How often do you use a mewp?

[Rupe]

Had this this week.

I like the ones that drive along, not so keen on ones with legs.

[Rupe]

And a few weeks ago had this 88footer

Rigging down a cedar with no high anchor points. At 88 feet the mewp was still under the canopy so rigging from below the crown was fun.

[Steve Bullman]

Good to read you Rupe.  Hope you're well.

 

Those self drive ones are the way to go if hiring in...specially if you have a long row of trees to cut back.

 

 

[Steve Bullman]

6 hours ago, SWORDSTA said:

I'm specifically referring to a large machine which can reach around a whole canopy and doesn't need to be moved.

Show me a mewp that will do this?

[Philip Anderson]

I've been converted to mewp s over the past 18 years ,before then we used to hire in machines which were old big when jacked and had little height and outreach.

our first machine was a second hand 17 m straight telescopic on a 4.5 ton chassis which served me well for 5 years .

we then bought a brand new 22m Ruthmann at £61k a big bite but spread out over 5 years cost no more than 1 climber per month to buy and run.

we ran this machine for 8 years and sold it for £21k not bad depreciation really ,we then purchased a 27m Ruthmann which we have had for 5 1/2 years now purchase cost £91k

we bought our own machines to have ultimate control really owner operated so not bashed about.

we use our machine on 60-70% of our jobs which are a mix of domestic and commercial with a decent outreach of 15m and a top height of 27m we can reach a lot .The machine is on a 3.5 ton cabstar chasssis and light enough to go across grass on ground boards if necessary .The set up time of this machine is less than 2 min and I can be at 27m in about the same time,ideal for take downs and reductions 

As an arborist in my fifties who started climbing at 17 I see the benefits of my mewp to extend my career working hands on with trees,I also contract out to other Tree company's as a hired in mewp with cutter/ operator.In addition to this chimney repairs church tower inspection etc can be an additional income when the machine is available.

i think most people's experiences of mewp s are from hiring in one which takes time to learn how to get the best out of them I myself prefer truck mounts to spyders but have used them.

safety wise they are very safe if jacked correctly and operated safely as a mewp not a crane.

Cost wise I build it in to my pricing structure many large access company's have 70m machines which are only on hire less than 50% of the time but they still make money.

I look at a mewp just like a chipper or truck just another piece of equipment to help make the job easier which I believe it does and will give Skyhuck a race any day!!

[Marula]

Show me a mewp that will do this?

We used to use the articulated truck mounted machines quite a bit and you could reach a whole canopy without moving it very often, even if we did have to move it, it was just a few minutes and we were back on the job.
My experience with the spider lifts was that they did need repositioning quite a bit, but I'm not that experienced with them so others may have had a bit more luck.

[benedmonds]

Another issue with using MEWPs all the time is that you don't get the experience climbing..  I see this as a big disadvantage for those jobs when you can't get a MEWP in..  When I was in NZ (this was 15 years ago) most of the climbers were Brits and the local guys were all in the MEWPs, they never got good enough climbing..

[Marksquirrell]

We have two 14m on 4x4 chassis. Being on utilities we do a lot of thorn and hedges and MEWPs are ideal for these. Second best use is to put a climber half way up into a tree [emoji23]

[Philip Anderson]

1 hour ago, benedmonds said:

Another issue with using MEWPs all the time is that you don't get the experience climbing..  I see this as a big disadvantage for those jobs when you can't get a MEWP in..  When I was in NZ (this was 15 years ago) most of the climbers were Brits and the local guys were all in the MEWPs, they never got good enough climbing..

Works both ways an occasional mewp user is just the same as an occasional climber A decent experience of both makes the best operative imo.

 

 

[benedmonds]

31 minutes ago, Philip Anderson said:

Works both ways an occasional mewp user is just the same as an occasional climber A decent experience of both makes the best operative imo.

 

 

That may be true, but you can put an experienced climber in a Mewp and they will pick it up pretty quick and could do most, if not all work as safely if not as quickly as the experienced MEWP operator.  But an experienced MEWP operator with little climbing is not going to jump up the massive tree with no MEWP access..  

 

My point is that sometimes only a climber will do and climbers need to learn the trade climbing, one of the best ways to get a hang of climbing is day in day out reducing street trees, WAH would say that these can be done with a MEWP so should be. Without experience on the easy (often MEWP accessible)  works climbers can't move on to the big horrible (inaccessible)  take-downs..