Aerial tow behind lift vs. Self Drive boom lifts

[Midway Park]

Hey all! My facility is in the market for an aerial lift and I'm hoping to get some feedback on what everyone's take is on tow behind vs. self drive boom lifts.

1) With tow behind lifts, do you have a lot of issues with not being on level ground starting off? A lot of the terrain that we would be working on is not level. We are Parks so we work on a variety of terrains, grass, asphalt, sloped areas, concrete, stone, etc.

2) With the self drive boom lifts it seems as though there is more flexibility with starting out on an uneven surface. If you need to readjust the boom do you have to lift your outriggers all the way up and put the boom completely down before moving or can you get some form of movement from the machine to reset once you're set up?

3) Maintenance on the one vs. the other... what have you run into maintenance wise on either or both machines that we should look out for? What issues have you had?

4) In general... if you had the choice between a tow behind and self drive why would you go with one over the other?

5) Gas vs. Electric drive on either... What's your preference and why?

Appreciate the feedback!!!

 

[AGoodSteward]

We disconnect the tow hitch on ours and it self levels. Maybe handle up to a 20° slope. The wiring on ours is junk but the rest is solid.
Having the pickup right there with saws and tools is nice.
The self propelled I've used were HEAVY enough to do damage on any surface. No outriggers. Freaky to move when boom was up.

 

[Midway Park]

Your tow behind can't be moved unless you hook it back up to the truck and shift it correct? Do you ever have an issue with the boom not working if the lift isn't perfectly leveled out? Or the self leveling system not working due to moisture, being knocked, etc?

In terms of self propelled, we'd look to get the self drive with the outriggers. I don't believe it can be moved to the degree the self propelled w/o outriggers can with the boom up. I do know they are a little more iffy on uneven surfaces because there are no outriggers to level you out.

Thanks!

 

[AGoodSteward]

We push it around with 3 men quite a bit. Tow behinds with a drive on the tires can be had. The jack on the tounge is the limiting factor. Also use a 4wheeler to place it in spots where a truck would rut.

Lifts with outriggers generally have sensors to lock out motion while boom is up, or lockout boom until outriggers are deployed.
I'd suggest maybe renting one for a month for you. Test it out, list pro's/cons, then go shopping for the unit that fits your needs better.

 

[Midway Park]

Renting first is the way I'm leaning toward. We don't have a quad to move a towable once detached from the truck. The more I look into them and think of the resources we have here, they are seeming more impractical for us as opposed to a self drive would be. Thanks again for the input.

 

[Jo Torres]

Hello, I have a question on this, currently, at our yard, we have 85-foot towable lifts that are self-propelled. Would this be an option? I am just trying to gather information as I think these lifts would be great for arborist, but I am still learning and would rather learn from the people that do this on a day to day!

 

[Jo Torres]

Also, we are getting 92ft lightweight 4x4, would this be another good option?