Bucket truck pros and cons

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
anyone know if i can get a manual or load/range chart for this boom on line?

I have repair and maintenance manual but they are hard to come by
try to see if you have a terex dealer near you they bought out
combatel here and now control parts and such.
As far as load it should be rated four hundred pounds as mine
this is my truck
 
Last edited:
i was not really trying to accomplish anything by going over the cab
i was just wondering if i could do a 180 with the whole thing then raise the upper boom up 90 and then back down 90 to have it stick the full boom lenght straight back horizontally never even raising the lower boom except to get it off the cradle so i could reach like this if i had to.
then i could work with more reach i have a feeling this is not possible with this style.
see lame drawing.
 
That looks like a 6TDI-PBI unit.Some of these have 360 degree roatation some don't.The booms will not stand straight up nor will they lay out flat horizotally.I have a 6TDI-65PBI unit with 70' of working height and LOVE it!!The 6TDI units have a sealed upper boom for better dielectric cababilities.Look at the picture you posted,see the little circle on the upper boom just past the knuckle?Thats filled with dessicant crystals.They absorb moisture in the boom.If they are blue-good.If they are pink then you unscew the canister dump the crystals on a cookie sheet and bake them in the oven at 350 degress until they dry out and turn blue again(don't do this when your wife/girlfriend is home) and put them back in.This because these were the original EHV(Electrical High Voltage) Hi-Ranger designs.Keep in mind that dielectric testing is only good right at the time it's done,if the boom gets dirty driving down the road then it can conduct electricity!!!Proper EHAP training is mandatory for a reason!!!If you and your crew are not properly trained the follow the Z133 guide lines for approach distances whether it be a phone/cable or high voltage line!Most of my work is residential removals and this type of rig is awesome for this work.Your maximum working height is away from the truck.With an over center unit your maximum height is above the truck and the truck has to be directly under the work area.What type of tree work are you looking to do with this truck?Removals or line clearance type stuff?A great asset is that it has been converted to a side hung basket verses that damn awful wrap around 2 man basket(I have both setups for my Hi-Ranger and it only takes about 20 minutes to swap them around).As far as gas verus diesel...my experience is it will cost as much in a day or so in gas as to a week in diesel!Of course when it comes to parts or replacement engines then usually gas is cheaper(and I have yet to have to replace one of my diesel engines but several gas engines).Personally I think these are super units for the type of tree work I do.If you do mre road side/line clearance stuff then get an over center unit.Hi-Ranger is super on parts availability and they stand behind their product!If you have a 1960's vintage Hi-Ranger they will have the parts for it.Try that with an Asplundh or Baker boom!They will tell you to cut it up!!If you check the serial number for that tower I think you will find its a 70's vintage tower on a newer cab and chassis.In New England cal CUES and have them inspect the boom for you.Sorry for the long post but trying to answer your question.
 
most newer units go 360....

what are you trying to accomplish by flipping the boom over the cab????

i run a 65' hi ranger, on a gmc (izuzu) cab over forestry package...

had to flip the boom today,, you gain some reach, but sacrifice hieght.

the controls work in reverse,, so you really don't save any time, because you are always trying to figure out if " up is up, or is up down,,, goes for left right also .."

i wish i had a rear mount boom,, just back up to the tree,,, utilize the whole range of the boom,, i have to reach over 8 foot of truck if i nose up to a tree... and worry about dropping stuff on the cab...

and for a last note,, i wouldn't run the boom flipped over off the side of the truck... had the out rigger pick up in normal mode a few times....
Fix the outrigger would be my suggestion I work off the side all the time
or at least when the rear is hard to achieve.
 
hmm

can you lift more than 400 if your just using the lower boom mainly? could you weld a material hook on there? that just sounds like a bad idea? lol i don't think i would ever try this just wondering if anyone has or has thought about it. looks like it could lift 2000 easy.
 
post away

long posts are good thanks for all the info nortree. so far i have been avoiding power line work and just focusing on removals but most people have a issue with trees near lines that is one reason i thought this would be a nice rig. i was hoping i could get by with this as an all around set up. i am gonna go warm up the oven lol.. in a dream world i want a teupen spider lift and a nice little truck for power lines. then trade in all three stumpers for a high powered self propelled and a high powered tow behind. all wheel steer bobcat, ohh yeah and one of those effer knuckleboom remote control jobs like mark has, that guy is sick.
 
interesting

that is always good to know you could always boom out peices 400lbs if you had to if you stay on the tree and keep it tight. with the shock load keeping at 100 might be safer lol? are there ground controls typically could you hop out slide down rig have some one boom up tension carefully cut and boom to a work area?
 
Going back and re-reading some of the other posts I see some folks are thinking this is the same as most 52PBI units.Assumming these are the typical 5H-52PBI or 5FPBI units then NO it it is a totally different unit.First off the boom is much heavier!The standard 52PBI units have smaller booms with ONE lift cable for the upper boom and the 6TDI series will have TWO lift cables as the booms are bigger and heavier.Also the smalle units were a deck mount with 2 outriggers vs the 6TDI series which had a chassis mounted subframe and 4 outriggers.The 52PBI units usually will have a compensating chain at the lower boom pivot whereas a 6TDI unit will have link rods attached at the lower boom.As far as manuals call Dueco http://www.dueco.com/ they will be your NUMBER 1 dealer for parts and service.I do have numerous Hi-Ranger manuals for different models and they are EXTREMLEY helpful!!
As far as the standard 52PBI units they are SUPER rigs!!!Light weight and can be manuevered into some tight yards.I believe these on units the lower boom goes 15 degrees over center and the 6TDI series only goes 5 degrees over center.I believe both upper booms go to 65 degrees(without looking it up).
If you want a rig with the articulation you are describing and since you live in New England go with an Aerial Lift of Connecticut unit.They are super rigs and they stand behind their product just as good as Hi-Ranger!!
 
that is always good to know you could always boom out peices 400lbs if you had to if you stay on the tree and keep it tight. with the shock load keeping at 100 might be safer lol? are there ground controls typically could you hop out slide down rig have some one boom up tension carefully cut and boom to a work area?

Easy there the four hundred rating is not for using as a crane
even if you could what I do is snap cut a chunk shut saw off
and put in scabbord then get chunk setting on edge of bucket
and rotate to drop zone! Be careful as the boom supports you
and will for a long time if used proper!
 
Going back and re-reading some of the other posts I see some folks are thinking this is the same as most 52PBI units.Assumming these are the typical 5H-52PBI or 5FPBI units then NO it it is a totally different unit.First off the boom is much heavier!The standard 52PBI units have smaller booms with ONE lift cable for the upper boom and the 6TDI series will have TWO lift cables as the booms are bigger and heavier.Also the smalle units were a deck mount with 2 outriggers vs the 6TDI series which had a chassis mounted subframe and 4 outriggers.The 52PBI units usually will have a compensating chain at the lower boom pivot whereas a 6TDI unit will have link rods attached at the lower boom.As far as manuals call Dueco http://www.dueco.com/ they will be your NUMBER 1 dealer for parts and service.I do have numerous Hi-Ranger manuals for different models and they are EXTREMLEY helpful!!
As far as the standard 52PBI units they are SUPER rigs!!!Light weight and can be manuevered into some tight yards.I believe these on units the lower boom goes 15 degrees over center and the 6TDI series only goes 5 degrees over center.I believe both upper booms go to 65 degrees(without looking it up).
If you want a rig with the articulation you are describing and since you live in New England go with an Aerial Lift of Connecticut unit.They are super rigs and they stand behind their product just as good as Hi-Ranger!!
Yes you are correct in most of this mine is 52pbI and has a noisy
compensating chain as a lot of them I have ran I have oiled sprayed
chain and cable lube and everythig I can think of wont get quiet
and thanks for that link!
 
hey

so should i be worried that there are not to many people to service a high rangers in the hartford ct area? I suppose that might be important as to going home with this truck. it does have 4 out riggers. that makes it a 6 series?
 
that is always good to know you could always boom out peices 400lbs if you had to if you stay on the tree and keep it tight. with the shock load keeping at 100 might be safer lol? are there ground controls typically could you hop out slide down rig have some one boom up tension carefully cut and boom to a work area?
BUCKET TRUCKS ARE NOT CRANES!!!!!ABSOLUTLEY NO SHOCK LOADING OR LIFTING!!!There are some units designed as material handlers with lifting jibs but these are not for tree work!A crane is a crane and a bucket is a buck!I have both and use each accordingly.
I don't know what your tree work experience or background is but I am going to recommend something right now that might save you or your employees their lives.Go to ACRTs website http://www.acrtinc.com/ACRT_training.html call Lois and sign up to take some of their week long classes.They offer line clearance certification and basic and advanced arborist classes.In the advance class you get to do crane removals.It is worth the drive and money spent!!These are AWESOME training classes!You can PM me or call me and I can go into much better detail on their programs and my experience with them.I'll be headed back to ACRT for the umpteenth time again in '08,maybe some of us New Englanders can meet and carpool out.
Since most of your work is residential rmovals then that will be a great unit for you(as long as its in decent working shape) but DON"T TIE ANYTHING TO THE BOOMS!!!
 
so should i be worried that there are not to many people to service a high rangers in the hartford ct area? I suppose that might be important as to going home with this truck. it does have 4 out riggers. that makes it a 6 series?
CUES will come to you and do repairs and inspections(both mechanical and or dielectric testing).They are out of New Hampshire. http://www.cuesequip.com/
Some of the earlier small units also had for out riggers but they are not what you pictured.Call and get the model and serial numbers.
 
I went back and deleted the post about lower boom lifting chunks
as I told him I did not recommend the practice and don't want anyone to get the wrong idea that it is a crane.
 
no boom tieing

LOL- you got me. I am always up for learning. I am always pushing my imagination. We are on the same page here, i won't be using the bucket as a crane. i was just wondering hypothetically if it might be possible with itty bitty loads. thanks for looking out. I most definately need line clearing training i know you can never learn to much and am the first to admit i do not know everything. I always thought you could take little pieces into the bucket if need be? my ideas are not always ingenious lol.. thanks again for looking out!
 
nortree do you have any ideas on compensating noise
I may have to take it off and lube the rollers with a needle
greaser or something but would like them quiet!
 
CT requires cdl for air brakes.

Does this truck have air brakes? Some states still require a Commercial Driver's License, even with the "under cdl" weight classification.

they are probably one of t he strictest states now.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top