Have to tell you we purchased a new Darley with a 2000 gal/min pump and it is one hell of a truck...we have room for a full attack team and officer as well as the operator....Love it........and of course we still have a 1929 Sanford...and it still pumps water ....that old dog just won't die....saving it for parades and the like now though....
All 4 of our front line engines and our 2 tankers are Seagraves, 3 out of 4 of our trucks are Pierce, and our second line engines are from Pierce and Smeal.
I was brought up on Open Cab Seagraves. My volunteer department switched to E-One in 1980's. Since my reitremnt from career department (Pierce), the company I work for is an E-One delaer.
As for your question about E-1 going down the cramper...i work for an E-1 dealer, we have not heard anything. I know we have diffiuclty gettting parts (should I say the correct parts). They had a management change about 3 months ago and were/are reforming organization. If things dont get turned around, they might end up going bye-bye. One of our sister compines is a Rosenbaur dealer. Never know I might being seller differnt fire truck line next year. Will wait and see...
Well lets see.When I was growing up my fire district had 4 American LaFrance Pumpers,Both my Grandfathers Companies Had them and so did my Great-Grandfathers Company in Pa.So my hands down Favorite has to be ALF.But Now We have A '91 Sutphen Pumper,A '97 Marion/International Rescue & A '06 Ferrara Pumper,to replace our '86 LaFrance. The Sutphen has had a few problems(it died and locked up @ 55mph),the Rescue is actually pretty reliable with no major problems,And(for me anyway)the Jury is still out on our Ferrara.Lets just say I'm not to crazy about the computerized pump controls,and as someone who's been climbing on fire trucks since he could walk,its damn near impossible to get on top of the thing to the Deluge Gun.
Permalink Reply by Mike on January 19, 2008 at 11:08pm
For engines: Kovatch or Pierce; For ARFF: Oshkosh no doubt; Rescue: Pierce; Water Tender: Kovatch or Pierce; Wildland: Boise Mobile Equipment. Boise Mobile Equipment also manufactures phenomenal specialty rigs. My $.02 Mike