Some pros and cons
I have operated a number of different lifts down through the years, both truck-mounted and self-propelled. Each has its advantages.
A truck-mounted lift is very useful and allows you to do many jobs quickly and safely without ladders. I especially like the articulated type of booms, as opposed to the telescoping 'squirt boom' type, as they seem more maneuverable. Many have electric and even hydraulic tool outlets at the bucket, and larger models can lift loads. Some have large 2-man work platforms with tilt-and-rotate controls for the platform itself, making possible precise placement of the platform, very handy for installing raceway-mounted channel letters without a crane.
I have also used the self-propelled lifts. I used to rent one occasionally that had some nice features. It was four-wheel drive, with fat tires, perfect for not destroying grassed areas and not cracking sidewalks, yet it could easily climb a curb. Starting and steering controls were in the bucket, so it was easy to re-position without completely retracting the boom and dismounting.
Which is better?
It really depends on your needs. A truck-mounted unit is excellent for driving all over town servicing signs or doing small installations quickly and easily. And if it's mounted on a utility bed, you can bring practically all your tools with you. If you mount a gas-powered welder, and even a gas-powered compressor, you can have a virtual sign shop on wheels. These self-propelled man lifts are not really made for street travel, except for short distances—they usually require a flatbed trailer to get to the job site. But if you need to park in a yard or parking lot and work on a large mural for a couple days, it's ideal.
For inside work, it's hard to beat a plain old scissor lift. They even make tires for them that won't mar a wooden basketball floor.
My first bucket truck
When I first acquired a bucket truck in my early years, my life in signs instantly became better. I was able to accept work that I couldn't easily do before, or that I couldn't do safely, and I began to spend less time on ladders. I started to make money servicing lighted signs and installing dimensional letters. I also used the rig to lift loads and even set posts for highway bulletins.
My unit was a Versalift with a telescoping boom, mounted on a 1-ton pickup, no outriggers. I was the third or fourth owner and the truck had seen better days. The owner before me had used it to set roof trusses for metal buildings and had worn out the nylon shims between the booms. He sold it to me cheap. So, I chained the upper boom to my son's swing set to replace the shims, then painted the whole thing white. I put it into service as soon as the paint was dry.
One of the wiring harnesses was messed up and replacing it was beyond my skill set. So the remote start didn't work, which wasn't a problem as long as the truck's engine was running well, since my lift operated off of a PTO. A couple of times when the motor died while I was in the air, I simply asked someone on the ground to restart it. Only once did it fail to start, stranding me. An overweight white boy slowly shinnying backwards down a greasy boom is not a pretty sight.
My truck was designed for lifting without outriggers. The bucket was rated for a 300-pound load. If that figure is like a ladder's load rating, that means it has a safety factor of four—a 250-pound rating on a ladder, for example, means it's tested to a thousand pounds. But I always worried a little when fully extended to the side, and I was careful to not park on hills and I always chalked the wheels. The controls were all electric, the 'momentary' type toggle switches. So movements were kind of jerky. Fully extended to the side, it was disconcerting to see the whole side of the truck dip every time I touched the down switch. It helped me have an appreciation later for controls that were all hydraulic. Hydraulic controls allow for smooth and gradual movements. And being able to control the movements with more finesse, there is less likelihood of mashing the fingers of your other hand between the wall and the lip of the bucket if you're holding on at the wrong spot.
My worst scare was when my helper and I were driving home from a job once, well after dark. The front tire on the passenger side exploded—at least it sounded like an explosion—because a chunk of tread was thrown through the rusty floor and hit the ceiling inside. The sound left our ears ringing for a while, but the only real casualty were my helper's work jeans—he had wet his pants. That was a long day.
It wasn't long after that that I retired the truck.
Brad in Kansas City
