spiderlift

[Jonseredbred]

Not really, allot more steel is added to reinforce the frame on a rear mount, plus you need to add in the weight of the extra set of out riggers. So the weight difference is negligible.

not really alot more steel, 1 extra crossmember. plus the outriggers on a reg. rear mount.

my elevator units are super heavy though, alot of steel in the elevator.

your chip box and hoist weigh an easy 3500#

try a rear mount for a while, you will hate the forestry unit after that.

 

[395xp]

a rear mount will yield you about 6' to 8' more in reach due to it being able to back in closer, or a larger, unobstructed drop zone.

and a rear mount may be shorter wheelbase making area's more accessible

I agree with getting closer to the tree, that 8 ft difference, could mean allot in some cases. As far as the shorter wheel base making things more accessible, i don't really buy that. It will make things easier, but the truck will either fit or it won't. The one we just ordered is on a GMC, the new GMC trucks have a great turning radius.

If i was ordering it i probably would have opted for the rear mount, but the boss does not get paid until the job is cleaned up, so we need all the chip and wood room we can get, since our dump spots are so far away.

 

[395xp]

not really alot more steel, 1 extra crossmember. plus the outriggers on a reg. rear mount.

my elevator units are super heavy though, alot of steel in the elevator.

your chip box and hoist weigh an easy 3500#

try a rear mount for a while, you will hate the forestry unit after that.

When i went up to Ariel lift in Ct a while back, there was allot more than just 1 cross member added to the frame. I'm talking Mucho steel to keep it from twisting.

I have not seen an Altec rear mount, so i do not know what they do to reinforce the frame. On the Altecs the forestry unit has 2 out riggers while the rear mount has 4, so that is another concern. You need additional room to set up a rear mount.

With the weights we are talking here i say 3,500 lbs is negligible. I'd be more than happy to try a rear mount for a while, but it looks like i would have to change employers to do that.

 

[Jonseredbred]

When i went up to Ariel lift in Ct a while back, there was allot more than just 1 cross member added to the frame. I'm talking Mucho steel to keep it from twisting.

yes, your right. I wasn't thinking of ALC's 60 footer on a 90" cab to axle. That would take alot of reinforcing.

I dont have anything that new.

The older 50' ALC's on a standard whlbase truck only had 1 set of riggers and a boxed off rear section of frame and an extra crossmember to box in the one piece unit.

here is a shot of a rearmount job set up............

 

[MasterBlaster]

What is that headache rack covered with?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Not really, allot more steel is added to reinforce the frame on a rear mount, plus you need to add in the weight of the extra set of out riggers. So the weight difference is negligible.

Hey, I googled it. :roll:

Not all rear mounted lifts have four outriggers. Trust me.

 

[Jonseredbred]

Ribbed steel, I bought it that way. Sucks at traffic lights

Heavy, but boy does it take a beating!!

 

[395xp]

Hey, I googled it. :roll:

Not all rear mounted lifts have four outriggers. Trust me.

I'm only referring to 75 ft Altecs.

 

[SkwerI]

I've always observed that the over-center units typically had 4 outriggers while the booms that didn't fold over center typically had 2 outriggers. Rear mount or center mount didn't necessarily dictate the number of outriggers.

And anything over 65' is probably going to have four outriggers. That's a lot of leverage out there.

 

[395xp]

Ribbed steel, I bought it that way.

Heavy, but boy does it take a beating!!

not working over cab or chip box.

 

[Jonseredbred]

I know, I know, dont rub it in.

but the ALC style elevators put you back over the cab @ 70'

 

[395xp]

I know, I know, dont rub it in.

but the ALC style elevators put you back over the cab @ 70'

But now your back over center, so its the same thing as if you had a forestry package as soon as you go for the height.

I'm sorry, but i do not see the advantage in this case. Do the new rear mounts work the same way?

 

[Jonseredbred]

ALC's still use the elevator as shown. In the pic most of the pic was done without the elevator so the rear mount was useful. I just put the elevator up to grab the top. A better set up would have been to drive the truck in to better use the ele.

Terex has the scissors that go straight up.

 

[DTW902]

What makes the flatbed so much better than a forestry package? We very rarely chip into ours, we mainly use to load wood into. Since our truck has the long boom (65ft) , the chip box is allot bigger than the standard forestry box. We always run multiple trucks with one crew so we just chip into something else.

Ken I would only own a rear mount bucket truck. They both have there place but I prefer the rear mount. We sold our forestry unit last year. There is more options backing in most of the time, you can back right up to a garage/house for instance, with a forestry unit you would loose the cab length or the chip box length.
Our rear mount only carries gear and the bucket the grab truck does all the wood hauling whether thats chips and wood or just brush and wood. The bucket does not have to leave to get rid of its load. It stays on the job and the brush gets stacked were the grab can get it. And the bucket moves to the next job. My rear mount only has 2 outriggers at the back, but it is only a 50 footer, over center both booms.

 

[395xp]

What is that truck, an old international? When i first started working for my Current boss the pride of his fleet was a 62 international.

 

[Jonseredbred]

What is that truck, an old international? When i first started working for my Current boss the pride of his fleet was a 62 international.

Yes, it is a 73 International. Original 25,000 mile truck. Was factory built as bucket truck. It is an absolute gem. Just as it was the day it was new.

 

[MasterBlaster]

And the bucket moves to the next job.

Another good point for going with a rear mount, or at least a dedicated bucket.

 

[Jonseredbred]

Here is a better shot of the 'ol girl.

 

[395xp]

Ken I would only own a rear mount bucket truck. They both have there place but I prefer the rear mount. We sold our forestry unit last year. There is more options backing in most of the time, you can back right up to a garage/house for instance, with a forestry unit you would loose the cab length or the chip box length.
Our rear mount only carries gear and the bucket the grab truck does all the wood hauling whether thats chips and wood or just brush and wood. The bucket does not have to leave to get rid of its load. It stays on the job and the brush gets stacked were the grab can get it. And the bucket moves to the next job. My rear mount only has 2 outriggers at the back, but it is only a 50 footer, over center both booms.

Agreed the rear mount will get you 8-10 feet closer, but to me the difference ends there. All the saws, climbing and rigging gear is on my pick up truck. If we are running the bucket truck, we still have another truck towing the chipper and a wood truck towing the stumper. As soon as the tree is down i send the bucket out of there, on his way to the next job , where i will meet him. The rest of the guys stay and clean up. We try and only put good wood in the bucket that can be dumped at the yard for fire wood. When it does have a crap load on it. Some one goes in early the next morning to dump the truck, then i'll do a rope job first to give the bucket a chance to catch up.

I'm not against the rear mount, I'm just playing devils advocate. Your way works for you, and our way works for us.

 

[395xp]

Another good point for going with a rear mount, or at least a dedicated bucket.

But options are always good, if the chipper truck is down in the shop, we can always chip into the bucket so we are not sitting home. There are days the bucket goes out and does not get used except as a wood truck, again it is nice to have options.

 

[DTW902]

Agreed the rear mount will get you 8-10 feet closer, but to me the difference ends there. All the saws, climbing and rigging gear is on my pick up truck. If we are running the bucket truck, we still have another truck towing the chipper and a wood truck towing the stumper. As soon as the tree is down i send the bucket out of there, on his way to the next job , where i will meet him. The rest of the guys stay and clean up. We try and only put good wood in the bucket that can be dumped at the yard for fire wood. When it does have a crap load on it. Some one goes in early the next morning to dump the truck, then i'll do a rope job first to give the bucket a chance to catch up.

I'm not against the rear mount, I'm just playing devils advocate. Your way works for you, and our way works for us.

It's all cool Ken thats what these discussions are for. 1 other note on your setup would be all the added weight of the wood. That adds up when pulling into a yard or on a driveway.
But thats why we bought the Spiderlift to get in those soft yards concrete is less concern, no crushed or broken sprinkler pipes ect ect.

 

[MasterBlaster]

it is nice to have options.

I concur, and I opt out for a dump bed bucket.

 

[SkwerI]

In Ken's particular situation working in the city, the forestry truck is probably better suited overall. The extra load capacity can be crucial at the end of the job when it's 1.5-2 hours drive out of the city and to the dump.

In my situation working mostly around single story residences the rear mount works better. Sometimes I'm even able to use it on back yard removals, even just clearing the part over the house can save a lot of work climbing and rigging. On many smaller houses I can back right up to the roofline and reach all the way over to the rear roofline.

 

[395xp]

1 other note on your setup would be all the added weight of the wood. That adds up when pulling into a yard or on a driveway.

But thats where your wrong, the truck only weighs more on the way out.

 

[DTW902]

In Ken's particular situation working in the city, the forestry truck is probably better suited overall. The extra load capacity can be crucial at the end of the job when it's 1.5-2 hours drive out of the city and to the dump.

In my situation working mostly around single story residences the rear mount works better. Sometimes I'm even able to use it on back yard removals, even just clearing the part over the house can save a lot of work climbing and rigging. On many smaller houses I can back right up to the roofline and reach all the way over to the rear roofline.

And thats the bottom line. Find what works the best for your needs, and will help you be the most profitable. Thats what it is all about.