Bil-Jax Boom Lift

[VREquipment]

My name is Bevan Pyle, and I am the Sales Manager for Vandalia Rental in Vandalia, OH. I am new to the forum, and I would like to know who on here uses towable boom lifts for trimming, or removals?
My purpose is not to sell you anything. However, please send me a PM if you have interest in pricing.
Likes vs. Dislikes of their equipment?
Advantages vs. Disadvantages of the current offerings?
What would you like to see in the future from Bil-Jax/Haulotte (tall lifts, track drive, ect...)?
Thank you in advance,
Bevan

 

[no tree to big]

I've never used a biljax but I've used other brands with similar designs a handful of times for sketchy trees with no truck access. what drives me nuts about them is they are way to slow and the lower boom won't go to verticle or past vertical (not enough horizontal reach). Fix that maybe they would have a real place in the trees

 

[mckeetree]

We still have an old ameriquip eagle 42 we use from time to time when you can't get anything else in there. We actually got the thing 10 feet up and over a terraced wall once. Come-a-longed it up there. I bought that thing in 2000. It is a 1999 model and the rental company that had it told me they wouldn't let me rest until I bought it. Turns out we have used it quite a bit.

 

[Jed1124]

Used them in rental service, and a friend of mine bought one. They are horrible. There electronics are constantly causing problems. My friend was 45 feet up when the thing decided it did not want to move. He had to call me up to lower him using the manuel override for the hydrolics. I have seen them fail on probably 6 or 7 different occasions. Bil Jax finally took my buddies lift back after they could not figure out what was wrong with it. At least they refunded his money.

 

[no tree to big]

I ran a brand spanking new jlg for a little elm that been dead for ever and was in a bad spot the beeping oh the beeping that machine made every single move u made! God forbid the machine was 1/2 a degree outa level then it sounded like a bank robbery in progress! Less electronics make them user friendly remember time is money.

 

[Jed1124]

They are not that bad if you don't have a lift and need to rent one. Local tru value carries them at 350 a day. Not bad if they don't break. At least your not stuck with the bill when they do. They can make a job go faster if they hold up for the day.

 

[mckeetree]

For the most part they are an aggravating rickety POS. But like I posted earlier, they can be something you can use when you can't access an area with anything else.

 

[CalTreeEquip]

I have an electric tow behind 45' BillJax with manual down riggers. It only had 100 hours on it, was 10 years old but in real good shape.
It took me 2 years to find a buyer and then I had to discount it pretty heavily for a homeowner who need it to refurbish a barn.
I marketed to tree guys but nobody was interested.
I think there is a place for these thing in tree work but convincing others of that is another thing.