bucket truck buying help.
- Thread starter BBTC
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#1 If the boom has been certified and inspected. Maintnence records, private or fleet, as a rule of thumb the miles on the odometer have atleast that in idle time with the pto. Make sure the lift is safe! Motor, tranny and clutch are the big expenses. Good luck.
I wouldnt trust the aswers if you are asking help with questions. If you are interrested in the truck and not shure of its mechanics it would be wise to pay a mechanic to look it over before you commit to purchase. Parts for theese trucks are high. IMO its cheaper to rent a mechanic 2 hrs than rebuild a shty truck that I thought was good.:monkey:
ozarktreeman
ArboristSite Operative
If I am not mistaken arbpro bought a couple of units from the same place,Knoxville,Ia right.Maybe he can give feedback on the seller.Good luck.
arbor pro
Addicted to ArboristSite
Yeh, I bought a couple of trucks from them. I had some issues with both trucks but Jody, the seller, is working with me on resolving those issues.
On the IHC truck I bought, I stuck about $800 into fixing little things such as lights that had a short in them, a parking brake that didn't work, a set of rear duals that were improperly mounted and an oil line leak. Nothing too major but stuff that I expected to be in good order when it was advertised as such.
On the Ford truck, I am still in the process of resolving that with Jody, the seller. We got about half way back on the 550 mile return trip and the truck started to overheat. We just kept adding water and watched it and made it back fine. Looked like a bad head gasket at the time. Got the head off and tested and determined that there is a small crack in the head. Jody is trying to find me a replacement head. Other than that, the pto idle doesn't work and we'll have to figure that out in order to run the boom at the right speed. Everything else seems to check out so far. Looking at about $1700 in repairs on that truck not including the cost of a replacement head.
To be fair, Jody seems to be willing to work with me to make things good. Before we found out that the head was indeed cracked, he had agreed to pay half the cost of repairs (about $1250 his share) between the two trucks. I thought that was fair. I am expecting him to swap out heads at no cost to me. If he does so, I'll be satisfied with my purchase. If he asks me to pay for half or all of it, I will not be satisfied.
The problem with the units he's selling is he buys them on auction and turns right around and sells them again with (IMO) little road testing done to them. I'm guessing he probably ships most of his trucks which would explain why the cracked head might not have been apparent to him. (At least I hope he didn't know about it and still try to pass it off to another buyer - that would really put him on the scumbag list along with old Harv from Michigan).
SO, MY SUGGESTION IF BUYING FROM THESE GUYS IS TO ASK THEM IF THEY HAVE ROAD TESTED THE TRUCK TO HEAT EVERYTHING UP AND SEE IF THERE ARE ANY LEAKS OR ISSUES. JUST PULLING THE TRUCK INTO THEIR SHOP AND LOOKING IT OVER WON'T REVEAL THE KIND OF ISSUES WE FOUND ON OUR DRIVE HOME WITH THE TRUCKS I BOUGHT.
Just curious - how would the rest of you handle the situation I'm in? Would you ask him to share some of the cost, all of the cost or none of the cost? Short of the repairs I'm having to make, the trucks are worth the price I paid so I'm happy with them. I just didn't expect to have to stick money into them right away other than maybe a few filters and fluid changes.
P.S - don't expect any maintenance records with these trucks. Jody typically buys them on auction and there are no history records unless you call the manufacturer and look up boom repair/inspection records done by a certified repair facility. The problem is, most of these trucks come from utilities or other companies that did their own repairs and maintenance and will not release the maintenance records for liability reasons. On the two trucks I bought, i did trace back to the utility that sold them on auction and spoke with their maintenance department. The guy I talked to told me they were both annually inspected and tested as well as before they went up for sale but, that infomation was off the record and he could not release any documentation proving such. He seemed genuine so i had no reason not to doubt that the booms had been well maintained.
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arbor pro
Addicted to ArboristSite
Was going to add to this - you may or may not be able to get the boom certified. Depends entirely on whether a certified repair center has replaced the cables, hoses, etc or whether the previous owner did it themselves. The trucks I bought, while being current on maintenance, will likely not be certifiable because the utility did the work themselves. Even if the cables and hoses are brand new, a certified repair center has to do the work in order for the boom to be certifiable - at least that's what I was told by both Altec and Terex Hi-Ranger. Replacing cables, hoses, etc to get the booms certified costs between $5-10k.
Certification is not the same as dialectric testing. A boom can be dielectric tested even if it can't be certified because the cables and hoses are older.
So, if you don't need a boom to be certified, an auction truck from a company that did its own maintenance and dit it well might be a good way to go. If you need it certified for employee use, then you'd better plan on putting money into it or buy it from a dealer who had the work done and the inspection/repair reports to prove it. Either way, in the end, you're going to pay almost twice as much for a certified boom as for a non-certified one. It's just up to you which one best suits your needs and what peace of mind you need when using the truck.
I feel good about the trucks I bought but I'm the one who wil be operating the booms, not an employee.
Certification is not the same as dialectric testing. A boom can be dielectric tested even if it can't be certified because the cables and hoses are older.
So, if you don't need a boom to be certified, an auction truck from a company that did its own maintenance and dit it well might be a good way to go. If you need it certified for employee use, then you'd better plan on putting money into it or buy it from a dealer who had the work done and the inspection/repair reports to prove it. Either way, in the end, you're going to pay almost twice as much for a certified boom as for a non-certified one. It's just up to you which one best suits your needs and what peace of mind you need when using the truck.
I feel good about the trucks I bought but I'm the one who wil be operating the booms, not an employee.
I have gone to several auctions to buy equipment but have never found a piece worth the money, It always seems like someone wants it more than me. It is my understanding that you buy the equipment as is and all has been tested and inspected. That being said several pieces will be leaking fluids or have some issues and I would not expect compensation on an auction purchase.
On the other hand if I buy from company that is in the buisness of selling used equipment I would expect them to stand behind it for 30 days.
On the other hand if I buy from company that is in the buisness of selling used equipment I would expect them to stand behind it for 30 days.
aint no sense in goin back jody got your cadillac
aint no sense in goin back jody got your Cadillac 
Try Cumminsforum.com
treeclimber101
UNCLE BUCK
:yourock:What kind of questions should I ask before buying this bucket truck?
Rainbow tree is a huge company that truck has been fleet maintained but fleet worked aswell with drivers who may or may not be the most concerned , I have always bought ex fleet trucks and for the most part never regretted it so good luck that truck is real nice ...Boom inspection is number 1 they are expensive to inspect and maintain so anything you can get from the seller the better...
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treeclimber101
UNCLE BUCK
I think in any used equipment deal its always buyer beware but if he is willing to reimburse something than your ahead of the game , I think in most cases the seller has no responsibility once it leaves there lot and they'll fight you tooth and nail
ozarktreeman
ArboristSite Operative
Just curious - how would the rest of you handle the situation I'm in? Would you ask him to share some of the cost, all of the cost or none of the cost? Short of the repairs I'm having to make, the trucks are worth the price I paid so I'm happy with them. I just didn't expect to have to stick money into them right away other than maybe a few filters and fluid changes.
Missed Quote from above arbor pro.
Well arbor I realize they were auction trucks,which I had a recent dealing with sort of the same.Drove 7hrs to p/u truck and the guy was working on it at the time I arrived.truck did not check out and I in turn backed out.guy was poed but sorry this is not what you said you were selling.A truck ready to work.Not be worked on.
I know you have some sort of backup or guarantee so I would have the guy make the units as Advertised or buyback.
Unless your comfortable with sharing the cost of repairs.
I finally found me a good replacement at least so far.
Good luck.
Missed Quote from above arbor pro.
Well arbor I realize they were auction trucks,which I had a recent dealing with sort of the same.Drove 7hrs to p/u truck and the guy was working on it at the time I arrived.truck did not check out and I in turn backed out.guy was poed but sorry this is not what you said you were selling.A truck ready to work.Not be worked on.
I know you have some sort of backup or guarantee so I would have the guy make the units as Advertised or buyback.
Unless your comfortable with sharing the cost of repairs.
I finally found me a good replacement at least so far.
Good luck.
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ropensaddle
Feel Lucky
Nice truck friend I hope it serves you well looks very sturdy.
urbanlogger52
ArboristSite Lurker
bucket
You need a mechanic if you are not shure. I bought 3 trucks for these guys and they go over them good and have treated me right. http://www.schmidysmachinery.com/site/default.aspx. Best of luck
You need a mechanic if you are not shure. I bought 3 trucks for these guys and they go over them good and have treated me right. http://www.schmidysmachinery.com/site/default.aspx. Best of luck
deevo
Addicted to ArboristSite
Glad to hear that, I've been waiting to hear from guys who have bought from them. I am potentially looking at getting one from them in the Spring if I stay busy!
wheelloader123
ArboristSite Operative
About buying a bucket truck
Be very careful of ex-line clearance trucks! The term "fleet maintaned" although used on these trucks doesn't really apply like most think it does. Rarely do large line clearance co. trucks get proper care and maintenance. Oil/Filter/Fluid changes are rarely performed timely and consistently. On diesel engines coolant system maintenance is "Critically !!" important for engine life, but almost always neglected on these trucks. I know a number on men in the line clearance industry that work for the 4 biggest companies, they all agree that units almost never get greased and the trucks only go to the shop when something breaks-not a very good situation.
Be very careful of ex-line clearance trucks! The term "fleet maintaned" although used on these trucks doesn't really apply like most think it does. Rarely do large line clearance co. trucks get proper care and maintenance. Oil/Filter/Fluid changes are rarely performed timely and consistently. On diesel engines coolant system maintenance is "Critically !!" important for engine life, but almost always neglected on these trucks. I know a number on men in the line clearance industry that work for the 4 biggest companies, they all agree that units almost never get greased and the trucks only go to the shop when something breaks-not a very good situation.
clearance
Addicted to ArboristSite
Pretty big dis. to all the utility guys that look after the trucks they run.
