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Bucket Trucks for Lifting Personnel and Reaching Tough Heights
Bucket trucks are medium to heavy duty vehicles that are equipped with a long arm, called a boom, and an aerial platform, referred to as the bucket, that raises normally one or two people, heavy materials, or equipment upward and outward. Utility workers, construction crews, renewable energy installation (think wind turbines), forestry (reaching tree tops), manufacturing and warehousing, are just a few of the industries that heavily utilize boom and bucket trucks to reach difficult places. Depending on your project, there are several things to consider when choosing the right new or used bucket truck.
Whether you need to lift heavy materials, equipment, or an entire work crew, My Little Salesman has a wide variety of new and used bucket trucks for sale, from insulated medium-duty used bucket trucks to heavy duty models with 2-man telescopic buckets.
How to Choose the Right Bucket Truck
Here are some important factors to consider when picking a new or used bucket truck:
- The shorter the boom is, the more control the operator will have – but also less reach.
- The farther away the work site is from your truck, the longer your boom will have to before you can reach a desired height.
- Insulated bucket trucks cost more, but they are a must-have when doing electric work.
- Other considerations include telescopic or articulating boom (or both), lift capacity, accessories, and truck chassis, such as whether to have a single or tandem axle truck.
Boom placement:
- Most booms are located behind the cab, which increases storage space (and is the least expensive design).
- Booms can be mounted on the rear for better access to the job site (at the expense of storage space and sometimes hauling capacity). Some rear-mounted bucket trucks will have the operator sit behind the boom for full 360-degree rotational reach. This is the most expensive design.
Bucket trucks are primarily made from three materials:
- Aluminum - This material is the most expensive, but it is also resistant to corrosion and lightweight, which saves on fuel and maintenance costs.
- Steel - Cheaper, but heavier (leaving a larger footprint) and more prone to breakdowns than aluminum.
- Fiberglass - This type of insulation costs extra, but will prevent electric shocks.
What to Check When Buying a Used Bucket Truck
Remember to always check the following on a used bucket truck:
- Ensure the aerial platform (bucket) mounted on the truck chassis performs without issue. Check any service or maintenance logs. Check if a bucket cover has been used as that would help protect it from rain, snow, and debris.
- Hire a mechanic to inspect the truck's chassis, engine, transmission, and tires of the vehicle. It's much cheaper to pay a mechanic to inspect it than to have to deal with problems down the road.
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