(Manlift) To Buy or Not To Buy

[d fleming]

you dont need a cdl license for a truck under 26,000 gvw. my bucket truck is 15,000 gvw. I dont have special insurance either. According to the VIN its just a regular truck.
gas does suck though

Yep, mine is 21,000gvw. registered as just a truck. No cdl required. DOT #'s and registration was a five minute phone call at no charge. I would still pick up a towable if I found one cheap at the right time. Never too many toys.

 

[visual800]

and be prepared for all your friends to ask you if you can check the fireplace, reach a gable, take a tree down, get on roof....soooo many uses people will find for your new equipment. Just tell them insurance will NOT allow it. If I were you I were do the tow behind and forget the truck. much less expense

 

[Rickey J]

and be prepared for all your friends to ask you if you can check the fireplace, reach a gable, take a tree down, get on roof....soooo many uses people will find for your new equipment. Just tell them insurance will NOT allow it. If I were you I were do the tow behind and forget the truck. much less expense

Yeah, a few people already know that I am looking and have already asked.

 

[ddarlak]

Whoa...what happened to the towable lift idea? Far less cost than bucket truck, far less insurance considerations and expense, much lighter and more maneuverable to get into places, two piece setup so if your truck breaks down you don't lose your lift too, far less maintenance, far less gas expense, no CDL license required....and on...and on....

+1

Buy it, I bought a towable for a great deal ($5500) about 10 years ago, I barley use it anymore for signs, but it is a godsend for managing my 60'-70' silver maples on my property... they have made it to their life expectancy and tend to drop very large widow makers every so often... also working on my building (2 story) makes it come in handy.

I think I've used it for signs twice in the last three years.

It paid for itself in the first two years I had it, I had a job where I was using it 10-15 times a year, very handy then. can't get myself to dump it now, too handy...

 

[Z SIGNS]

Your decision to buy should be based on

Your decision should be based on what your particular needs are.

Some people buy or have had bucket trucks and it's a burden for them.

Some people buy and make small fortunes with it.

It's a tool like any other.
It's all up to you if you can make it profitable.

Also I would be leery of cheap "good deal" man lifts and boom trucks.
Remember it's someones life your talking about.

 

[Z SIGNS]

We had a bucket truck years ago and got rid of it because we decided to get out of servicing signs that we didn't install.
I've considered a towable lift but they always seemed expensive compared to the amount of times we rent one.
If we had one we would use it more, but for what it costs to rent I prefer that someone else maintain and insure it.

On a smaller bucket truck like the 28 footers the cable tv people use the insurance is not that much more for us. Maintenance on these smaller booms is not that bad either.

We have a bucket truck. Wish I would've gotten one y-e-a-r-s before I got this one. Once you have it, in no time at all it pays for itself. However, you start finding ways to use it and make good use of it. Heck, just the other week, we needed some plumbing work done and the guy was figuring this and that and I said, why not just run the piping up the wall, across the top and bring it down over there. Well, that's a lot of climbing. Not with this truck it ain't. So, I saved about $400 by letting the guy use the truck for 3 hours. Anyway, like that..... then you invent ways and can give better prices to customers, cause you don't hafta rent it.... you own it. It might sit idle for a week or so sometimes, but then I'll be using it 4 days a week.

One rule, I won't go out in any kinda bad weather. Still ain't nothing worth getting killed over.

Yup they pay for themselves quickly if you are charging properly

I would buy it if the price is right.

I have literally FOUR jobs right now that I could use it for.

One job we are using our 17' Little Giant ladder, but it would have been easier, faster, and safer to use a bucket truck to complete.
The second job we need to rent a tow behind. Actually, we should be there right now, but because we used ladders on the install yesterday, it took longer than I planned and we couldn't finish, so they are finishing up the install from yesterday right now, and won't be able to do the one planned for today until next week.
The third job I told the guy we can't install, and he claims he can reach with a ladder, so he's going to install it himself.
The fourth job I haven't even quoted, since the install is going to be as much as the sign, and its for a good friend, so I feel like a jerk saying "oh yeah, the little banner you want is $350, but I have to rent a lift, so its going to cost about the same amount to install it.

Anyway, there is no one dependable around me that has a bucket truck. We've been screwed over by two different "sign maintenance guys" with bucket trucks (who weren't cheap or anything either.) And the only other person who has one is always very busy and charges A LOT. Like, an insane amount to do anything. Change one face? That will be $400 please. For driving 10 minutes from his home and taking 30 minutes to swap out a piece of acrylic. IDK.
I'd say go for it, and make sure other local sign companies know you have it and are available for installs.

Been screwed over by sign maintenance guys huh.They charged you $400
This kind of statement irritates me big time.
There is no such thing as a signman charging too much.Heck we are devalued and underpaid as it is.
What do you think a legitimate contractor should charge should to "swap out a piece of acrylic"as you say ?
I am curious as to to what you or others think the bill for something like this should be.
You might change your mind about $400 being outrageous if you were footing the bill for top dollar boom truck & operators,
insurance,workmans comp etc.

I have owned bucket trucks since being in this business. I kept 2, one for working and one for lifting. With 42' bucket trucks we find we still have to rent lifts with 2 man baskets for many jobs. We also end up driving a bucket truck to jobs that only require door lettering and small things only needing a ladder. The maintenance as previously mentioned is a nightmare as the trucks get older.

I am selling both my trucks and opting for a truck with a utility bed, 24' trailer and a 45' lift with a 2 man basket. The money I save from rental and the ease of having 4 hands vs 2 on most jobs will more than pay for the rig in a couple years. I have thought this through every way possible and find this is the best option for us.

As far as charging the customer, we charge like anyone else would. Do not use the equipment for free or cheaper installations as a way of selling a sign. The equipment will make you money if you charge for it correctly. We charge $120 per hour for a lift and one man with a two hour minimum. Time is figured from leaving the shop to completion of the job.

Yup got to charge

Ya know, in addition to all the work you can do with it, it makes putting up my Christmas decorations, much much easier. In fact, my wife in the last two years has added things just because I can get up high, now. Also, I'm the hit of the neighborhood helping out with all kinds of things. I enjoy doing this stuff. A company that we do quite a bit of work for asked me if I could do some work around their house of one of the big shots. Got invited in, had a few drinks and laughs afterwards, talked business and when I told him no charge, he slipped me $300 and said, just keep it and shut up..... Okay

All kinds of bennies with it.

Yup it's also a nice schmoozing tool

 

[fresh]

You might change your mind about $400 being outrageous if you were footing the bill for top dollar boom truck & operators,
insurance,workmans comp etc.
l

Except when its one guy with a 25 year old rusted out jalopy bucket van. Do you really think I don't know the difference between a top dollar boom truck & operators,
insurance, workmans comp, etc. and a guy who happens to have a semi-working truck who uses it as a 2nd income, and isn't particularly reliable?

How much would you pay for someone you need to call 3 times just to get an appointment, and even then they can't commit to a time or day?

If you were the customer, how much would you think is reasonable to install a 12sqft sign on 20ft tall pylon? What I've noticed is that the people who have small signs often have small shops and more often than not, small budgets. You cater to a different crowd, and that is great because the thing that is awesome about the sign industry is there are jobs you don't want and I do, and vice versa. We are pretty middle of the road price wise, and I'd say we lose about half the jobs I quote that require bucket trucks, so I KNOW I'm not undercharging or undervaluing installations.

 

[Gino]

Isn't it amazing at the wide cross section we have here at s101 of sign shops, that no one can ever agree on anything ??

It's a shame, but everything boils down to the same thing, but said a different way. You have the vast majority saying to get it..... or a bucket truck and then we hafta argue over semantics.

It'd be different if he needed more cowbell or a ladder.

 

[Rickey J]

Bucket Truck It Is.

Well, I took the plunge. I purchased a 2000 Ford F-450 Bucket Truck. I have attached a photo and will add more as soon as I get a chance.

 

[J Hill Designs]

looks pretty clean - nice storage - good move

 

[Gino]

Nice.

What is that ?? About 27' plus you in it ??

 

[Rickey J]

Nice.

What is that ?? About 27' plus you in it ??

They consider it a 29'

 

[401Graphics]

NICE!

 

[d fleming]

Good looking truck.

 

[skyhigh]

Very nice truck to get your feet wet.
I guarantee you won't regret it.

That size truck will probably do 90% of the work you do.....and is inexpensive to operate.
While the towable manlift sounds like a great option...... its a pain in the butt compared to hopping in that truck.

 

[TopFliteGraphics]

I will be looking for one in the not too distant future - my days on ladders are pretty much behind me. I blew out my knee (torn ACL, MCL, and Meniscus) a few weeks ago while on a ladder and am having surgery Friday to repair the damage. Getting old sucks but luckily most of my work is currently at ground level...

 

[Signsforwhile]

I went though a couple of cheapo trucks. Was paying in range of $5k-$8k. They were old phone company trucks. They worked! But eventually I started getting bigger and bigger work and honestly, while I was able to perform the work, people were not happy with us pulling up in a heap of **** haha! Consider looking at http://nescorentals.com/rentals-for-sale/

Comb through their selection. We just bought a nice unit from them. a 2008 with 100k miles on it. Basically paid an 8th of what that truck is worth new and its great. Lettered it, built the rack and put it to work!!!