Able Equipment Rental has added North America’s first ReachMaster Falcon FS170T atrium lift to its rental fleet.
Billed as the world’s tallest compact lift, the FS170T offers 170’7” working height (166’0” to the bottom of the platform), up to 52’6” of horizontal reach, and 440-lb. platform capacity from an electrically powered, rubber-tracked rig that fits through a standard double doorway.
Dave Mansbart, lead trainer and equipment specialist at Able, says the ReachMaster Falcon FS170T provides almost as much reach as self-propelled boom lifts that are twice as wide, twice as heavy, and use diesel engines. “The FS170T weighs less than 30,000 lbs. and compacts to just 4’0” wide, 6’11” high, and 30’6” long for travel,” said Mansbart.
The new FS170T is the eighth, and largest, ReachMaster Falcon atrium lift in Able Equipment’s fleet. Owner Steve Laganas bought Able’s fist ReachMaster Falcon, a 105-ft. FS105, in 2013 because he saw a rising demand for access applications that required significant working height but had extreme size and weight restrictions. Laganas thought compact atrium lifts were an excellent answer.
Compact lifts are changing how entire industries work today. In many cases, window cleaners no longer need to hang from a rope, but have their feet safely planted in a basket while being able to reach a much larger working range.
Airports, convention centers, stadia, shopping malls, hotels, museums, and other large facilities no longer have to close down an entire section for weeks to erect scaffolding, but can move lifts in and out of an area to conduct work during off hours.
Even tree-care professionals are benefiting. They no longer have to climb hazardous old dead trees, thanks to compact lifts that can fit almost anywhere.
Any job that combines the need for significant work height, limited access, and low ground pressure represents a prime application for compact lift equipment.
For its capacity and working envelope, the ReachMaster FS170T is light on its feet. Its two pairs of rubber-tracked crawlers bring ground-bearing pressure down to 12.1 psi on soft ground or 17 psi on hard surfaces. The crawlers will climb a 20° grade, and the front crawlers tilt to smooth out travel when cresting grades. Travel is controlled by a wireless remote control that lets the operator move freely to the best vantage points anytime during travel.
Its outriggers can set themselves and automatically level the machine in minutes. In their normal symmetric locations, they form a 13.3’ x 13.3’ footprint. But the outriggers can also be placed in narrow configuration when space restrictions require. In either case, maximum ground pressure under any outrigger is 51.2 psi.
The outriggers have enough vertical travel that they can be lowered to the ground and used to raise the machine off a 34-in.-high trailer so the transport vehicle can drive out from beneath the lift, eliminating the need to load and unload using a ramp.
The FS170T is equipped with a diesel engine, 24V DC lithium batteries, and an on-board charger. The diesel is designed for outside travel, and the lithium batteries for inside travel. Once the battery charger is plugged into 110V or 220V wall power, the machine can work continuously exhaust-free from the 24V DC electrical system.
The eight-section, full-power boom telescopes to 146 ft. and the two-section jib mounted to its top unfolds to 20 ft. The jib articulates up to 200°, the basket can rotate 90° left and 90° right around the jib tip, and the turret rotates 375° non-continuous. Together, the turret rotation, boom extension, jib articulation, and platform rotation enable the operator to maneuver the platform into almost any work area.
The platform measures 2’7” x 4’7” and is rated for two people or a maximum of 440 lbs. The electronic/hydraulic controls make operation smooth and easy, and an on-board computer monitors operation to keep the machine in its safe working area. A 110V outlet and an air/water line come standard in the platform. A simple and efficient drop-bar closure makes entry easy.
In addition to the Falcon atrium lifts, Able’s fleet of aerial work platforms also includes 59- and 72-ft. BlueLift compact tracked lifts, and its overall range of equipment comprises everything from compressors and generators, to earthmoving equipment, forklifts, telehandlers, and mini-cranes.
The company operates three locations. In addition to its headquarters in Deer Park, N.Y., the company has offices in Edison, N.J., and in Pennsauken, N.J. near Philadelphia.
However, the company rents equipment nationwide. Owner Steve Laganas said, “ReachMaster lifts are one of my best niche items, they have tremendous return on investment, and I’m renting them not just regionally, but nationally.”
Able has purchased all of its ReachMaster and BlueLift equipment from ReachMaster Inc., Kingwood, Texas. ReachMaster is North America’s exclusive distributor for both of those product lines.
Ebbe Christensen, president of ReachMaster Inc., said, “Steve Laganas and Able equipment both exude innovation and are constantly looking outside of the box to serve customers at the highest levels. We are grateful for their partnership and support of ReachMaster over the years.”
Christensen says that the recent delivery of the FS170T gives Able Equipment Rental the largest and most diverse fleet of ReachMaster lifts available for rent in North America.
Lift & Access is part of the Catalyst Communications Network publication family.
