Seeking Information on SCISSOR // BOOM LIFTS, towable by tractor.

[jeff9366]

Scissor lifts are a bad idea for trimming trees.
1. Extremely high center of gravity.
2. They only extend vertical.
If you cut a limb and it falls and lands in between the arms you are either stuck at elevation until someone else moves the limb or the limb could knock the lift over due to high cg.
3. Most scissor lifts have no ground clearance and no suspension. They will get stuck on a 1/2" nut on concrete or in gravel.
Please get some type of boom lift.

All right, scissor lifts are officially OUT OF CONSIDERATION.

BOOM LIFTS ON EBAY​

Nifty 34 Towable Boom Lift | eBay
~~~~minimal information posted. $14,800

27 Genie TZ34/2 Articulating Lift | eBay
~~~~453 hours/$16,500

Haulotte 3522A Towable Boom Lift,43' Work Height,Auto Leveling | eBay ~~~~~230 hours/$18,500

 

[jeff9366]

How about putting the saw up while you stay on the ground?

Hydraulic chain saw on a pole on the loader bucket.

Fine for a rear engine skid steer.

I would be nervous about working so close to the tractor with Limbinator on my tractor FEL, mostly with potential for damaged Oaks limbs to come down on fragile me.

 

[zzvyb6]

The problem with renting is that you can be forced into hurrying. Plus there is always more that could be done if you just had a little more time. If you play it right, you can break even on buying one because they are usually needed and used seasonaly. Plus they have many more uses than you can think of at the moment.

Battery powered is good because they are quiet. That means your ground crew can hear you and you can hear them. Self leveling is good because you can fart around for a good amount of time trying to get the platform level. On mine, you just push the lever and the 4 outriggers produce a level condition. Mine also has air, electric and pressure washer couplings 'up there' after attaching ground equippment. I used mine to paint the upper levels of my barn with a power painter. No more falling off a ladder and then having to move it all around. Clean gutters, tree stand, clean windows, fix the chimney, install a cupola, raise up a windmill tower and hang a a fan on it. No more ladders (I'm too old to be able to raise up a 40' ladder anymore).

 

[George2615]

Unless you are planning on going into and doing this as a business so you can write off the equipment I'd rent a towable boom lift for a few hundred a weekend instead of paying multiple thousands to buy one. At a few hundred a weekend you would have to rent one 75 times to equal the prices of the ones listed in your links.

 

[jeff9366]

The problem with renting is that you can be forced into hurrying. Plus there is always more that could be done if you just had a little more time. If you play it right, you can break even on buying one because they are usually needed and used seasonaly. Plus they have many more uses than you can think of at the moment.

Unless you plan doing this as a business so you can write off the equipment, I'd rent a towable boom lift for a few hundred a weekend instead of paying multiple thousands to buy one. At a few hundred a weekend you would have to rent one 75 times to equal the prices of the ones listed in your links.

Business? Work for money? At age 69?

Forget it.


Yeahbut~~~~~You can probably work an eight hour day with a chainsaw. I am limited to two hour to three hour sessions, depending on 'the day' and temperature. It gets HOT in Florida and seniors are prone to dehydration.

I have not had any health incidents while tractoring because I am careful and will stay careful.

If I can find a used, certified, Boom Lift for $17,000 or a bit more, I may buy, use for 1-3 years at my slow pace, then sell.

Or I may hire the work out.

I am not sure of my wife's reaction should a Boom Lift magically appear in the driveway.


If I buy a Boom Lift I think I will buy a Stihl battery powered chainsaw too. I will use my gas Stihl MS261 on the ground.

 

[Xfaxman]

How about a limb snipper like J_J built: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/141126-hydraulic-limb-snipper.html#post1635813

 

[LRover]

I looked for a long time for a good used towable boom lift but all the ones I found were out of my price range. I ended up buying an ex-Verizon bucket truck. It's on a heavy duty one ton dually chassis with a fiberglass tool body. I use it as my farm truck and with a '35 working height, it allows me to work on my barn, trim trees etc. The boom operates on a generator that can be started and stopped from the bucket. It also has a battery operated hydraulic pump that can be used for a short time if you don't use the generator.

 

[shui5612]

Owned a t-350 for 3years. Sold it this summer and currently looking for a t-500. Great machine. Only issue is it isn't self propelled (some t500s are).
If you're looking to cut only to 15 ft you can literally buy a pick up for 300-500$ something worn out and a chainsaw attachment for a weedeater with a 12 ft extension.. that gives you a working height of 5-6ft (depends on your height) plus 10 ft (extension as you don't want to cut directly above yourself) and the pickup will add an easy 2-3 feet. Plus a bed to keep tools in. If a limb falls on it and damages it, will it really matter? Just drive it backwards as you're cutting so if anything falls, it's on the bed/bumper and not the engine/cab

A JLG boom lift can be stored outside as long as you bring the remote inside as they don't like water (it's easily removable).
Issue is, getting into a boom lift is "hard" as the door is somewhat small and it's a big step up. Price wise they are about 40k new. Used in the 12-17k range.
Go to a rental store and speak with the manager and say you want to buy one, they usually will sell you one when it's time to renew their fleet.

Otherwise you can hire someone. Might cost 5000$ but it's not a 15k investment.

 

[bcp]

Convert an old truck into a trolley wire service truck.





Bruce

 

[MossRoad]

Yeah, old cable or telco vans/trucks could be a much cheaper alternative.

A fried of mine and I keep joking about going halvesies on a bucket truck. He needs one on his farm and I need one for our 40' Christmas tree twice a season. We see them once in a while at auctions. They are beat, but the lifts work.