Rear Mount Bucket ?

[NeTree]

Sproing....

 

[stehansen]

Pretty sweet looking rigs. With those short wheel bases they should be pretty maneuverable.

 

[Dave Shepard]

Where I used to work we had two 4800s with 60" spades on them. A friend of mine is running one with a bucket and one with a chip box.

 

[brendonv]

Mccauley.

That truck is insane!

 

[wiley_p]

That is a nice rig. good price as well.

 

[mccauleytree]

Mccauley.

That truck is insane!

I thought so too, if I didn't just buy a bucket for about a 1/4 of the price I would have been all over this one haha. I would love to own a truck like this and the price seems pretty reasonable for what it is.

 

[brendonv]

He seems to have nice, low mile trucks. I book marked the seller.

In reality I'd like to not have a loan on a truck, so it should really wait until spring.

What did you buy?

 

[mccauleytree]

I bought an ex-asplundh unit the other day. It's an older truck (1994) with an lr-3 but it was just certified and di-electric tested. Im going to paint it and do some other little things to it. I only paid 10 grand for it so I think I will do alright. It shouldn't take me long to make my money back.

 

[cory]

Cool and good luck with your new truck!

 

[mccauleytree]

Cool and good luck with your new truck!

Thanks cory!

 

[brendonv]

Yes, good luck with the truck!

Cory, is yours 4x4 or 2wd?

Any trouble with getting stuck with the 2wd? What about winter?

 

[cory]

2wd. Havent had a problem but then again I probably don't try to mess with 4wd terrain.

Btw, you have alot of experience with spiderlifts; what are your feellings re spiderlift vs bucket truck??

 

[SkwerI]

I've got my bucket truck stuck in over irrigated front lawns before. And the locking rear axle is almost worthless because it will just plow the front tires instead of letting you turn. Then you get stuck again in the ruts you just made. 2wd is for pavement and hard packed terrain only. Otherwise carry lots of plywood and hopefully you have four outriggers to get yourself unstuck.

 

[squisher]

2 will work in a pinch, if you know how to make it work. Someone mentioned a tip to me once upon a time and it's been useful on a couple of occassions.

Wonder who that was?

Lol.

 

[Al Smith]

You just have to watch what you buy .That Altec Tom had was a beauty of a machine,smooth as silk ,rode like a Cadillac .Trouble was it was a fiber optic joy stick controlled boom .I flew the thing and it was nice . However the closest service center was Baltimore Md .It developed problems so he cut his loses and sold it back to the dealer at a lose .Lesson learned ,about 5 grand worth .

 

[brendonv]

Btw, you have alot of experience with spiderlifts; what are your feellings re spiderlift vs bucket truck??

I've got to admit. I've said I'd never buy a bucket truck, it'd have to be a spider lift. The guy I am working for hired in a bucket for a job, kinda changed my mind. It was fast, tall, and had good side reach. The spider lift is slow as hell, hydraulics are weak, and something is always breaking unexpectedly. Not the mention the cost factor, on top of all that. I also talked to another guy with a rear mount, super short wheel base, he said he gets it to 90% of his trees. I can get it done climbing, but to be able to have another tow rig is a plus, and to be able to work solo if I had to, I think the bucket is a better idea.

 

[cory]

Good info to know, B.

 

[stehansen]

All that weight and it is put on six little places just a few inches square. The ground needs to be pretty hard.

 

[brendonv]

I flew an ALC this morning, rear mount. I gotta say it was weird. The speed of movement was nice, although I was up 60' and still looking for more boom. Being off the side of the stick is different, as opposed to the spider I'm used to running.

 

[lumberjack]

I'd rather have a slower, go anywhere 78' spider than a uber fast 60' bucket. A 60' material handler might shake things up a bit.

 

[brendonv]

I'd rather not have the initial cost or repair bill of the 75' spider lift. Last repair was $8,000 for a wiring harness. Germany decided to lube the wires from the factory which eats the coating and you have to put a new harness on. Not to mention three computers at $1500/ in the two years I've worked there. Leaking pump, $2,000.

I'm not looking to replace climbing, just need a nice tow rig with a bucket attached to make things easier when necessary.

I'm keep thinking material handler actually, they seem dime a dozen. Has anyone seen one with a flat bed. I need a place to store the mini loader.

 

[lumberjack]

Flat beds are less common since most mat. handlers are from utility companies. Still, I'm sure they're out there.

 

[brendonv]

Is the boom built in part with the flat bed?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Slow movement =

 

[lumberjack]

I'm positive there's no reason there couldn't be a material handler with a flatbed, if that's what you're asking. I don't think coverting a utility body to a flat bed would be very practical, it seems like the bed/pedestal are pretty integrated. (If that's what you're asking).

The boom would also have minimum weight requirements (ballast) that the utility body may help achieve. Still, if a crane can have a flat bed, so can a material handler.

"Slow" is relative.