Oil&Steel access platforms proved to be a big hit at a very busy APF Exhibition – the UK’s largest arboriculture show – with the sales team kept extremely busy over all three days of the event.
There were Oil&Steel spider lifts and truck mount platforms on display at the show, which took place at Ragley Estate, Warwickshire, on September 19, 20, and 21.
Hird Sales, Oil&Steel’s authorised distributor in the UK, was extremely happy with the interest shown in both types of platform, and is now preparing quotes for scores of potential customers.
Carl Cooper, Hird Sales and After-Sales Manager at Hird Sales, said: “The exhibition was well attended and there were times when we thought everyone had come to our stand at the same time!
“To be honest, though, this was no surprise, as working at height on trees is becoming an increasingly critical safety and recruitment issue for tree surgeons. Both topics came up repeatedly at our stand.
“What was pleasing was that many of the APF Exhibition visitors we spoke to came to the conclusion that the Oil&Steel platforms we had on show were excellent solutions to the challenges they face.”
Compact design ideal for tree work
Hird Sales had two Oil&Steel spider cherry pickers on display at the show, the OctoPlus 17 and OctoPlus 21, while the truck mounted platforms on display were the Snake 2010 and the Scorpion 2013.
The Oil&Steel OctoPlus 17 spider lift has a maximum working height of 17m and a maximum outreach of 7.6m. as a tracked platform, it operates extremely well across rough and soft terrain.
The OctoPlus 21 provides a maximum working height of 20.7m and a maximum outreach of 10.6m, which is greater than rival platforms in the same working height class.
Both spider lifts are just 785mm wide when stowed for tracking and can be supplied with hydraulically widening tracks – so they are compact enough to be moved through dense woodland or along narrow paths to worksites, and can be adjusted to cope particularly tough terrain.
Truck mounts boost productivity
The Oil&Steel Scorpion 2013 has a telescopic boom with a maximum working height of 19.9m and a maximum outreach of 12.5m, with particularly fast set-up a stow functions.
The Oil&Steel Snake 2010H Plus has an articulating boom with a maximum height of 20m, a maximum outreach of 10.2m, and a capacity of 225kg. Its compact outrigger footprint makes it ideal for working in confined spaces.
Both are ideal for working on trees along roads and in parks – especially for regular maintenance tasks, where time is of the essence and operatives have to complete multiple tasks in one shift.
OctoPlus quality impresses tree surgeons
Visitors to the Oil&Steel stand were particularly impressed with the OctoPlus 21 spider cherry picker, said Carl Cooper, citing its excellent build quality, an essential feature for working across difficult ground.
He added: “Tree surgeons we spoke to were quick to point out the all-steel construction, with no aluminium or plastic panels that can be more easily damaged when supporting tree management tasks.
“They were also impressed that all cables, hydraulic hoses and drive systems were stowed inside the boom, eliminating the risk of them becoming snagged on branches.
“They also liked the wall tracking function that made it easier and safer to raise the boom vertically up the side of a building, and the homing function, which reduces the basket to a stowed position with one touch of a button.”
Best for safety and productivity
The Oil&Steel OctoPlus 21 particularly caught the eye because it was the largest platform in the OctoPlus range that could be towed on a trailer behind a 3.5t vehicle driven with a standard car licence.
Increasingly stringent safety regulations, both imposed by government and within the arboriculture industry, were encouraging more tree surgeons to move away from rope access to working from platforms, said Carl Cooper.
“Tree specialists could see that working from an Oil&Steel spider lift would be safer and, in many cases, more productive,” he said. “When working on trees made fragile by ash dieback, it is becoming essential.
“They could also see the opportunity to work from platforms would attract more younger people into the industry, many of whom might otherwise be put off by the risks associated with rope climbing.”
The Hird Sales team was pleased that tree surgeons were excited by the advantages provided by Oil&Steel spider lifts, which included competitive and affordable prices.
Find out more
Talk to Hird Sales today about Oil&Steel spider lifts and truck mount platforms. Telephone: 01482 481960. Or email: info@oil&steel.co.uk.