Bucket trucks

This gets a bit long winded with the background story!

Who has one? Do you use it for tree removal as a professional arborist? as a side hustle for a little extra income ? Or just to support your firewood addiction?

We’ve been thinking/ talking about getting one at work for awhile. But the boss has a hard time making a decision especially if it involves spending a little money. There’s an older one that belongs to a company in the next town that we have tried to barrow/rent in the past but the owner said it wasn’t in shape enough to go out on the road. That company (redimix outfit) closed it’s doors 2 years ago and owes the company I work for around $3-4000. I’ve told the boss to have the other guy give him the title for it and call if square.
Stepson works the same place I do, last summer he bought a small fixer upper house complete with a good sized dead elm hanging over the garage. Over the memorial weekend a storm brought down a large branch on the garage (no damage). Last night we got it off the roof, but was a sketchy pain in the ash. The rest of the tree needs to come down SOON.
Last summer a storm brought down a dead elm limb in town and the rest of that tree needed to come down ASAP. 2 guys that live in my town are friends and coworkers with the guy that owns the bucket truck in question and was able to use it for that tree. So the truck obviously made it down the highway 30 miles and worked well enough for that job. Now it’s just sitting in a vacant lot here.
There’s enough tree projects just among the 3 employees at my work to pay for a $5000-6000 truck vs. hiring a tree service. After that I would kinda like to own it as a side hustle that would help with hoarding wood for myself and the stove at work.

anyone got any thoughts?
Sorry for the long post

 

Your life depends on the integrity of the machine. Replacing hoses and rebuilding cylinders needs to be factored in to your cost. I see people using some ragged looking buckets. Not for me. Inspect all the cylinder attachment welds. A blown hose will leave you stranded at height. Have an escape plan. I like the stability of 4 outriggers vs 2.

 

Personally in the scenario you’ve laid out I’d rather rent a 60 foot tow behind x boom than mess with a bucket truck that wasn’t current on its certification. Yeah they’re a little slower, but like Chud I prefer the stability of 4 outriggers.

 

This truck has 4 outriggers. And it appears to be overall better condition than the other one in town (which I’ve used), that one leaked a lot from one of the outriggers and only had 2. Also leaked in the boom. The one in question appears pretty dry.
Around here (my work) older equipment and repairs is the norm. That part doesn’t worry me much.

 

Id PUSH your boss. Sounds like combined you all have the mechanical knowledge to keep it in good working order and you have the room to store it. The company gets a cut of the money from such jobs?
Sounds like fun too. I enjoyed the couple times ive been in one, albeit a rental picker.

 

I’d love to own one. Wasn’t too many years ago that one could be bought on NPPD (or similar) auction for reasonable. I wish I would’ve bought one as three side gigs painting houses would’ve paid for it. They are MUCH faster than a rental lift, but like was said above, do need annual inspection as unnoticed maintenance needs become life threatening quickly up in the air.

 

Getting closer to getting the truck. Looked it over pretty good yesterday evening, it’s quite a bit nicer than I thought. Looked it over even more thoroughly tonight with the boss and then drove it to our shop. I guess he’s gonna kinda hold it for ransom. Reman engine 3208 cat only has 5000 miles, 47,000 total miles on the truck. I’m getting a little excited about it, already told the boss that I want it and will buy it from him.

 

Did they leave the key in it, or agree to trade it for the debt? Sounds like you’re well on your way to be rolling in what kind of lift is it, the manufacturer?

 

Found the keys stashed as I was looking it over.
Altec lift body
Ugly flat faced Ford cab over chassis. 1990
Boss hasn’t talked with the owner yet, but we know what he had to pay when he got it at auction.

 

Funny story about one of these...my co-workers neighbor has a really old cab over Ford bucket truck...the neighbor is an old timer (actually deceased now) and almost never uses it anymore, I hear it is pretty nice for its age though. So the other neighbor is a likeable but annoying firewood (among other things) hoarder and he wanted to use the bucket truck to take a tree down, which the bucket truck owner agreed to.
Apparently he was using it by himself and something failed on the lift, he was stranded up in the bucket and after some time of yelling for help, ended up somehow climbing down the boom...wound up on the ground unhurt, but covered in grease n oil
Better luck with yours SHB!
I heard a rumor the other day that my brother just bought one, was originally supposed to be to put a new roof on the barn, but that is already hired out n done now, so not sure what he's thinking...needed a place to "invest" some cash I guess...

 

50 or 60’? Pics? Are you cutting a tree down yet?

 

Treat that 3208 nicely. Not a cheap rebuild Guessing it's not a turbo version? Taking the boom/hoses/valve's apart on a bucket truck can be entertaining to say the least. Enjoy!

 

Boy, that's a very polite way to describe that!
Closest I got to it was repairing a line on a Snorklelift telescoping boom manlift...line blew, started to tear into it and realized this is gonna be a major project...got lucky though, was able to splice it without taking it off by pulling the bad end off right next to the crimping press (bought so much stuff from the local hydraulic supply house that they gave us one to use)

 

ID tag says 52’ to the base of platform, which I take to mean the floor of the body. Then almost another 3’ to the ground so basically 55’.

not cutting a tree with it yet but just finished up a little tree job, so gonna go play with it this afternoon.

 

It is a turbo, tag says 215 HP which is plenty for what it needs to do

 

I have his 1st job if he wants...

 

Good luck. I have been in both bucket and boom trucks. Really helps with tree jobs. We thought about one that was for sale not too long ago, but backed out.
Insurance, tag for commercial vehicle...
As others stated, please make sure it's in top shape.

 

When all is tight and nice they are a joy to use.
Getting them all tight and nice can be a royal PIA !

 

I think I kinda got the cart in front of the horse on Tuesday evening.

I got it to go along with the bucket truck that the boss still hasn’t made the deal on. But I plan to give them both a workout this weekend on Step sons elm

 

Nice! How old of a unit is it? I used a commercial chipper that size once. It was the old school "grab the branch and yank it through at light speed" types. Scary to use.