# Bucket truck or spider lift?



## Woodsmen Tree (Feb 16, 2012)

Have a chip truck and chipper. Looking to buy a lift. Bucket truck or spider lift type. Advantages and disadvantages for both.


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## dts99 (Feb 16, 2012)

spider lifts look cool but dont they cost a millionbazillion dollars?


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## Rickytree (Feb 16, 2012)

Used bucket 15k used spider lift 85k. Be prepared some serious maintenance charges every year on the bucket. Wraptor and get with a cool crane op who doesn't charge minimum'''s. Just my two cents worth. All depends which way you want to go. spider lifts are gorgeous though. lots of other work then tree work will come too.


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## ShermanC (Feb 16, 2012)

*Pros and cons of having a lift.*



Woodsmen Tree said:


> Have a chip truck and chipper. Looking to buy a lift. Bucket truck or spider lift type. Advantages and disadvantages for both.


This response is based on 20 years in tree care; six years apprenticeship by climbing, hauling with a utility trailer, four years climbing and hauling by trailer then ten years AWP work (aerial work platform) experience. I started my two-man outfit in October 1998.

The AWP experience started in 2001 with my business partner's Work Force 40' trailer-based telescoping boom lift with outriggers that pull out and crank down (quite labor intensive but less maintenance and lowest cost equipment). He would bring the lift to a job site with his hydraulic flatbed 1 ton truck and I'd bring my truck and work equipment. Since we worked together and traded off bucket and ground duties, this system worked. By late 2007 my partner's real estate priorities caused him to be absent too often so I ended the partnership and prayed about buying my own lift and finding a ground man. In February 2008 I bought on eBay and brought home a 2003 Nifty Lift TM40 pulled by a 20 mpg Ford Ranger V-6. That 280 mile trek pulling 3200 pounds showed me I'd need a larger truck and we prayed some more in that direction. Within two weeks I found and bought an excellent used 10 mpg GMC SierraHD 2500 with 4WD and tow package and a full length utility topper. I have never wanted a loader truck and brush chipper. I have a different way of working the trees and have had a waiting list since 2008. If extra equipment is needed such as stump grinder or leaf vacuum then we hook the utility trailer to a Toyota Tacoma and haul two loads. Learning to work an AWP takes study planning to job details and practice to learn to "dance on the limbs". The more often I do it the better I get. We have tailgate safety meeting each day and pray before we start work. With the tremendous help of the NiftyLift team and thorough documentation I can do most of the maintenance on the lift. In summary I am glad I went this direction.
The cons to consider include but are not limited to the way you work, size of crew, types of jobs you are good at doing and types of equipment you use in your work. To haul a lift takes labor and fuel and maybe added liability insurance premium. I hope these points help in your deliberation of what to do.


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## Woodsmen Tree (Feb 16, 2012)

treetopguy2028 said:


> This response is based on 20 years in tree care; six years apprenticeship by climbing, hauling with a utility trailer, four years climbing and hauling by trailer then ten years AWP work (aerial work platform) experience. I started my two-man outfit in October 1998.
> 
> The AWP experience started in 2001 with my business partner's Work Force 40' trailer-based telescoping boom lift with outriggers that pull out and crank down (quite labor intensive but less maintenance and lowest cost equipment). He would bring the lift to a job site with his hydraulic flatbed 1 ton truck and I'd bring my truck and work equipment. Since we worked together and traded off bucket and ground duties, this system worked. By late 2007 my partner's real estate priorities caused him to be absent too often so I ended the partnership and prayed about buying my own lift and finding a ground man. In February 2008 I bought on eBay and brought home a 2003 Nifty Lift TM40 pulled by a 20 mpg Ford Ranger V-6. That 280 mile trek pulling 3200 pounds showed me I'd need a larger truck and we prayed some more in that direction. Within two weeks I found and bought an excellent used 10 mpg GMC SierraHD 2500 with 4WD and tow package and a full length utility topper. I have never wanted a loader truck and brush chipper. I have a different way of working the trees and have had a waiting list since 2008. If extra equipment is needed such as stump grinder or leaf vacuum then we hook the utility trailer to a Toyota Tacoma and haul two loads. Learning to work an AWP takes study planning to job details and practice to learn to "dance on the limbs". The more often I do it the better I get. We have tailgate safety meeting each day and pray before we start work. With the tremendous help of the NiftyLift team and thorough documentation I can do most of the maintenance on the lift. In summary I am glad I went this direction.
> The cons to consider include but are not limited to the way you work, size of crew, types of jobs you are good at doing and types of equipment you use in your work. To haul a lift takes labor and fuel and maybe added liability insurance premium. I hope these points help in your deliberation of what to do.


Prayin before work is a must for me too.


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## sgreanbeans (Feb 17, 2012)

Ya cant use a lift to go to the store and buy smokes!


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## UP Equip (Oct 23, 2014)

dts99 said:


> spider lifts look cool but dont they cost a millionbazillion dollars?


Not anymore... Contact me and you'll see...


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## Woodsmen Tree (Oct 23, 2014)

I own a forestry truck with a 55' aerial lift. I have used a portable lift. Never used a spider lift . One thing to consider is multiple vehicles and persons you need to work on site. I can grab my helper and go. I'm towing my chipper so for most jobs i'm set. Many times I can do the job by myself saving payroll...
(small jobs). Also, I don't believe most portable lifts are electrically protected for working around power lines. You can get yourself or your helper fried pretty quick. Advantages of portables is getting into back yards unacessable to big truck. That's where the spider lift shines but you have to do a lot of that work to pay for it. In those instances I just have to climb.
UNCEASINGLY PRAY!!! We do dangerous work.


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## BuckmasterStumpGrinding (Oct 23, 2014)

If you get a lift you better be very good at what you are doing. I have hit the boom on bucket trucks and thought I was going to flip them. If I would have made the same mistakes on a lift I would probably be dead right now. You have the option to rent a lift fairly cheaply and will probably save money in the long run if you are not using one on a regular basis.


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## Menchhofer (Oct 23, 2014)

BuckmasterStumpGrinding said:


> If you get a lift you better be very good at what you are doing. I have hit the boom on bucket trucks and thought I was going to flip them. If I would have made the same mistakes on a lift I would probably be dead right now. You have the option to rent a lift fairly cheaply and will probably save money in the long run if you are not using one on a regular basis.


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## UP Equip (Oct 24, 2014)

BuckmasterStumpGrinding said:


> If you get a lift you better be very good at what you are doing. I have hit the boom on bucket trucks and thought I was going to flip them. If I would have made the same mistakes on a lift I would probably be dead right now. You have the option to rent a lift fairly cheaply and will probably save money in the long run if you are not using one on a regular basis.


Buck, when you say you hit a boom, it was with falling limbs or operation?


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## treebilly (Oct 24, 2014)

Either way it's a no no. If one of the guys I work with would hit the boom hard enough to bounce it they would be gone. Equipment costs to damn much to abuse


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## BuckmasterStumpGrinding (Oct 26, 2014)

It was swinging limbs. When I was learning to use a bucket truck the boss would tell me to just make the cuts like he told me to. Looking back im lucky I lived through some of that crap.


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## lone wolf (Oct 26, 2014)

treebilly said:


> Either way it's a no no. If one of the guys I work with would hit the boom hard enough to bounce it they would be gone. Equipment costs to damn much to abuse


Mine walked home the other day


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## lone wolf (Oct 26, 2014)

BuckmasterStumpGrinding said:


> It was swinging limbs. When I was learning to use a bucket truck the boss would tell me to just make the cuts like he told me to. Looking back im lucky I lived through some of that crap.


Smaller cuts.


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## Ryan Shaw (Nov 12, 2014)

BuckmasterStumpGrinding said:


> It was swinging limbs. When I was learning to use a bucket truck the boss would tell me to just make the cuts like he told me to. Looking back im lucky I lived through some of that crap.



I worked for a guy like that. Easy for them to tell us what to do, it isn't their life on the line. Finally ended up ending my business relationship with him and he humbled himself cuz he wanted me back climbing for him so I told him that he can give me work that he doesn't want or isn't willing to take on (plenty of risky jobs,) I'll do everything without him then give him a cut. I like this system a lot more. I do my own thing, hire people I trust, and make significantly more money.. all safely


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## lmasontreeservice (Nov 16, 2014)

If you work in tight areas I think a spider/tracked lift would be the way to go, but me never using one I don't know. I run buckets there nice for open areas. I think an experienced climber is better than a bucket


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## ShermanC (Apr 17, 2017)

Woodsmen Tree said:


> Prayin before work is a must for me too.



Our prayer time comes first every work day. We take the time to pray for needs of others plus our teamwork and coordinated safety. It sets the stage for collaboration and sure makes a difference for the whole day. It sets the tone for a constructive safety meeting then job briefing and EHAP.


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## BC WetCoast (Apr 18, 2017)

treetopguy2028 said:


> Our prayer time comes first every work day. We take the time to pray for needs of others plus our teamwork and coordinated safety. It sets the stage for collaboration and sure makes a difference for the whole day. It sets the tone for a constructive safety meeting then job briefing and EHAP.



We have guys on our crew who would report this as a human rights violation.


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## ShermanC (Apr 18, 2017)

UP Equip said:


> Not anymore... Contact me and you'll see...


I like the saying there is safety in numbers but I don't know how long it will take market saturation to occur with spider lifts. A friend and colleague 50 miles from me bought a new All Access last year and a specially built trailer. Working fine to six days a week, last week he commented he needs three more workers and he is booked six to eight weeks ahead. its hard to find good workers because so many have arrest records for crime or substance abuse. our young people in this country are self destructing.


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