We wrote recently about ways to accessorize your bucket truck – bucket covers and tool trays to name a couple (see blog titled Accessorizing Your Bucket Truck - Part II). You also might want to see about a thigh brace that provides leg support. Working in your bucket can be tough on your back. The thigh brace helps to relieve back strain by giving you something to lean against. In other words, the thigh brace is a cost-effective alternative that provides the same benefit as the more expense toe-space design some buckets have. Either option achieves the same end-result which is to … [Read more...]
Accessorizing Your Bucket Truck – Part I
Your bucket truck may be a fine-tuned machine, doing all that you ask of it. But you might want to accessorize it -- let’s start with a basic necessity. Have you ever stepped into your bucket and got your boots wet? A bucket cover is a simple solution. A vinyl bucket cover will keep your bucket dry and it’s reasonably priced. You can improve the performance of a basic bucket cover with enhancements that keep rain water from pooling on top – some are foam-filled, and some have a pocket underneath for a wood slat that maintains top support. And they come in a variety of colors to fit … [Read more...]
Utility Truck Hydraulics
We were looking at activity on our website and discovered that lots of you are looking for information about hydraulics. Since hydraulic power is key to a number of pieces of utility equipment work: Tiiger Pole Pullers and Cubes Bucket Truck Booms Digger Derricks we thought we would gather some of our best resources into a single place. Read on to learn more about utility equipment hydraulics, parts, and maintenance. Bucket Trucks Bucket trucks have an extendable boom and a bucket (large enough to hold a person) attached at the end. The boom is raised and lowered and/or … [Read more...]
History of Digger Derricks – Part II
If you had a chance to read History of Digger Derricks, Part 1, you know that a digger derrick is essentially a mobile machine with a digger derrick mounted on a truck chassis. It is extremely large due to the physical dimensions and heavy weight of the attached boom pedestal and booms, the hydraulic motor, auger, and accessories. The digger truck has a powerful engine to multiply the torque and control the hydraulic system, which in turn directs the rotational capacity of the auger. We gave a brief history starting in the early days of electrification when power line construction was a … [Read more...]
History of Digger Derricks – Part I
Digger derricks are used mainly in the electrical, telecommunications, and cable fields, as well as in the construction industry. Derrick trucks feature an auger that drills the hole, and pole clamps to grasp the pole as it is being inserted. The main components of a digger derrick are the pedestal, the turntable, the booms, the cylinders for boom control, the outriggers or stabilizers, the digger motor, the auger and auger teeth, and the controls. From digging to lifting, these trucks are designed to literally do it all. The rotating hex-shaft auger is specifically designed to … [Read more...]