Thanks for the answers, it helps a lot, next question, which is better, the rollers for the boom's sections or the slide guides, I've seen them both ways, the slides maybe more than the rollers, nobody has ever really said other than when the slide guides get worn, the booms don't extend and retract like they should, but I'm told the slides are easier to repair.
As for the size and lift, I originally wanted that 5000 lb and between 28-34 feet, to me, its got more to do with the overall size than the lift per say. Right now I don't have any telehandler, so anything would be an upgrade. To my current needs, I am wanting something over 20 feet, how much more, I'm not really sure at this time, yea the more the better, to a point, then it gets to where its too large to do 50% of what I need to do, cause its physically too large to get in where I need to. I'm wanting a jib boom to raise rafters, but I only have one large building to do, sometime in the next few years, otherwise its just mainly remodeling and renovation and the height is for a work platform more than physically lifting anything. I need to do painting of some buildings, right today, 35 feet high would be plenty good for most anything I'd have to do.
As for the price range, the cheaper the better, two reasons, first is I really don't know what I want in a machine, let alone after I'd get it, what other jobs I'd have for a machine if it were larger or with more height, once I figured out exactly what I wanted, I could always upgrade, we've rented a couple of gehl 553 size machines, with 34 feet of lift, worked great and I thought it was about the idea size, but I only used it a few days, also rented a couple of jcb 506 machines, not as handy or compact as the gehl, but worked fine. I was thinking somewhere in the 5-12k range in price, something to use for a few hundred hours till I figured out exactly what it was I wanted, I've checked on renting or leasing, and unless its an almost new if not new, its not an option, and I'm not wanting or affording that much of a machine, let alone justify one that high priced. Some of the gradall machines, older ones sell for my price range, is why I was asking about them, most cats are higher priced, same as the skytrak's and gehls, terex isn't overly high priced, from the auction results I've looked at. This machine in all reality wouldn't get more than 50 hours per year on the hour meter, but a lot of hours up in air with someone in the basket, weeks worth of time spent using it for a areal lift and the engine shut off. After I figured out exactly what it is I wanted I could always upgrade, sell the old one at auction and move on, was my thought, rather than spend 15-25k on a used one to only find out, I hated it and wanted something completely different for size and lift height or options or whatever.
I have rented aerial lifts in the past, mostly less than 32 feet in height and did anything I needed doing, just they are few and far between, that and a total pain to keep working, with all the electronic controls and switches.
