21.02.2005

The Rental Show 2005

The Rental show and American Rental Association convention was held in Las Vegas last week. Attendance was reasonable, although the number of overseas visitors this year was clearly down, most likely due to Conexpo.

We attended the show in order to provide you with an overview of the new products and news from the aisles.

The most significant trend visible at the show was the Refurbishment and recertification of old aerial lifts. JLG, Skyjack, Snorkel and Genie all offer some “refurb” programmes, allowing a company to buy a used machine and send it to the manufacturer for varying degrees of refurbishment right up to a total rebuild and recertification complete with warranty.
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JLG and Skyjack had examples of their rebuild work on show and it was hard to tell the old from the new. JLG and Skyjack stressed the fact that they offer the rebuild programmes for other brands of lift as well as their own. Skyjack will rebuild JLG, Genie and Snorkel as well as its own units for example. This trend certainly looks like it is gathering considerable momentum.

In terms of new products, the most dramatic was, without question, Genie’s Z135/70 it was far and away the largest item on display.
While this was the first public showing the 135 has been subject to a subject of a good deal of pre launch coverage, and a number of pre-production units have been out in the market for test and evaluation.
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However there is no avoiding the fact that this machine bristles with new ideas. The chassis for one, is made up of a central tub to which the slew bearing is attached and four heavy cast steel “legs” which are spread out once on site to create a four metre square mobile base.
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All four wheels steer, but have no mechanical connections between them, instead they use a position sensor on each wheels stub axle combined with a microprocessor to allow total freed to switch between crab, four wheel co-ordinated, front only or rear only steering configurations. Two large hydraulic cylinders close the legs in order to create a longer narrower (2.4m) chassis for easy transport. The only feature that this incredible chassis does not offer is an oscillating axle, but then it does not have axles as we know it.
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The lifting mechanism is made up a massive four section riser boom, which is operated by a single joystick that first of all raises it to its maximum angle, and then starts to randomly telescope the four sections using three separate hydraulic cylinders.
The top boom has two sections onto which is mounted a telescopic Jib which extends to a whopping six metres and offers 110 degrees of oscillation 70 degrees above horizontal and 40 degrees below. The lift mechanism provides 21 metres of outreach at a height of 9.8 metres or 18 metres at 23 metres.

Genie says that the Z-135/70 shares a large degree of its operational components with the smaller 120 and that most of the systems are similar.
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The other unusual detail is that the 360 continuous rotation uses two slew drives, aiming to reduce the amount of slop as well as allowing two smaller units from the 60 ft boom class adding to the commonality message. The first production units of this model will ship in early March "We have learnt our lesson, and we will not show a machine now unless we can start shipping it soon after" said Ward Bushnell, one of the three owners prior to the acquisition by Terex.
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Genie also had its new improved Runabout range on display, including the new GR20ft model.

On the JLG stand the hottest new product was the company’s first trailer lift the 12 metre working height T350 “Tow Pro” one of a two product line up, the other being the 17 metre T500J.

The T350 is a high spec unit with riser and telescopic boom providing up to six metres outreach even at low heights, hydraulic auto-level outriggers (with no manual override) and an unusual basket-to-the front, towing configuration. Which offers the advantage of placing the rear lights on the chassis and providing some protection for the cage from the towing vehicles slipstream.
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The downside however is that this is long for its type at over six metres. The unit was clearly subject to a great deal of attention to detail with black covers on everything including the outrigger cylinders.

One small but certainly popular improvement is the switch from plastic covers to steel on the company’s ES small scissor range.
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Snorkel was out in force with a large stand featuring most of its straight booms along with its electric scissors. Snorkel is emerging as an alternative boom producer to the two big companies particularly with its range of nine straight booms. Its refurbishment programme is gathering pace while raising revenues and profits.
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Skyjack had a boom on its stand, but this was a 1996 unit fresh out of its refurb programme which like that o Snorkel is generating a lit of positive comment. Skyjack are quite aggressive about what they can do and also at stressing its ability to rebuild competitors machines.
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Other news on the stand was that an additional new product development might just be ready for Conexpo, earlier than was planned., The 40 and 50 ft mid range scissor lifts first seen at last years Rental show are now in production.

UpRight had a range models on display built at its new factory in Mexicali Mexico and marketed under the UI brand. The New plant is now producing the full scissor range in volume and is just assembling its first larger boom model this week.
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Pierre Saubot the chairman of Pinguely Haulotte was the helping man his companies stand joining the new team headed by Tom Stachurski. One surprisingly strong product according to Saubot is the telehandler range from its Italian joint venture. The units have sold well and already developed a good reputation.
Another trend at the show was a move to lower cost smaller scissor lifts. Products that might take away another slice of the scaffold tower market.
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A new company at the show was Custom Equipment Inc, which has created a very special 3m platform height electric scissor with exceptionally low entry level, direct electric drive with a dual non marking castor front axle, the main point being that the unit avoids any scuffing on floors, so it will not ruck up carpets or smear highly waxed finishes, this latter point is helped by a very low GVW of around 700kgs.
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The company started out making scissor lifts for casket placement in Mausoleums, Joined by Ken Zimmer the previous long time head of Mayville’s sales and marketing it has branched out into this niche area where it is targeting Museums, schools and sports halls etc.

Another low cost unit with additional capability was the Mariotti a light weight tow able, push around scissor lift with outriggers, at first glance a product whose time has passed, until you think Scaffold tower rather than self propelled. The units are made by a joint Italian American business and with a list price starting at $7,900 they might well have a place in the market
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Biljax showed its two new trailer lifts, the all new 3632T telescopic model which it intends to have CE marked, the unit can not only be used as a platform but also comes with a hook attachment that converts it into a useful crane, The all telescopic lift mechanism, does provide excellent outreach for its height, but also makes it quite a long unit at 6.7 metres.
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The second unit is the 5021A a 17 metre model imported from UK company SEV, the producers of Aerial brand trailer and truck mounted lifts. The management from Tanfield, the new owners of SEV were at the show learning more about the market. In spite of the low dollar it seems that the Biljax -SEV relationship is as strong and successful as ever.
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A surprise product n the show was Dieci telehandlers, painted and badged in the livery of local manufacturer Xtreme. Xtreme is owned by Don Ahern who is also the largest independent aerial rental company in the USA. No formal agreements have been signed yet, but Xtreme will use the ARA and Conexpo as to show the products and test the waters. Xtreme builds heavy duty telehandlers with high end components, the latest unit is the XRM1154 with 5,000 kilos lift capacity and 16.4 metres maximum lift.
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We came across one pleasant surprise, many American companies produce superb mid sized trailers, with heavy duty construction and innovative tilt methods for loading equipment and at truly amazing prices. The Sad fact is that invariably when you ask the products are not designed to European road regulations.
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However at this years show, we discovered Landoll, and found that it sells several of its trailers in the UK, one unit in particular uses a “travelling axles” that pulls the trailer axles forward allowing the trailer bed to tilt to the ground providing a ramp without the need to separate loading ramps. For those of you visiting Conexpo, the company will be exhibiting so you can see the product for yourself

The new MEC scissors were out in force with sister company Equipment Parts Wholesale inc, the company are re-engineering the MEC product line with new components and more compact dimensions.
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Finally the ARA announced some preliminary results from its first in depth survey of the American rental market that it has commissioned, while only issuing some basic data the survey estimates the rental market to be worth around $24 billion, $13.5 of which is classified as “construction” which we were told largely comprises Aerial lifts and telehandlers. The forecast is for a further 20 percent growth over the next five years.
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