When buying a used bucket truck

GottaCut · Jul 6, 2007

What are some things to look for? Questions to ask, I mean things that an inexperienced person might not think of. Not worried about the vehicle part, just the lift itself. I'm going to look at a truck tomorrow with my boss(who is also new to buckets) and I want to be sure we get a safe truck. A little info on the truck:
1981(I dont know what make/model yet)
55' w/h
50miles on truck
2500 hours on lift
The truck was previously owned by a municipality, the dealership said they normally dont sell trucks this old but the machine was so cherry they felt safe doing so. Price-$17,500.

Thanks for your help guys, just trying to stay safe and keep the tree industy (and our company!) in positive view of the public.

Dadatwins · Jul 6, 2007

Most buckets require a rebuild, cables, pistons every 7-10 years, you will want to know if that program was followed. I would probably find out the manufacturer and call them to see if they could send a certified service tech to inspect the unit, probably cost a few hundred $$ but I think it's well worth it. Not sure about the boom being over 25 years old, I know asplundh takes theirs out of service at that mark and will not repair them or sell parts anymore for those models. Good luck.

winchman · Jul 6, 2007

used bucket for sale

GottaCut,
It's a bit of a drive, but the Biltmore Estate in NC has a bucket truck up for sale right now. It's an '85 model with 33k miles on it, always kept to the strictest maintenance schedule. If I am not mistaken, we still are offering it for sale since our new truck that replaced it is taller and brand new. The old one has a 55' working height, and as the primary operator over the last two 1/2 years of the old one, i can tell you that there are no surprises. Private message me if you want to hear more or get some contact info.