Single Service Issue Fails to Tarnish
Subject: JLG 1350SJP; 135-foot platform height telescopic boom lift
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Image 1: JLG 1350SJP Ultra Boom owned by Illini Hi-Reach.
Serial Number: 0300065919; manufactured in 2003
Date in service:
Hours in service: 2,981
Equipment owner: Illini Hi-Reach,
Service area: Greater metropolitan
Date of review:
Illini Hi-Reach's 1350SJP unit has been at work since the day it was delivered in March 2003. It is currently being used on the expansion of the
Illini Hi-Reach has made a major commitment to the Ultra Series, investing in a total of nine 1350s and three 120-foot 1200SJP units. Larry Workman, president and owner of Illini Hi-Reach, believes in this product and its design concept. “The Ultra Booms are the best innovation I have seen since I started this business in 1993,” said Workman.
The JibPlus™ and SkyWelder™ features, even more than the height and reach capabilities of the Ultra Series, are what enabled Workman to develop a market for these products. JibPlus is JLG's exclusive rotating jib extension feature that allows 180° horizontal motion and +75°/-55° vertical motion. The SkyWelder package is an on-board welder located in the superstructure with the appropriate cable running to the platform, where the operator can plug in welding leads. According to Workman, these two features have been a big hit with steel erectors. All of his Ultra Series boom lifts and dozens more he has re-rented from Acme Lift (www.acmelift.com), have been rented almost exclusively on erection-related projects. Workman added, “Once they use the JibPlus, they're hooked.”
Appearance
On the job since the day it was delivered, this 1350SJP has spent lots of hours on very demanding projects. Welding and the slag and grit it produces make life tough on a power track. I noted that this one may need some care and attention soon. (See Image 2.)
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Image 2: Working conditions have not been kind to the external power track.
Generally, the paint finish seemed to be holding up, although the decals and finish on the upper control box looked a little worse for wear. The control box is made of a composite material, which decals have difficulty remaining adhered to. (See Image 3.) According to
Workman, this problem is common to all of its Ultra boom lifts. The only other noticeable degradation was on the holding valve block that makes up part of the JibPlus rotating drive. It appeared as if the metal had not been properly prepared prior to being painted.
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Image 3: Paint and decals on the upper control station are starting to peel.
Aside from this, the platform structure remains sound. The integrity of the latch and hinges on the inward swinging side-mounted entry gate are as good as could be expected under the demanding circumstances. As for the rest of the machine's structure, lockable upward swinging ABS type plastic doors make for easy service access. The pressurized struts keep them high and out of the way.
Service issues
A review of service records and discussions with the service staff at Illini Hi-Reach indicated few breakdown service calls with most service being routine maintenance. The exception was one major repair costing more than $2,000. The load sensing pin, which is the main component in the boom lift's envelope management system, failed and was replaced a year ago with 1,812 hours on the meter. None of the other Ultra Series boom lifts owned by Illini Hi-Lift has experienced a problem with the load sensing pin.
Other service issues include replacing a counterbalance valve on the jib in May 2004 at 1,512 hours and repairing a platform leveling hose in June 2005 at 2,850 hours. Other than that, there have been a few O-Ring replacements and loose fittings to repair.
The company has also made a few updates to the machine. The SkyWelder option was added a year after the boom was purchased, and software updates (Versions 4.3 and 5.3) to the microprocessor have refined the platform leveling system. Apparently,
minimal reductions in hydraulic flow to the leveling circuit when other functions were operating at peak demand. The software updates are intended to eliminate th e problem.
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Image 4: All hoses, cables, and wires running to the platform have maintained their integrity.
If not routed correctly, I would expect there to be problems with hoses running up the boom, especially on this machine, considering the quantity of hoses, welding cables and boom control wires. But as is evident in Image 4, JLG has done a good job routing the cable bundles and protecting these vital arteries.
Aside from the apparent unique failure of the load sensing, this machine has performed admirably.
Illini Hi-Reach has high praise for its investment in the Ultra Series, including this 1350SJP. According to the service staff, the key to staying on top of service issues and maintaining the machine's dependability is to really know and understand the machine. For example, the staff is aware that the machine's electronic tilt sensor is susceptible to calibration problems after bouncing the unit across
“I am extremely happy with the performance of the Ultra Booms and the return on investment I am realizing from them,” said Workman.
