WE ARE PURCASING A 75' QUINT, ANY PRO/CON ON MANUFACTURES

LOOKING FOR INFO, ON TRUCK BRANDS AND THEIR PRO'S AND CON'S.
90% OF OUR FLEET IS PIERCE. THE LAST 2 WE HAVE PURCHASED FROM
LA FRANCE. IMPUTE ON QUALITY AND RELIABILITY WOULD BE GREAT.
THANKS.

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Permalink Reply by DEADENDDUCKY on March 31, 2008 at 10:25pm

ANY ONE

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Permalink Reply by Angela Lee on April 1, 2008 at 12:24am

We got the opportunity to see a sutphen quint and it was awesome. It was really to pump in less then a minute. I would check there.

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Permalink Reply by Engine 32 Capt. on April 1, 2008 at 11:02pm

We have a 75' Seagrave Meanstick at station one. We haven't had any problems with it at all. The ladder is very sturdy and extends/retracts smoothly.

The most important thing (I think) is to make sure you get enough horsepower to move it. I see too many departments that get trucks with small engines and then they complain because the truck is a slug. I realize that speed isn't everything, but you definitely need horsepower to move a truck company.

Good luck and happy hunting.

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Permalink Reply by Dennis Hale on April 1, 2008 at 11:46pm

Pierce makes solid trucks...they are manufactured by OshKosh Truck in Wisconsin which is a very well known company...Sutphen trucks are well made as well...a company near me just got a Crimson truck last year and it is constantly at the repair shop...I'm not too sure about LaFrance...they used to make goot apparatus but I'm not sure how things will go now that they declared bankruptcy...Seagrave makes a solid truck as well...I hope this helps somewhat...Good Luck

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Permalink Reply by Engine 32 Capt. on April 2, 2008 at 3:46am

Not a big KME fan myself. We just retired two KME engines and they were both junk. Just my 2 cents...

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Permalink Reply by DEADENDDUCKY on April 2, 2008 at 11:00am

THANKS FOR THE INFO WE DON'T HAVE ANY SEAGRAVES IN THE AREA. SO THE INPUT WAS AND IS GOOD INFO. AS FOR KME THE 2 THAT OUR NEIGHBORING DEPT. HAS ARE ALSO IN THE SHOP ALL THE TIME.

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Permalink Reply by DEADENDDUCKY on April 2, 2008 at 11:03am

WE WERE SERIOUSLY LOOKING AT A LAFRANCE TILL THE BANKRUPTCY. WILL SEE WHAT HAPPENS, WE ARE NOT LOOKING AT THEM NOW. I HOPE THEY CAN STAY IN BUSINESS.

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Permalink Reply by DEADENDDUCKY on April 3, 2008 at 6:09am

THANKS FOR YOUR OPINION. WE ARE NOT LOOKING AT A LAFRANCE NOW, BECAUSE OF THE BANKRUPTCY. THE ENGINE AND TANKER WE HAVE FROM THEM HAVE BEEN GOOD TRUCKS SO FAR. BUT THEY ARE NOT HOUSED AT A VERY BUSY STATION EITHER. WE HAVE SEVEN PIERCE TRUCKS, THEY HAVE HAD THERE ISSUES OVER THE YEARS, ALTHOUGH MOSTLY MINOR PROBLEMS NOT KEEPING THEM OUT OF SERVICE. I AM GLAD TO SEE SOME ONE HAS GOOD LUCK WITH THEIR KME'S. THANKS FOR YOUR IMPUTE ONCE AGAIN.

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Permalink Reply by Marc Hansen on April 7, 2008 at 11:02am

We have 3 KME chasis and havent had much problems with them that is the manufacturers problem. 1 (Rescue) was involved in collision and the only problems that we had with the ladder was human error, not setting the truck up properly and heat damage. The only consistent problem with the KME's that we have had is with the equipment door sensors and hydralic ladder rack sensor on the engine. When our ladder truck developed a leaking outrigger cylinder KME sent someone to our house to fix the leak after several leaks at the same cylinder KME replaced the entire cylinder. It was later found to have a defect at the seal seat that ruined the seals.
Another department that I was in had a pierce ladder that the turntable gear broke teeth off in less than 10 years but other than that has proven to be dependable. As far as horsepower get all you can that engine has to run a pump and a ladder, you can electronically govern speed.

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Permalink Reply by Jeff on April 7, 2008 at 11:17am

they just need more training to work out to problems , here a pic of the engine which marc was talking about, i have all the pics on my pic page

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Permalink Reply by Jason G on April 7, 2008 at 3:46pm

I have worked off of 5 different E-One ladder trucks ranging from the HP-75, HP100 and also the 100 RLP Bronto. They have been good to me, never let me down and come with your choice of powerful Detroit or Cummins. You speck the truck from the pump to the motor.

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Permalink Reply by John Loveland on April 7, 2008 at 6:38pm

I would give E-ONE a good look. We have a 100 foot e-one and it has never let us down. The steering radius on it is awesome. If you have tight streets e-one is the truck to get. We can make many tight turns and never go into the other lane.