towable lifts

[Batch]

Anyone use towable or trailer mounted lifts?

I thought about these for awhile and even ran into a company that had sold all of their truck mounted equipment in favor of the towable lifts.

They can be towed to job site by most vehicles. So if you have a truck down you can just use another truck.

Many are designed to fit through doors and be used inside where counters, desks or displays might not allow the use of scissor lifts or even ladders.

Some models even have jibs (though most lifting capacity for the entire platforms is restricted to 500lbs.

Can be towed behind your crane to use in conjunction with it.

Anyway I wondered if anyone here uses them?

[imanut]

Anyone use towable or trailer mounted lifts?

I thought about these for awhile and even ran into a company that had sold all of their truck mounted equipment in favor of the towable lifts.

They can be towed to job site by most vehicles. So if you have a truck down you can just use another truck.

Many are designed to fit through doors and be used inside where counters, desks or displays might not allow the use of scissor lifts or even ladders.

Some models even have jibs (though most lifting capacity for the entire platforms is restricted to 500lbs.

Can be towed behind your crane to use in conjunction with it.

Anyway I wondered if anyone here uses them?

Never used one of those-------but have used trailer mounted cranes. Had outriggers, power plant, welder, etc. Just didn't need CDL's for towing a trailer, nor the HUGE insurance for a crane truck, etc, etc. Nice difference from "truck mounted equipment".

gn

[Erik Sine]

Home Depot Rents these out for $200 a day

[B.O.P.]

Home Depot Rents these out for $200 a day

Interesting, I did not know that!

I never gave much thought to towable lifts and cranes, just the usual flat bed trailers for hauling finished signs to the job site. Although I have no use for such equipment any more, that idea sounds like something I would have jumped on. Depending on how big the trailer rig is, a pick up truck could easily tow it! I'm with Gary on this one: It would be a lot less expense to own and operate. You could have 2 or 3 trailer rigs and only need one truck. And if for some reason you needed 2 of the rigs at the same job site and it was too far away to make a quick round trip with the second trailer, rent a U-Haul Van for the day to tow the second trailer with. It would be a lot cheaper in the long run than the insurance and upkeep on an equipment-specific bigger truck.

[shooter]

I have used them before. If you're in a flat parking lot with no obstructions. They can work fine.

I have found them to be extremely difficult to get into position to do the job. When I first started, I thought this would be a reasonable alternative to a truck mounted crane or lift. After trying them out, I decided against it and went with the standard truck mounted crane and truck mounted lift.

[shooter]

http://www.signweb.com/stmg/forum/viewtopic.php?t=62848

More input on the subject

[imanut]

I have used them before. If you're in a flat parking lot with no obstructions. They can work fine.

I have found them to be extremely difficult to get into position to do the job. When I first started, I thought this would be a reasonable alternative to a truck mounted crane or lift. After trying them out, I decided against it and went with the standard truck mounted crane and truck mounted lift.

Well, the two I used had outriggers just like a truck, made no difference if the lot was flat or not. Getting into postion a problem?? No more difficult------------than a truck. It probably all goes back to the rig, the trailer, and how its set up.

gn

[shooter]

Well, the two I used had outriggers just like a truck, made no difference if the lot was flat or not. Getting into postion a problem?? No more difficult------------than a truck. It probably all goes back to the rig, the trailer, and how its set up.

gn

Have you tried parallel parking your truck and trailer with the towable lift on Main Street to get at a storefront sign that need service or installation? Or maybe going across some rough terrain to get a new pylon installation?

The reason I made reference to a parking lot wasn't because it was level. It was because of not having any obstructions.

Having used both,I was simply offering my experience as to the question asked.Yes, working off a towable lift is much better than working off of a ladder,but for me, the cost savings of insurance do not offset the constant hassle of trying to get a towable lift, where I needed to be.

I'm sure this is the main reason Why you don't see more towble lifts at sign Companies.

[Erik Sine]

Here in San Diego I'm starting to see more towable lifts for sign companies. Even companies who have the Elliots, they have added a few trailers or towables to their fleets.

Here in one in particular I would like to get. This could have saved me some danger for a monument sign insert install that I could not have gotten a truck into the area.

http://www.biljax.com/News/NPage88.aspx

you can even use it to lift some heavy items up

[fishing nut]

Home > News > Article Lift collapse kills one man, injure another

August 07, 2007

One Middletown man died and another was in critical condition after a hydraulic lift collapsed yesterday at Rockland County Community College.

Detective Lieutenant Louis Falco of Rockland Sheriff's Office said Dale Post, 54, and 30-year-old Williams S. Maxwell were installing a sign about 11:40 a.m. on the east wall of the college's field house when a piston on the lift failed.

Falco said both men were up in the lift when it came down.

A young man who had come out of a summer camp at the field house heard moaning and found the men. Post died at the scene, Falco said. An ambulance took Maxwell to Good Samaritan Hospital where officials said he was in critical condition today.

The men worked for Lite-Bright Signs in Middletown. Employees at the shop wouldn't comment today, and the owner hasn't responded to a request for an interview. While the project was at the college, it was contracted through Rockland County. CJ Miller, spokeswoman for the county executive's office, said the men were subcontractors, hanging a sign to identify the field house.

"It was just a simple project that went horribly wrong," Miller said.

The sheriff's office is investigating along with the Occupational Health and Safety Administration.

This happened in early August. Both men were friends of mine and the owner is one of my best friends. He is not allowed to comment to reports by order of his lawyer. The piston collapsed while they were 25ft up and they were trapped by the safety gear with the lift on top of them. It was a tow behind unit and the pistons were just rebuilt by a reputable company who is in deep do-do rite now. Bill is out of the hospital now and said that if they didn't have the safety gear on they would have been thrown clear and maybe just broke a leg or arm. I will post pictures as soon as Carm says I can. Pretty gruesome. They were all done with the job and coming down when it all happened.They didnt mention that it was 45 minuites after it happened that they were found.

If you do use these be very carefull.

[imanut]

Ouch--that is sad. Really makes not difference if its a tow behind or not. My bro was in a similar---except a ladder/crane rig. Cable snapped and the basket came flying back in-----he took a flying leap after it hit bottom and manged to survive. And this was for a company that yearly had their equipment professionally serviced. Scary indeed.

gn

[Erik Sine]

Though it is a safety hazard I never wear a harness on a lift, unless it's one of those single man squirrely baskets used for a crane that you have to manually screw down to keep upright.

I'm taking my chances jumping off away form the lift

[shooter]

Here in San Diego I'm starting to see more towable lifts for sign companies. Even companies who have the Elliots, they have added a few trailers or towables to their fleets.

Here in one in particular I would like to get. This could have saved me some danger for a monument sign insert install that I could not have gotten a truck into the area.

http://www.biljax.com/News/NPage88.aspx

you can even use it to lift some heavy items up

It definitely would come in handy if you can't get your truck to the area. But on your standard fluorescent lamp change service call, I would be done with mine and onto the next one, Before you got your equipment unloaded and reloaded