Alum-a-pole/Ultra-Jack Questions/value

J2Jonner

Hello all.. I know I'm behind the times by still using wood poles and pump jacks.. but I have enought of them and only occasionally require the setup anyway. What do you guys think of the aluminum alternatives and what kind of value do you find they bring to the table? Anyone out there using a laminated wood pole for less bounce with a wood/steel pump setup? My pro/con list has started below, please add you thoughts!

Pros

Safety
Rigidity
Longevity
Weight
Storage (12' sections easy to store)

Cons

Price
Storage (potential theft from storage or jobsite)
Price....

Thanks,
Jon

747

Interesting question. I'm looking foward to see what the big boys post. I know on this old house they always subcontract out for that. They always have beautiful awesome scafaltine(spelling all messed up ) So outstanding it has like nets that will catch anything that falls. But them when you do historical renovations on old vics i would imagine subcontracting for that is the way to go. :Thumbs:

PS. Natham I agree with the spell check ideal.

mdshunk

I'm thinking this might boil down to: How much money do you want to spend? The aluminium ones are nice, and a bit lighter. BUT... the home made woods ones work fine too for a small fraction of the price. There might be an OSHA compliance issue mixed in there somewhere.

J2Jonner

OSHA compliance can be achieved with either system I beleive, only a few things being different (the max height and the allowed distance between supports I think). But I'm interested if anyone has seen an improvement in the job progress via time-savings from shorter setup time and/or increased employee efficiency due to a stiffer more comfortable staging. I figured some of the siding/window guys out there would have experiance to share. Anyone?

Cheers!
Jon

Tom R

I do all kinds of work, - - so I only have to 'set-up' about 2 or 3 times a year, - - so I decided against them, - - but I would say if you have to set-up anything more than 4 or 5 times a year, - - they're well worth getting.

__________________
http://www.tr-built.com

2b2s

I would never think of going 36 feet with wooden poles, but I never hesitate with my aluma-poles. When I bought mine I was doing a lot of Masonite siding. U could lay 40 pieces on the table and go, I am not sure u would want to try that with wood poles.

2b2s

buckhorn sider

I'm on alumi poles all the time for my siding jobs and they are fantastic. Plan to spend over 3 grand if you are getting the jacks, 2 24 ft poles, extensions and all the braces. The extensions which I use to get me to the 35 ft I sometimes need. They are very sturdy - I have been up in the air 40 ft with both wooden and aluminum and the difference is amazing. Bottom line - if you are going to use them often, go for the aluminum. Plus, one of the questions I was asked when I switched liability insurance was whether my scaffolding equipment was OSHA approved.

sidewaller

i am on poles and planks everyday. i would not want to be on anything other than aluminum staging. there is nothing that should come before safty . too many ppl have been hurt (some very bad). so i will NEVER be on wood staging. i think it is worth every penny you spend for it.

worknfool

1st fall was from 16' - undetected dry rot in a banded scaffold plank - fell into unbackfilled fndtn. excavation & was impaled by the straight claw of my Estwig hammer. Working late & alone trying to finish. That was the last wood plank I ever walked on Even w/ insurance accident cost me more time & $$ than the staging I ended up buying. Had numerous cursing sessions w/ steel jacks catching an expanded knot, etc. Got in the bad habit of shoving a small pry bar in between the traction bar & pole to clear jams. This of course would result in a sudden drop & catch that would tend to tighten the sphincter. Time wasted fool'n w/ uncooperative equipment cost unknown but never a problem w/ alum. system. Second fall, and the last time that I used a wood/steel system, Bobcat loader backed into my post while I was finishing a gable end about 20' up. I slid, bounced off of a porch roof and sliced open my hand trying to grab soomething on the way down. Wasn't the equipment's fault that time but I started staking a safety fence around our work area anytime I sub on large developements or have alot of other trades on site. Still I felt the alum. system would have stayed together better & possibly saved me a fall. I bought a 24'h x 24'w. system for a spec. house & had it pay for itself on that job. The 2nd job I used it on saw my 1st state safety insection in 20 yrs. Got a few warnings about extension cords but the inspector was quite pleased w/ the pumpjack-safety net- bench-staging and end panel setup. If you're small potatos like me and can't make a living sittin' in the hospital I can't see any choice. The safest is always the best. And w/ the awareness of most of the knuckleheads available if you have an employee using the equipment it's even more of a no brainer.

willbone3

We only use alum-a-pole the best, very stable

snapper21

I've got woodies for my setup as well. The only people I've seen (in most cases), with the alumapoles are usually siders, that setup all day every day.

__________________
Just the thought of not trying is a stroke of ignorance.

AtlanticWBConst

My vote as well. Great systems. We use Mutliple poles and picks to set up extended lengths. We use it so much that lately, it's never been in storage. Goes from Job to Job....
Highly recommended.


PS - Got one of our setups complete - with 25ft. poles, pumps, 2 picks along with everything else for $1700.00 from a supplier in NH.

__________________
- Build Well -

supercrew

Originally Posted by willbone3
We only use alum-a-pole the best, very stable

i used wooden poles a few times when i lived at lake of the ozarks....F*in scary.....i wooden go over 20' with um... ......the price you pay for the pump....the time wasted to "BUILD" 3 poles...(every job....unless you can haul around a few 40' 4x4) ....setting the 2'x3' piece of 3/4" on the shingles..(we was doing it on 12 pitches) ..bracing off at least every 10' ...and the wasted time getting over the nail points,knots and joints

i sided for 2 years straight with alum-a-poles and just the time saved in setting up is worth it...(anything thats over an 8' ladders reach)....way, way faster than ladders/jacks and 10x's safer than both combined....and more versital(sp)...

if you got the work to justify getting them....DO.....they will pay for themselves on EVERY job....

shop around when you decide to get them....find out all of the suppliers near you...i think you can do that here....http://www.alumapole.com/aap_catalog.asp.....

AtlanticWB....post that suppliers name if he ships.....i got to give a wish list for a setup and my GC paid around 4500 for 3-24', 3-12' poles, 3 extensions, 3 pumps, 3 upper brackets, 3 braces, 1-24' pick 1-28' pick (i wanted 2 20's & 2 16's foot picks)....with 2 work table arms...

Nail banger

Post were you got the staging

thesidingpro

I have a couple sets of the alum-a-pole ones and they work great. Especially with back work-bench/hand-rail.

With that said they sit in my back yard because unless needed I'd rather use my ladders with jacks on them.

Patrick

I'm just the opposite, I think pump jacks are well worth the setup time. I hate being on ladders.

dkillianjr

I've been looking at the aluma-poles latley myself. I use wooden poles with steel pumpjacks. I would love the aluminum set up but I really only use my pumps a couple times a year. The key with the wood ones is bracing and plenty of it I've been up as high as 38' on mine with a 4' step ladder tied to the plank. I think I lost a couple years off my life that day due to stress lol.


Dave

Patrick

You couldnt PAY me to step foot on any kind of wooden staging. NEVER NEVER NEVER WILL I EVER.

I must say though I am guilty of bringing a step ladder up top with me

thesidingpro

We used to do that until my old boss fell from about 25ft. I won't do it since that day.

You wouldn't catch me on the wooden pole setup either.

A W Smith

I have only one pair of alumapoles with aluma jacks and braces and two Werner 24 foot narrow decorator planks (because they are light and I am old) I got the setup about 14 years ago maybe longer around the time they went from fully riveted rubber to keyed rubber with no rivets. I still have 4 steel pump jacks that i have not used in about 12 years, Over the time I have been in construction I have walked on all manner of unsafe wooden scaffold and have been lucky, lanky and light enough to catch myself from near falls. Now days I'm not so much light anymore. I remember a time in my youth a roofer/sider (Nick Chilson) taught me how to carry 24 foot (wooden) poles in the upright position. You keep the pump jack stage arm about knee high, grab the arm with one hand. put your other hand as high up on the face of the wooden pole as you can than tilt toward you and pull up on the jack till the pole leaves the ground and carry it in a balancing act to its next position. Nick would carry the pole across the street to his next house like this upright (a new subdivision with underground service). I was in disbelieve when I first saw this. I then tried it with great success! It is easier than lowering the poles and then having to stand them back up!! Myself I use my right arm to pick the weight of the pole up and my left to guide and balance it. I haven't done it with a wood pole in 12 years and it seems the aluminum poles they get heavier with their age.

__________________
Al Smith
http://www.awsmith.com