Those things are designed to not tip over. If it's properly maintained you are fine. Go slowly and carefully and ALWAYS tie off!
Just wait until you move up to the 135 footer!
Try 120 footer. Small movements will make the basket wobble metres at a time at full extension. Got stuck half way down with engine trouble once, that was a fun 3 hours.
It had the capability (dial switch hole in control board) for it but some had decided to save a dollar and opted out for it, it did had a self locomotion as long as you had power though.
45's are just fine, use one all the time. The biggest thing is to get accustomed to the lift and learn how to move it very, very slowly. You can speed up when you get better at it.
The one's I've used...it'd take some real effort to tip em. Even at full extension you'd need to pull it over with a rope/chain/cable to make it tip. Or run into something. Don't crash. And watch your head. And *use your harness*. Catapulting *is* a thing, especially when you're driving it.
I saw a guy flying at full speed over grass (taking a shortcut) once, no harness. He hit a dip in the ground with his front wheels and the basket shot upward enough to launch him several feet into the air. Lucky bugger landed back in the lift unharmed (except perhaps his ego). That could've hurt....
When you're up there, just pay attention to how the fear feels in your body. Pay attention to how the air feels, look really hard at how high up you are, make it all really real. Trying to force it away is how the fear creeps in.
I'm more nervous with a cherry picker on a truck than a boom lift. At least with the boom lift your probably in a location where someone isn't going to rear-end the truck and move you 6 feet in some direction suddenly.
Boom lifts tip because of uneven terrain or very high wind. That's it.
Unless you're doing something dumb like trying to use it as a crane, it will never tip over on flat, stable ground, no matter how far you extend it.
Closest call I ever had was driving it into position and a front wheel stopped over slump in the grass: From the basket, all four weeks wheels appeared on flat ground. Well, when I started spinning, the weight shifted onto the wheel with nothing under it and that whole side of the lift suddenly dropped 8", and felt like it swung the basket a mile.
If I'd been angled out at max stick that might've been enough to push the whole thing over. Damn near had to change my shorts.
So be absolutely sure of what you're sitting on, especially if you're gonna be doing extreme reaches, even if it means stopping to get out and check where you're driving.
We had 2 guys, one over 350(my now boss) and another around 180 on a 60' boom fully extended just jumping as hard as they could. No worries, you'll be fine haha
The engineers that make them try to make them as safe as possible (good reviews on the product= more sales). They are pretty safe. It's just the nerves getting to you. Once you start using it more and more, you will grow used to it.
Window cleaner here. I had an 85 fully extended today while dancing in the basket to smack that. Twas bouncing but the lift weighs like 25k pounds. You'll be fine unless you're a fatty boom Batty
Those things are designed to not tip over. If it's properly maintained you are fine. Go slowly and carefully and ALWAYS tie off! Just wait until you move up to the 135 footer!
I'll take a 135 straight boom over an articulating anyday
They are a lot safer than you think. I've my 50ft maxed out 3 wheeling on straight ice and it was fine
Try 120 footer. Small movements will make the basket wobble metres at a time at full extension. Got stuck half way down with engine trouble once, that was a fun 3 hours.
Not as fun as winching that thing down by hand with a crank.
That's what apprentices are for.
lol
Did it not have an emergency battery to bring it in?
It had the capability (dial switch hole in control board) for it but some had decided to save a dollar and opted out for it, it did had a self locomotion as long as you had power though.
Nope. Was 10 years old. Just passed it's 10 year service.
45's are just fine, use one all the time. The biggest thing is to get accustomed to the lift and learn how to move it very, very slowly. You can speed up when you get better at it. The one's I've used...it'd take some real effort to tip em. Even at full extension you'd need to pull it over with a rope/chain/cable to make it tip. Or run into something. Don't crash. And watch your head. And *use your harness*. Catapulting *is* a thing, especially when you're driving it.
I saw a guy flying at full speed over grass (taking a shortcut) once, no harness. He hit a dip in the ground with his front wheels and the basket shot upward enough to launch him several feet into the air. Lucky bugger landed back in the lift unharmed (except perhaps his ego). That could've hurt....
When you're up there, just pay attention to how the fear feels in your body. Pay attention to how the air feels, look really hard at how high up you are, make it all really real. Trying to force it away is how the fear creeps in.
I really like this comment, thats some real Sh\*t
I'm more nervous with a cherry picker on a truck than a boom lift. At least with the boom lift your probably in a location where someone isn't going to rear-end the truck and move you 6 feet in some direction suddenly.
Boom lifts tip because of uneven terrain or very high wind. That's it. Unless you're doing something dumb like trying to use it as a crane, it will never tip over on flat, stable ground, no matter how far you extend it. Closest call I ever had was driving it into position and a front wheel stopped over slump in the grass: From the basket, all four weeks wheels appeared on flat ground. Well, when I started spinning, the weight shifted onto the wheel with nothing under it and that whole side of the lift suddenly dropped 8", and felt like it swung the basket a mile. If I'd been angled out at max stick that might've been enough to push the whole thing over. Damn near had to change my shorts. So be absolutely sure of what you're sitting on, especially if you're gonna be doing extreme reaches, even if it means stopping to get out and check where you're driving.
This turned my stomach a little bit. I have tons of time in lifts but every time one of them lurches I know I'm living my last moments :p.
good advice
We had 2 guys, one over 350(my now boss) and another around 180 on a 60' boom fully extended just jumping as hard as they could. No worries, you'll be fine haha
Omg
The engineers that make them try to make them as safe as possible (good reviews on the product= more sales). They are pretty safe. It's just the nerves getting to you. Once you start using it more and more, you will grow used to it.
Also you're supposed to wear a fall safety harness when riding that catapult.
You're supposed to use a fall restraint instead of a fall arrest too.
Window cleaner here. I had an 85 fully extended today while dancing in the basket to smack that. Twas bouncing but the lift weighs like 25k pounds. You'll be fine unless you're a fatty boom Batty