Understated Dependability
Image 1:AERO's JLG 26MRT scissor lift.
Subject: JLG 26MRT medium rough-terrain scissor lift with 26-foot platform height, manufactured by JLG Industries,
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Serial Number: 0200055536
Date manufactured:
Hours in service: 1,474 total hours
Equipment owner: AERO Automatic Sprinkler Company,
Service area:
Date of review:
AERO Automatic Sprinkler Company,
Although AERO is not the original owner of this scissor lift, it has been in their fleet for more than three years. The original owner was Empire Machinery, a Cat dealer in
AERO transports this unit all over the Southwest and it has been worked hard, despite the deceptively low number of hours it has logged. Many classify this type of scissor lift as a compact RT machine. It features a 1,000-pound platform capacity, with 250 pounds allowed on the 36-inch roll-out deck.
I had a chance to get a peak at the first prototype of the MRT in 1995. The unit proved popular, with strong sales until May 2000 when it was replaced by the 260MRT. (The 260MRT, also a compact RT scissor, features several improvements. The more noteworthy upgrades are a larger deck with four-foot deck extension, 1,250-pound capacity, standard four-wheel drive, and a water-cooled Kubota engine.) I believe the 26MRT is the only scissor lift ever produced by JLG that utilizes a differential drive—a Dana-supplied positive lock differential drive. Don't discount the fact that this unit features two-wheel drive. It has power to go just about anywhere—I've seen it conquer the mud and steep slopes.
Surface inspection
AERO's 26MRT looks like it has been well used. Steel swing-up hoods that protect the engine on one side and fuel and hydraulic tanks on the other are in bad shape. Their condition is due partly to their design—they are hinged at the top and swing outwards away from the machine. The only other cosmetic problem is damage to the rungs on the entry steps. The rungs protrude from the back of the machine, making them susceptible to abuse. Despite the robust material from which the rungs are built, they have taken quite a beating on this machine.
Image 2: The heavy duty diamond plate steel deck shows not nicks or dents.
The steel diamond plate deck, on the other hand, as withstood it all. Imagine how many wrenches and pieces of pipe have been dropped on it over the course of three years in this application. Rolling out the 36-inch deck, however, was a bit of a struggle. The rollers are supposed to be grease-free, but the unit would benefit from the application of more than just elbow grease. JLG uses a waist high hand release to lock the deck in stowed and extended positions. Although I like the way the release works, it didn't provide enough leverage to slide deck in its current state of repair. I found myself reaching across to the other side to try to provide more leverage. Despite the fact that sprinkler fitters are hard on guardrails—they are frequently used to support heavy sections of pipe—notice that this unit's rails remain straight as an arrow. (See Image 1.)
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Despite fading, the paint job has served its purpose. I found minimal rust on the unit. Control labels were faded but legible, while warning decals remained bright and easy to read.
Image 3: Only an alternator belt has failed on this wonderful Dihatsu engine.
This unit is powered by a water-cooled Dihatsu gas/propane engine. It was quiet running and has only had one service problem—the replacement of an alternator belt. The engine drives a closed-loop Rexroth hydrostatic drive. I loved the way this little 23 hp power plant started right up and hummed a happy tune.
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Image 4: The upper controls show an acceptable level of wear.
The metal upper control box has retained its shape, but the boot of the joystick has worn through. The large joystick controls drive and lift functions and a thumb rocker switch controls steering. According to AERO, the worn boot has not yet posed a problem.
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Owner's impressions
AERO's service department had only two complaints. One is an operational issue. Although this unit is narrow enough to pass through a set of double doors, it is not short enough to do so without fold-down guardrails. The rails can be removed from the platform, but they are fixed to the deck extension, so to get through the door, the entire deck extension has to be removed.
Image 5: Additional support is needed on the upper control box to protect the cable connector.
The second complaint is more of a service issue related to the location of the platform control box. The only thing supporting the back of the control box is the cable connector, which has resulted in the connector pins breaking. In the future, the service techs plan to weld an intermediate horizontal guard rail to provide better support to the box.
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AERO's fleet manager and head of maintenance were both complimentary overall of the 26MRT's record. In particular, they are impressed with the way the guardrails have held up on the job.
“Our company really likes JLG scissor lifts and the 26MRT has been very dependable,” said Jim Goodman, fleet manager. “Our lifts have to be dependable because we send them all over the Southwest,” he added. After reviewing this unit's service records, I would say this is an understatement. Besides the items already mentioned, the only other repair was to the swing-up hoods. Total repairs not associated with normal preventative maintenance took less than 12 hours to perform and cost about $100 in parts.
