Researching new equipment

[linemanfrog]

My company is looking at purchasing a few bucket trucks for "stand by" or "on call" use. This is to prevent the normal construction crew buckets from being tied up and to also be more useful during trouble calls. We are a combined outfit, meaning we work on everything i.e. OH, UG, Dist., etc. We have 2 linemen on call on a weekly rotating schedule.

My preference would be a 35-40 foot bucket (squirt boom) with a material handler jib rated around 1000 lbs. mounted on a F550 chasis or similar.

What does your company use? What do you prefer? Why?


Also we are looking at getting a new "bread wagon" to work our UG system with. We have a combination of surface and sub-surface equipment and regularly work in the manholes. So we need a work van capable of holding all the associated equipment needed to work in confined space areas. Just looking for some ideas on this. I know the current van we use is pretty old and I am not sure there was much thought put into it when purchased.

[Bull Dog]

Check a co called versalift they have a good truck for what you want. The one i had was 42ft to lip of bucked with a material handler boom. The boom has a sleve in it to isolate from the ground no having to sting out a min amount to get protection. Nice looking truck with double cab for room. Bucket roatates to both sides of boom and also to dump bucket. Has a lower boom that folds and a stinger also. So it can be used as a squirt boom with the lower boom folded or unfold the lower boom for more reach. Its 33ft from the center mounted turrut to the farthest reach straight out to the side or 30ft from side of truck. All fiberglass body with side walk up which is nice. Start stop in bucket and emergency power if the engine wont start to get you down. If u want more infor email me at this site good luck. They might have a web site im shure. Place is called utility sales and service phone 1 920 788 2699

[KyLineman]

We have several Altec AT 37G, they will reach the top of a 50' if you are right beside of it on the high side of pole. This model does not have a material handler on it, so you have no stiff legs to put down and we like it like that, so the truck does not have the stiff legs, and a beefier boom just a lot lighter truck. We all carry tranformer gins, and the truck can have a optional rear capstain winch for replacing transformers. All of are AT 37 are 4 x 4 with front-end bumper winchs. Squirt boom and telescopic, it is just a great all around truck for service work, call out and for crew work, for hard to reach places.

[doug]

I Worked Out Of Two Squirt Boom Bucket.one With Jib,it Was A Versalift.the Other Was A Terex.both Were Good Trucks.they Where Both On Ford 550.the First Was 2000 Model.good Truck Except The Trans.suck Had 6 Put In.motor Was A Rock.the 2nd One Was A 2005 The Motor Sucked Had The 6 Liter In It.had No Power And Had Many Problems.trans.ok.but You Could Shift It From Forward To Reverse Fast.both 4x4 Units Ok.the First Bucket Was Mounted On Fiberglass Side Bends.i Loved Them.some Of The Other Didn't.they Where Great For Getting In And Out Of Places,driveways Etc.the Squirt Boom Is The Only Way To Go For This Kind Of Work.when I Left This Co. I Help Spec.out New Serv.buckets And We Went With Versalift On The New Chevy 5500 4x4 W/winches,jibs,auto,dieseland Gas.also The Fords Eat Brakes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!and Have A Problem Of Losing Wheels.we Had A Serv.truck That Got Rolled Because Of That.
Entergy Is Going To All Chevy/gmc Because The Fords Eating There Lunchs.they All Have Altec Buckets In Our Area.good Luck.

[JD426H]

You'd be better off to forget about a F550. They won't stand up to the weight of what you're wanting in a boom. A better choice would be an International 4300 chassis. It's not a squirt boom,but an Altec L37M is an excellent small material handling boom. It's an overcenter boom that comes to the ground. Bucket rotates and outriggers are required since it has a jib.

[rnewcomer]

I would look at something other than the F550. There has been one fatality that I know of and several instances of accidents because of wheels coming off.

[ZapCzar]

If you want a service truck, that will be moving from location to location fast. Knocking off limbs, refusing cutouts after lightning storms, patroling lines, picking up small conductor, a fast response truck then the ETI 4 wheel drive 37ft squirt on ford 550 is great. This is not a crew truck no material jib, it is a trouble man truck and the best one I have used in 29 years. The issue with the tires coming off has been addressed and stopped. We had 2 dozen of them loose wheels years ago none lately. It does eat breaks in city driving because lineman drive it like its a 1/2 ton truck. For getting around fast, in tight spots, with a truck with good reach you cant beat it. Will not turn over if parked with less than a 5 degree angle. EIT is out of Oklahoma City. Over the years I have used pickups, laddertrucks, And these type of trucks when they first started showing up, this one from ETI is good, but like I said not a crew truck.

[md2]

if you want a truck with a jib a F550 is not eneough truck...the outriggers and extra boom weight are just too much. we actually got the prototype from Altec (dunno the model, can work a 45') years ago and the truck was beat in no time, especailly tooled up as a trouble truck. A F550 is ok for a squirt boom with no riggers...we got a bunch of them and they've worked out good

[linemanfrog]

Thanks for all of the information gentlemen it is greatly appreciated. We demo'd a squirt boom on a F550 about 6 or 7 years ago. It had a jib and outriggers. I am not sure how well it would hold up but it impressed alot of us. I did a R&R on a 3 pot bank pole (50 KVAs) and it performed flawlessley. I just wish I could remember the manufacturer of the boom now.

My company used to have some older GMCs with squirt booms and no jib they used for trouble trucks but they got rid of them after a vehicle accident. They found the trucks were severly overloaded. I guess it depends alot on who stocks the trucks. You can have enough to do a days or two work but you must restock more often. Otherwise you risk overloading the truck by trying to make it a rolling warehouse.