Rugged and dependable
 click to enlarge> Image 1: Eagle High Reach's rugged and dependable Lull 1044C-54. |
Subject : Lull 1044C-54 10,000-pound telescopic handler with 54-foot lift height, currently manufactured by JLG Industries.
Serial number : 99AB18P19649
Date in service : October 1999
Hours in service : 3,676
Equipment owner : Eagle High Reach and its sister company Idea Rentals cover the entire Southern California market from offices located in San Diego, La Mirada, and Bakerfield. Their fleet contains an extensive number of high reach aerials and telehandlers. Other telehandler brands in their fleet include Manitou and Gehl machines.
Service area : This Lull 1044C-54 is used by primarily by masonry and framing contractors in the southern California region.
Date of review : 7 / 28 / 04
Available since the 1950s, Lull material handlers have changed hands twice, most recently becoming part of the JLG Industries family. The Lull brand is best known for its unique TransactionT boom; and the 1044C-54, introduced in 1996, is the largest telehandler in the Lull product line at 10,000 pounds capacity and 54 feet of maximum lift height.
The Transaction boom allows the entire boom assembly to slide forward horizontally without moving the machine an inch. This design is accomplished by mounting the boom on a sub-frame to carry the entire assembly. Riding on massive rollers and rails, the carriage assembly can slide 80 inches forward on the main chassis without losing the 54-foot landing height.
Overall appearance
 click to enlarge> Image 2: Welds that were improperly de-scaled may have contributed to rust on the cylinders. |
Generally speaking this machine has held up exceptionally well-a paint job which has lost its luster is the only indication to give the unit's age away. My only real concern with its finish is that all of the cylinders showed evidence of rust where the welds join the cap to the barrel. (See Image 2.) My guess is that the welds weren't properly de-scaled or prepared for a finish by the cylinder vendor
Service and maintenance concerns
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Lull telehandlers are straight-forward machine's built like tanks. But it stands to reason that any machine with the ability to shift its boom assembly forward nearly 7 feet, has its own unique set of service issues. With so much riding on that assembly, service to it is critical for up-time. Failure to do so will mean major repair expenses.
Lots of grease is required on the Transaction assembly and the boom itself, which Eagle High Reach has done well to keep up with. Thanks to its design and good maintenance, very little boom wear was visible. In Image 3, you can also see the dual roller chains used to extend and retract the tip section of the boom. A hydraulic cylinder mounted inside the boom extends the intermediate boom section.
To service the machine, the hydraulic system test-ports for each individual circuit are accessed below the operator's cab. A set of LEDs screens help troubleshoot electrical problems. Image 4 gives you a good idea of what a technician will find when servicing this system. It looks a lot more complicated than it really is, but my biggest concern with this set-up has always been exposure of so many hoses and wires. I would expect that these hoses and wires could easily catch on something, but time and again, Lull telehandler owners have told that this is never a problem. According to Eagle High Reach, the same holds true for them.
A lot of extra hose, which receives a significant amount of stress, is required to support the Transaction boom. However, I couldn't find any evidence of premature wear or potential leak sites. This is due in large part to Lull's use of steel hydraulic lines wherever the design permits.
Behind the wheel
 click to enlarge> Image 6: The cab and its interior have stood up to almost 4,000 hours of service. |
Lull features an inline drive train. This particular unit was powered by a John Deere 6068DF 150B, 6.8 liter, 6 cylinder diesel engine producing 125 hp at 2,500 rpm. Although noisy, this work horse started right up without trouble. A ZF Industries 4-speed powershift transmission drives Dana-supplied axles. Range selection and response to shifts were strong with not a hint of slip or hesitation.
The cab and its interior has weathered the storm nicely. The operator seat, although spartan, is absent of any cracks and tears. Gauges and decals were all in excellent condition. The robust dual joysticks that control the boom functions looked new. Always impressed with the precise control new Lull telehandlers deliver, I found that even after almost 4,000 hours of service, the same was true on this unit. It's controls could not have been smoother.
Owner's impressions
Eagle High Reach is quite pleased with the overall performance and dependability of this Lull 1044C-54. In addition, they appreciate its rugged design and stability in the work environment. A review of service records shows that outside of normal maintenance, repairs have been limited to that caused by customer damage. Specifically, a couple of hydraulic fittings were broken off of the stabilizers. I looked at the location of these fittings to see if they could be protected in some way. But their current location is not that vulnerable to damage, so it appears that this was an isolated occurrence.
