it would be of my best interest to get some of these jobs in the winter when it is slower. And, I can't do that at the moment because I climb everything. Hence, the spider lift would be better because it is not limited to parking only on the street, I could use people's front yard, side yard, or where ever, to get full coverage of the tree. A bucket has a much more difficult time reaching all over the tree.
 
But, then there is a K-boom... Where do I start from their?
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When my mine settles down from the pro's & cons, I settle down with the thought of purchasing a K-boom.

I digress...
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I have already been forced to walk from 2 trees this year

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ssspppppsss here kittyyy kittyyy.

OOo about my offer you want in or are ya all wind? I think your full of it and you only talk big on the buzz? Your boss is a broke bitch I know, you just bought a new shop as you say now he has 120 grand to spend, plus his exwife to pay for. something don't flush well here.

Anyways mouth of south Jersey come work a weekend with me what day you have open? Class is open and it's just for you.
 
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Class is open and it's just for you.

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I'd like to sign up for that class. A class always need a clown. I'm your huckleberry.

Holly, it's clear by this third post of the evening that you are feeling plucky. Anything going on at home? Everything OK at work?


SZ
 
The only deterrent for the purchase of a K-boom is the money. And, if I have researched K-booms good enough, $120k will not out right purchase a K-boom with enough lift capacity or working radius to be able to pull off decent tree work. However, the $120k would be an excellent down payment for a K-boom. (But, I guessing he has $120k of available credit. A whole different story).
 
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Then, there is an issue with city contract work. They will not let climbers bid on boulevard trees. Only companies with an aerial lift.

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NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!!

what a crock!

What the hell???

Aerial lift only, B.S!

there's been only a few trees in my history that HAD to be done with a crane or lift.

who's the jackass in charge of that?

please forward them a link to this forum.
 
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