# boom/bucket truck



## Dunbar Painting (Mar 19, 2010)

Does anyone here own a boom/bucket truck (not boom lift), that is to say a larger truck that has a boom attached (30' plus)

If so, was this a good idea for you? how often do you use it? if you own one what are the specs?

I am not necessarily thinking of getting one, just early morning internet browsing... wondered why painters don't drive bucket trucks lol


something like this: http://cgi.ebay.ca/02-F-550-4X4-HI-...1106?pt=Commercial_Trucks&hash=item3362a82e12


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## Lambrecht (Feb 8, 2010)

I used one about 5 yrs ago to paint some church windows, pain in the as- because had move the truck for each window. I think a JLG would be a better investment because you can move while extended.


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## Dunbar Painting (Mar 19, 2010)

JLG?


I would never buy a articulated boomlift, they are cheap to rent (1000 a week) and obviously can go a lot higher...

Just wondered if there were some big reasons why few drove such things, but if you have to come down for each move, that is a GOOD reason not to have one.


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## Lambrecht (Feb 8, 2010)

I have a GC friend who bought a JLG from a rental company for a decent price. He uses it all the time and rents it out to other contractors so it is a money maker for him. That is why I said I think it would be a better investment than a bucket truck.


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## Dunbar Painting (Mar 19, 2010)

how does he move it around?


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## Schmidt & Co. (Nov 6, 2008)

I still think a JLG is the only way to go for a painting contractor. But _if _I was to dedicate a van to a lift, it would be one of these.....

www.vanladder.com


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## ProWallGuy (Apr 7, 2007)

Lambrecht said:


> I think a JLG would be a better investment because you can move while extended.


Maybe I'm just a sissy, but I'd never even entertain the thought of moving one while extended. And I bet OSHA would highly frown upon it too.


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## Dunbar Painting (Mar 19, 2010)

I like that vanladder site, it is cool.

the articulating boom lifts are like 15-25000lbs, you need a serious vehicle to tow it... 

what about the tow-able booms?

http://www.trailermountedboomlifts.com/


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

I rented a towable jlg style lift, and thought if I owned one it would be nice and I would use it more often. But, even well used they were in the 20k plus range. As nice as it was, we do not need to go over 35' often enough to justify the cost at this point.


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## Dunbar Painting (Mar 19, 2010)

but, if you had the ability to go over 35' with a tow-able boom, you might open yourself up to jobs that would make it useful.


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## y.painting (Jul 19, 2009)

Bucket-type van-mounted lifts don't usually do more than 40-45 (safely ). (There's ones that do more, but they're not van mounted). Most of the times I need a lift I need to go higher than that, so that's why we don't own a bucket lift and rent instead.

Now if this was a few years ago and I still had a vision of expanding into commercial work, I'd be looking into getting a tract lift.

This guy would be pretty sweet:


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## Dunbar Painting (Mar 19, 2010)

I WANT THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wow sorry excitement

cost?


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## y.painting (Jul 19, 2009)

Dunbar Painting said:


> cost?


Have to call to request current pricing on their rigs. http://www.extremelifts.com/


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## Dunbar Painting (Mar 19, 2010)

I emailed them, but from internet searching it looks like used ones are around 100,000


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## y.painting (Jul 19, 2009)

only a 100K?


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

There are some wickedly awesome looking atrium lifts (36" wide to fit through doorways and reach upto 90' high). Of course, how many floors can withstand 5,500+lbs.

If painting allowed for real profit, maybe we all could have one.....


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

DeanV said:


> If painting allowed for real profit, maybe we all could have one.....


This is how plain got started. :whistling2::jester:


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## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

I had the chance to buy one of the vans with a boom and bucket a few years ago....just seemed like a neat idea. Then when I thought about it, it didn't make alot of sense for the few jobs it would actually be used for....so I bought a Bobcat instead. LOL. Oh well, this past year it generated about $1200/mo avg on renting it out to a couple guys I know.


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## Dave Mac (May 4, 2007)

I knew a guy who had several of them, he specialised in painting exterior aprtments and used them all the time


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## SouthwestEquipment (Nov 29, 2010)

I would reccomend using a bucket truck for jobs like this. We have painters rent from us all the time because they don't use a lift truck enough to justify buying one. Make sure you get one with outriggers so you're safe. Safety is the biggest thing when it comes to bucket trucks, aerial lifts, or scissor lifts.


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## Thomas Zayatz (Feb 26, 2008)

I've considered this solution for exterior painting but think that unless you have an open area you would probably be spending too much time moving the equiptment. 

Has anyone had success in exterior jobs?


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## ewingpainting.net (Jun 2, 2008)

I use them all the time. Never on a residential, but in the right conditions I wouldn't hesitate. 

IMO, it doesn't make sence to own a lift. For one you would need to utilize it pretty regularly for it to pay off. If it broke down, your waiting for a qualified service for repairs. If your renting one, it breaks down, you'll have someone working on it within the hour. If its something major, they'll be a replacement lift that day or by the morning. You don't have to worry about the maintenance, storage, delivery, etc.


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## PressurePros (May 6, 2007)

One of my first vehicles was a '95 E350 w/28' lift. It was great for commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning but when i switched to resi work it was just a gas guzzler. You can do a driveway facing chimney or some window trim on the same size, but you can't exactly drive around people's lawns with an 5 ton van. The types of lifts on a truck are good for lightbulb changing and low-rise commercial work. That's about it.


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## Schmidt & Co. (Nov 6, 2008)

Pressure Pro pretty much summed it up for me...... :thumbsup:


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## Dunbar Painting (Mar 19, 2010)

alright,

thanks everyone

you are probably right that renting is the best idea... there are some HUGE houses here that 40' ladders won't reach so booms are a must


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## buckettruckbabe (Dec 3, 2010)

We have 2 trucks, a 35 and a 50 foot booms. Not sure if the 50 footer pays its way, but the small truck is worth its weight in paint. We use it for tree trimming, lighting, window washing, gutter installs, you name it. Our motto is whatever you can't reach.
I used the 50 footer to paint a 2 1/2 story house this summer with no scaffolding. You might have to move it once on a side. We got it from a local borough on a sealed bid, cheap. Used utility trucks are plentiful. Don't buy verizon, they are used up by the time they part with them.


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## PressurePros (May 6, 2007)

buckettruckbabe said:


> We have 2 trucks, a 35 and a 50 foot booms. Not sure if the 50 footer pays its way, but the small truck is worth its weight in paint. We use it for tree trimming, lighting, window washing, gutter installs, you name it. Our motto is whatever you can't reach.
> I used the 50 footer to paint a 2 1/2 story house this summer with no scaffolding. You might have to move it once on a side. We got it from a local borough on a sealed bid, cheap. Used utility trucks are plentiful. Don't buy verizon, they are used up by the time they part with them.


So you drive this thing in front of a person's property? How do you get around landscaping, not destroy sod or crack delicate paved walks?


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## playedout6 (Apr 27, 2009)

We used to own a Simon MP60 Boom lift and I think it weighed 7 tons ....was very HUGE and we had to hire a tow truck driver with a flatbed to haul it around if we used it on church steeples . It was a 1994 model and we picked it up for 3500 bucks and used it for 2 years on some steeples and then we decided it was just too risky to own and maintain with the liability and insurance issues and such . We actually had no insurance for it and never had it inspected...not that wise I know LOL . We finally got wise and resold it for 5500 . 
Hopefully next week if the weather clears we will be renting a 50 footer towable aerial articulating lift to finish a church steeple . It will cost us about a grand in total for the week . We only need it for a few days but I have scouted out some extra work like painting a bunch of flag poles to pay for the rental . 
It is also drivable once it is unhooked from the truck that tows it . Should be interesting...never used these before !


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## ColorQuest (Mar 19, 2012)

I rented this JLG last summer and it was an incredible experience. I painted and entire commercial building by myself in the same amount of time it would take five guys to do it . With gas and delivery I was at exactly $900.00 for seven days. The company rep even gave me a rain day. Awesome service from illini high reach out of chicago.
Jay


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

ProWallGuy said:


> Maybe I'm just a sissy, but I'd never even entertain the thought of moving one while extended. And I bet OSHA would highly frown upon it too.


That is what they are made for.


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## Ramsden Painting (Jul 17, 2011)

Used this nice lift two weeks ago. Rented it for the week $882 and &75 each way delivery. Used it from Tuesday thru Friday and completed the job. I'd love to own one of these

Sent from my iPad using PaintTalk


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## CajunDavid (Jul 20, 2011)

I bought a used 40 foot Uni-Lift towable lift about 7 years ago for about $7000.00. I've spent less than $500 on repairs and I use for everything. I even use it on many 1 story houses just to get over shrubs. I call it my unpaid employee. I cannot imagine not having one. The Uni-Lift is extremely simple so anyone can fix it and it doesn't have tons of electronics that go bad in the cold. I store the thing outside year round. It pays for itself year after year. People often try to rent it from me but I don't want the bother. Mine weighs about 2500# so tearing up yards and sidewalks isn't a concern. Any kind of lift should be a great help and moneymaker to any painter!


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## Dunbar Painting (Mar 19, 2010)

I would love to get one of these, but I don't think they have them much around here. I have never seen them in the classified anyway!


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## Dunbar Painting (Mar 19, 2010)

Dunbar Painting said:


> I would love to get one of these, but I don't think they have them much around here. I have never seen them in the classified anyway!



I stand corrected, I found 3 on craigslist in BC already


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