Keep it or sell it

[Garfield]

I bought a 1989 Digger Derrick truck in near perfect shape....with a man bucket of course...gravity level though. It has a winch and 40 feet of height. Is it worth 10,000 to keep it for tree work or just sell it and upgrade the 1977 Asplundh LR45 that I already own and use??

 

[clearance]

Forget about the old Asplundh boom, it should have been cut up already. Some people here know the story well, ask.

 

[Garfield]

cut it up...

I have read various things....mostly about the cables etc. My cables were purchased in 07 and kept in this guys shop....i replaced them when I purchased the truck. I researched the issue and it appears to me that if the cables are kept lubed with the proper lubricant and inspected regularly there is little risk involved.....also the original owners manual says that one 3/4 cable will support the load and there are actually 2 in each direction so with no signs of smashing fraying etc there is no chance of breakage.

 

[clearance]

Perhaps its just the stories I have heard, and the fact that Asplundh cuts up old booms instead of selling them, maybe its just a legal deal. If you look after it and maintain it well then I think you will be ok. Do you get it non-destructive tested there, is that a requirement like up here for booms and cranes?

 

[Garfield]

asplundh boom

I spoke to a man from Asplundh who said that Altec purchased the boomtruck and chipper division i suppose of Asplundh. The deal is they will not work on the truck after it is 20 years old....any brand except Altec equipment which they will service "As long as we are in business." So apparently Altec has better equipment than anyone else...just ask them. Seriously they do have good stuff but oh well. Seems they would be doing more good by selling me the correct safe parts but oh well. I did finally talk them out of a service manual. Back to the Digger Derrick truck is it worth keeping or sell it and get something else? I am not sure what non destructive tested is. There are procedures in the manual that test the safety bypasses etc.

 

[mckeetree]

We were told by a speaker at a workshop a few years ago those old Asplundh aerial lifts were ordered out of service after Asplundh lost the big lawsuit concerning those lifts. I would get rid of that thing.

 

[Garfield]

I appreciate the input.....but back to the original question is a digger derrick-winch-bucket truck worth keeping around for tree work? Now it's sinking in. You are advising me to sell the asplundh truck and sell the Digger truck and take the proceeds and buy a newer rearmount?

 

[John464]

1989 , 1977, for a boom that you need to trust your life with. why keep things so old? if you pay taxes dont you need the write off? Surely something that old has fully depriciated by now. I suggest a boom from atleast the last century.

 

[mckeetree]

I appreciate the input.....but back to the original question is a digger derrick-winch-bucket truck worth keeping around for tree work? Now it's sinking in. You are advising me to sell the asplundh truck and sell the Digger truck and take the proceeds and buy a newer rearmount?

Yep.