For many businesses a bucket truck, or cherry picker as it is also known, is an essential purchase. Any business that needs to lift workers and tools up to a working height may benefit from owning a bucket truck. Bucket trucks are an expensive investment though, and the safety of the workers using them can be jeopardized if they are defective or poorly suited to the job they are being used for. Here’s a few tips on how to buy a bucket truck and not get burned if it turns out to be a dud.
The first thing you should consider is the working height of the truck. Different jobs will involve elevating workers to different heights, and the bucket truck you buy will need to reach at least that height. Bucket trucks tend to go up in price the bigger they are though, so you need to be careful not to buy a truck that has more reach than you will ever need. Larger trucks will be harder to maneuver into tight spaces too, so buying an over-sized truck may make jobs that could be done with a smaller truck difficult or impossible to do.
Secondly, you should be careful of the truck brand that you buy. The quality of bucket trucks can vary a great deal, so buying a brand with a well know reputation for quality and reliability is recommended. Name brands such as Altec, Terex, Versalift, and ETI are highly regarded, and buying a name brand truck can also make it easier to source parts. Do your research and find out as much as you can about the brand of any bucket truck that you are considering buying.
Thirdly, you should be careful of the dealer who you buy the truck from. Some dealers are notorious for shoddy practices that will cost you money and risk the safety of both you and your workers. Check the reputation of the dealer at online truck and equipment sites and ask other industry professionals in the area where the dealer operates about their reputation. Try to get as much independent information about the dealer as you can before having anything to do with them.
Before traveling large distances to look at a bucket truck that you are considering buying, ask the dealer to send you images and videos of the truck as well as copies of the truck’s servicing records. Get an independent and experienced mechanic to look the truck over and give you their verdict. And make sure that you actually give the truck a good look over yourself before agreeing to buy it.
Take the bucket truck out for a drive and find a place where you can put its lifter through its paces. If looking the truck over and testing it out means traveling long distances to where the truck dealer is located then just consider it the cost of doing business.
In addition to being a large financial investment, a bucket truck is also a business work tool and work environment. Buying a dud one can result in your ability to do quality work in a timely manner being affected. Take the time to make sure that the bucket truck that you end up buying is one that you will not have any regrets about.
