These are the trucks and booms we like as well. However, we have Isuzus as well and _I_ prefer them because they are more fuel efficient and have an awesome turning radius. However, the cab is bouncy to ride in, so most of the tech hate driving them.
On Wed, Feb 24, 2016 at 9:52 AM, Kurt Fankhauser <lists.wavel...@gmail.com> wrote: > Have been running bucket trucks since i started in 2004. Started off with > a used $6500 F-450 truck that was bought at an auction, truck got me by but > was a mechanical nightmare and a safety concern. In 2008 I bought a used 8 > year old truck on an F550 chassis with a 42 foot Articlated/Telescoptic > Versalift boom. Paid $35,000 for this truck and had $600/month payments. > This truck had a 50 foot working height if you were all the way extended. I > didn't know at the time if i could justify the cost but after I had the > truck 6 months it generated enough new installs that I wouldn't have been > able to do without the truck that it was now making its own payments.BEST > DECISION I EVER MADE. > > Now not only was I able to do more installs but i noticed that the quality > of my installs was improved, antenna mounting locations were higher and > this was resulting in better SNR's on my installed clients. That is a huge > side benefit that often gets overlooked. In 2014 I ordered a new F550 with > the same configuration as the previous truck but with an extended cab. I > had to special order everything, ordered the chassis through a ford dealer > and had my local versalift dealer upfit the truck. Whole process was 8 > months. Longest time was the wait for the Versalift dealer to get my boom > in, apparently they are backlogged. The truck chassis cost $42,000 and the > boom/body cost $60,000. > > Looking back I would not recommend buying the brand new truck unless you > absoletely need a write off. If i wouldn't have had significant cash to put > down on the new truck i would have been looking at over $2,500/month > payments. Also if i wasn't the one operating the truck daily and i had an > employee i wouldn't have done it either, employees break stuff through > careless actions and a truck that expensive i didn't want someone to tear > up. > > The one side benefit to buying the new truck is the maintenance costs have > been zero. I had an average of $500-$750/month maintenance costs on the > used 2008 truck, everything from the boom having blown hydraulic hoses to > transmission replacements and diesel engine problems. > > Let me know if you have any other questions! > > On Wed, Feb 24, 2016 at 9:35 AM, Nate Burke <n...@blastcomm.com> wrote: > >> How often do you need it? We have a local rental shop that rents that >> exact unit for $300/day. Does the cost of the unit outweigh just renting >> it when you need it. I would definitely make some pads for the outrigger >> to go on, they are pretty small. How skilled are your guys at backing up >> trailers? That's the hardest thing with this one. >> >> On 2/22/2016 4:29 PM, Tushar Patel wrote: >> >> We are considering buying trailer Mounted booms or bucket truck. >> >> >> >> Some roofs are just too hard to get up and we have lot of push up poles >> so to service them it would be lot easier with bucket trucks. >> >> >> >> So like this >> >> >> >> http://www.genielift.com/en/products/trailer-mounted-booms/tz50/ >> >> >> >> or >> >> >> >> just bucket trucks. >> >> >> >> Any suggestions? Any experience people can share. >> >> >> >> Tushar >> >> >> >
