Tracked Aerial Lift

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firediver125

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I was wondering if any of you guys have one of the tracked man lift? The ones that fit through gates and self level, are they worth the incredible amount of $$$ they cost? I would really like some input guys so chime in!
 
I was wondering if any of you guys have one of the tracked man lift? The ones that fit through gates and self level, are they worth the incredible amount of $$$ they cost? I would really like some input guys so chime in!

a friend of mine had one $125k for 77 foot self leveling articulating lift. He sold the thing because he realized he could do 90% of the same work with a bucket truck for 25% of the price.
 
ability to go vertical so far then horizontal. go up and over things. telescopic usually has more side reach.
 
I was wondering if any of you guys have one of the tracked man lift? The ones that fit through gates and self level, are they worth the incredible amount of $$$ they cost? I would really like some input guys so chime in!

They could be worth the money if you needed a machine to get into tight places alot if your using it once a week i would have to say no. because you can pick up a new bucket for a little over a 100k. i looked at the spider lift for a long time but could never justify it. to much $$ when spikes are a couple hundred.

genie and nifty seem to be alot better priced over 100k for one of those things is hard to swallow when you can pick up a new 10 ton crane for not much more.
 
I used a telescopic boom once, around wires, it SUCKED. If there's an obstacle in your way there's a ton of space behind it that you just can't reach with telescopic, not so with articulating. I bet a combination of the two would be the cat's ass though.

You get your Kboom yet Matt?
 
I used a telescopic boom once, around wires, it SUCKED. If there's an obstacle in your way there's a ton of space behind it that you just can't reach with telescopic, not so with articulating. I bet a combination of the two would be the cat's ass though.

You get your Kboom yet Matt?

2nd week of september im hoping, every time im loading wood i dream of it. put the down payment on it in june. copma promised it would be here before the people across the pond get thier mandatory vacation every year. we originally thought second week of august but that was for a basic boom. i guess when you add all the other stuff it takes longer.

ill have a total of 3 -3 1/2 months in waiting time when its all said and done. the boom is all the wait time the truck is ready to roll.
 
I've been watching them for years. So far, all the previous posts seem to mirror my thoughts.

I talked to a fellow in Kansas that has a teupen. He really liked it, and seemed to think it was just as good as any bucket truck, but a lot more versatile. Incidently, he had some bucket trucks, too, so he should be able to tell.

They have several distinct advantages:

1. They go much higher and many more places than your average bucket truck, although they are rather lame for side-reach, compared to an over center bucket. Think dead trees in back yards!

2. They don't cost for vehicle liability insurance, and can be trailered around on a light flatbed behind a pickup. A 75' reach bucket truck will almost certainly be a CDL required truck to operate, with at least a 2k annual insurance bill, not counting damage coverage or business liability.

3. The linear extension of both the upper and lower booms gives much more maneuverability than any bucket. You can thread through the branches better, and you can get where you want to be easier, providing you are within the operating envelope of the machine. They will even outperform a smaller bucket in tight quarters, too, since none of their booms are even as long as a 50' bucket.

Disadvantages:

1. Holy cow! Those cost way more per pound than any other large machine.
2. They are rather lame for side-reach, compared to an over center bucket.
3. They are not quite a fast as a bucket, and they certainly can't take as much abuse as a bucket.
4. The probability of hitting your own platform base is higher (and probably more expensive) than running a bucket truck.


The only way it seems practical to own one is if you are doing a large amount of big trees in small/crowded yards, you simply have a big operation and can afford a really neat toy, or if you just plain want one bad enough to justify the expense. A small but highly profitable tree removal business would do well with one, too.
 
I've been watching them for years. So far, all the previous posts seem to mirror my thoughts.

I talked to a fellow in Kansas that has a teupen. He really liked it, and seemed to think it was just as good as any bucket truck, but a lot more versatile. Incidently, he had some bucket trucks, too, so he should be able to tell.

They have several distinct advantages:

1. They go much higher and many more places than your average bucket truck, although they are rather lame for side-reach, compared to an over center bucket. Think dead trees in back yards!

2. They don't cost for vehicle liability insurance, and can be trailered around on a light flatbed behind a pickup. A 75' reach bucket truck will almost certainly be a CDL required truck to operate, with at least a 2k annual insurance bill, not counting damage coverage or business liability.

3. The linear extension of both the upper and lower booms gives much more maneuverability than any bucket. You can thread through the branches better, and you can get where you want to be easier, providing you are within the operating envelope of the machine. They will even outperform a smaller bucket in tight quarters, too, since none of their booms are even as long as a 50' bucket.

Disadvantages:

1. Holy cow! Those cost way more per pound than any other large machine.
2. They are rather lame for side-reach, compared to an over center bucket.
3. They are not quite a fast as a bucket, and they certainly can't take as much abuse as a bucket.
4. The probability of hitting your own platform base is higher (and probably more expensive) than running a bucket truck.


The only way it seems practical to own one is if you are doing a large amount of big trees in small/crowded yards, you simply have a big operation and can afford a really neat toy, or if you just plain want one bad enough to justify the expense. A small but highly profitable tree removal business would do well with one, too.

almost every bucket truck is CDL with a forestry body from what ive experienced. my buddy bought a 26000 gvw non cdl bucket and with a full load of chips weighed in at 30,500. they do the 26000 stuff so its easier to sell trucks. when the trucks weigh 17- to 20k empty.

you can get an identicle bucket to mine at 26k when mines 33k and thier the same truck.
 
Empty or loaded, how much the truck weighs has nothing to do with the CDL requirements.

26,001 gvwr requires cdl. Under that...does not.

You can take a 24,000 gvwr truck, pull a 9k gvwr trailer, license it for 36,000 lbs, fill it to the gills with wood, and then just laugh at Mr. DOT. No CDL required.

Pull a 10,001 GVWR trailer with your 3/4 ton truck; all of them empty at only 14,000lbs gross vehicle weight, and you'd better bring your medical card and the class A cdl that Mr.Dot will be asking for.
 
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Empty or loaded, how much the truck weighs has nothing to do with the CDL requirements.

26,001 gvwr requires cdl. Under that...does not.

You can take a 24,000 gvwr truck, pull a 9k gvwr trailer, license it for 36,000 lbs, fill it to the gills with wood, and then just laugh at Mr. DOT. No CDL required.

Pull a 10,001 GVWR trailer with your 3/4 ton truck; all of them empty at only 14,000lbs gross vehicle weight, and you'd better bring your medical card and the class A cdl that Mr.Dot will be asking for.

That's not how it works, I will find some informative links and post later
 
That's not how it works, I will find some informative links and post later

Who Needs a CDL?

The trailer needs to be over 10,001 lbs AND the combination of the gvw of the truck and trailer has to be over 26,001.

For example my 3/4 ton dodge has a gvw of 9000lbs so if I have a trailer with a gvw of 17,002 or more I need my class A, under that its just a regular license.

And registering under 26,001 and driving overweight to avoid having a cdl is not very effective, if you were to get stopped or get in an accident and they pulled the scales out, theycan go after you for a Variety of things including driving out of class

Sorry this was totally off topic but there is alot of bad info out there on this subject
 
I'm not going to get into a pissing match with you, but I know the facts.

Definitions:

26,000 GVWR= light truck
26,001 GVWR= heavy truck
10,000 GVWR= light trailer
10,001 GVWR= heavy trailer

You need a cdl if you are driving EITHER a heavy truck or a heavy trailer. If you are towing a heavy trailer, you need class a "A" cdl. If you are driving a heavy truck with a light trailer, you only need a class "B" CDL.

My understanding is that the U.S. Federal Gov. made all the States standardize all the rules, so each state should be pretty much the same.

Missouri regs, read here on page 2: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...sg=AFQjCNETU8jnGFMYOFlpZdvAxyhPxUnAHg&cad=rjt

The actual weight of the vehicle (the GVW), has no bearing whatsoever on what kind of drivers license you are required to have. I have been down this path in other threads as AS, and those of you that take the time to look up the rules for yourself always end up admitting that I am right.

If you were driving an F-150 that was towing 2 grossly overloaded trailers for a combined gross vehicle weight of 42,000 lbs, you still would not get a citation for "No CDL". You would still be in a lot of trouble.

Surprisingly, there is no law against exceeding the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. You can get an over-weight ticket 5 ways: Exceed licensed weight, posted weight, axle weight rating, tire weight rating, and the infamous but seldom ticketed "Bridge Law". You can't get a ticket for exceeding GVWR. In fact, I used to routinely purchase overweight permits that clearly exceeded the GVWR of my truck.
 
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Surprisingly, there is no law against exceeding the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. You can get an over-weight ticket 5 ways: Exceed licensed weight, posted weight, axle weight rating, tire weight rating, and the infamous but seldom ticketed "Bridge Law". You can't get a ticket for exceeding GVWR. In fact, I used to routinely purchase overweight permits that clearly exceeded the GVWR of my truck.

Not sure I understand this part? Exceeding licensed weight is not an over the gvwr ticket? Licensed weight of what, the vehicle or drivers license?
1 of my guys got an overweight ticket in the spring, was sweating that up until the court date and only got a $40 ticket. Not a cdl truck though.
Was looking online for info on what the charges would be and could only find big time fines for cdl drivers, I wasn't going to ask any questions with a $40 ticket.
 
Who Needs a CDL?

The trailer needs to be over 10,001 lbs 10,000. but why quibble over a pound?AND the combination of the gvw of the truck and trailer has to be over 26,001. No! Not at all! Just read the document that you cited for the answer!

For example my 3/4 ton dodge has a gvw of 9000lbs so if I have a trailer with a gvw of 17,002 or more I need my class A, under that its just a regular license. Nope. over 10k, get a class "A"

And registering under 26,001 and driving overweight to avoid having a cdl is not very effective, if you were to get stopped or get in an accident and they pulled the scales out, theycan go after you for a Variety of things Yes!including driving out of class. No! None of the CDL requirements even mention Gross Vehicle Weight.

Sorry this was totally off topic but there is alot of bad info out there on this subject Yes, there is, isn't there?

The poorly written reference you cited confirms my statements:

"If you have a truck that is 26,000 lbs. and hook it to trailer that is exactly 10,000 lbs. rated....do you need a CDL? NO!!
Why? Because neither of the vehicles exceed the "1" lb. even though they are over the 26,000!!"



And with that note, I'll say no more on the topic.
 
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Not sure I understand this part? Exceeding licensed weight is not an over the gvwr ticket? Licensed weight of what, the vehicle or drivers license? ...

Neither. The GVWR is assigned to a vehicle by the manufacturer, and is not a license of any sort. Since it is not issued by the state, they can't give you a ticket for exceeding it. The CDL requirements only reference the RATED weight of a vehicle, not how much it tips the scale at.

You get an overweight ticket for actually weighing too much, and you get a drivers violation for driving a vehicle rating outside your license.

I suppose that any chump can read the weight rating of the vehicle they are driving, and they cannot be held accountable for not actually knowing what it weighs. If you passed the CDL license, you are presumed to be an expert driver, and then you are supposed to know what the truck weighs. Legal stuff...needs a lawyer to justify it.
 
Neither. The GVWR is assigned to a vehicle by the manufacturer, and is not a license of any sort. Since it is not issued by the state, they can't give you a ticket for exceeding it. The CDL requirements only reference the RATED weight of a vehicle, not how much it tips the scale at.

You get an overweight ticket for actually weighing too much, and you get a drivers violation for driving a vehicle rating outside your license.

I suppose that any chump can read the weight rating of the vehicle they are driving, and they cannot be held accountable for not actually knowing what it weighs. If you passed the CDL license, you are presumed to be an expert driver, and then you are supposed to know what the truck weighs. Legal stuff...needs a lawyer to justify it.

what i was trying to say was if your bucket is stamped at 26000. and your hauling 30000 they fine you up to a dollar a pound that your over and then you gotta get the weight off the vehicle before you can move it.

thats why i was saying i dont know why they even stamp forestry bodies at 26000 because thier overloaded with half a load of chips in them.
 
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The CDL issue can be resolved by looking in your FMCSR.........BTW. I have a 25,000 registered dump with Air brakes.....you better in the state of PA have atleast a class B with air endorsement, funny, how on my registration application there is a box to check stating that your vehicle is a motor carrier vehicle!!! Guess what.........over 17,000 is a motor carrier vehicle & no regular inspection station can inspect it!!

BTW........if you are in a 3/4 ton pick up & you have a trailer @ 10,001....you better have a class A & Med card. weight does mean the world for a CDL...........you can be under gross weight but over on your axle weight....especially in a bucket truck full of chips!

Oh, whatever you do................dont laugh @ Mr. DOT.....He can & will find something wrong, then you`re gonna pay!



LXT...................
 
The CDL issue can be resolved by looking in your FMCSR.........BTW. I have a 25,000 registered dump with Air brakes.....you better in the state of PA have atleast a class B with air endorsement, funny, how on my registration application there is a box to check stating that your vehicle is a motor carrier vehicle!!! Guess what.........over 17,000 is a motor carrier vehicle & no regular inspection station can inspect it!!

BTW........if you are in a 3/4 ton pick up & you have a trailer @ 10,001....you better have a class A & Med card. weight does mean the world for a CDL...........you can be under gross weight but over on your axle weight....especially in a bucket truck full of chips!

Oh, whatever you do................dont laugh @ Mr. DOT.....He can & will find something wrong, then you`re gonna pay!



LXT...................

No air brake endorsement is required in ct on underweight trucks equiped with air brakes. Regular license is all.

Trailers over 10k, with no cdl, would have a problem!

Still wouldn't wanna make a habit out of running around over weight though!!
 
So how about that tracked Aerial lift? Who really gives a #### about CDL or non CDL. I am willing to bet nearly all of us have broken the cdl laws.
 

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