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I need information concerning the purchase of pump jacks. I am a light commerical and small residential type of home Improvement company. I seldom use them but see the need to have quick and reasonable access such as renovations as windows, siding, and brick pointup work. New aluma-pole ($1,300) units are advertised as the be alls but price is prohibitive for how hard, I use them. But the old wood based system can be setup for ($300). Clearly falling is most expensive situation. I need comments on the whether wood system is short on functioning, what are their maintence requirements, can they be used to attach to brick veneered buildings?
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nasaum - I've got 4 pumpjacks, 2 I've had for 20 years and 2 I bought last year for a job. They work fine. Just try to use real dry 2x4s or they will bind up when you try to crank them back down. The only problem I see with them is that you have to anchor the top of the posts to the building. We have always just used pieces of plywood with square holes in them, maybe there is a better way. - jb
*Like Jim, I've used them for several years. When you need them, they work nicely. I attach them to the facia with the arms that come from the manufacturer.Again, I'll second Jim with his notes regarding wood selection. Discard and replace any funky looking wood. You'll develop a knack for when cross-bracing is required, and use it when it is needed. I only have the pump and the arms. No base attachments.Use caution, and if you do find yourself up high on a regular basis, do try to upgrade to Aluminum.
*Thanks for your response. I really appreciate the time you spent answering my response.
*Thanks for your reply. I am really enjoying this internet/contractor experience.
*Jim, could you please elaborate on that bit about the plywood with square holes?I have never seen this done where I am located but I believe I saw this a few months ago on vacation in North Carolina.Since I was only able to glimpse it at 65mph about 100 yards away I am curious about it's installation and level of "scariness". If I remember right,I saw it used on new construction about 4 stories high.Thanks for the details,Stephen
*Hey Stephen - I use 3/4" plywood about 4'x2' that I nail either to a cleat nailed high on the wall, to the top of the roof sheating if building hasn't been roofed yet or sometimes under the barge board. Any way, if it's nailed to a cleat, the plywood is level, so the hole should be 3+1/4 x 3+3/4 (just big enough for the 2-2x4 post to go through, but not sloppy. When the plywood is installed on an angle, the hole has to be modified because of the slant of the hole. The length of the pole is limited only by your daring. I have used these jacks on a two story addition with a daylight basement - had to be 25-28 feet up. Need lots of cross bracing when you get above say, 10 feet or poles get shakey, then knees get shakey...then it's time to come down! But I trust them, as long as you have good poles and brace them solid, they are great to work off of, and easy for one guy to move around the site and set up by himself. - jb
*I have four of the Alum-A-Pole jacks, poles, workbench/guardrail and braces. I feel way more secure on them than I ever did on the wood poles and old painted steel jacks. I could never manage to brace enough to get the sway out enough to be really comfortable, hence I ended up doing alot of work one handed. There is still some movement with the Alumapoles but if you brace at mid height that pretty much goes away. Good planks are a must, I have a couple of Werners in different lengths and widths for walkboards (20") and benches (12" or 14") It is also a big improvement over ladders and ladder jacks with planks. Lotsa dough for this set-up, I mulled it over for a real long time before I bought.Good-luck,kevin
*thanks for your reply nasaun
*I've had 2x4's jacks for 5 years and have no problems
*well here in good ole texas i have been using pump jacks for 20 years. i have found that the plywood for the top of poles work very well.in 1998 i added on a third story to a lake house where the poles were 37 feet long,we always brace the bottom of the post to the ground with a scrape piece of 2x12 and stakes to secure.we also install cross bracing as we go up either to the building itself or to the ground with well driven stakes.also found that the poles we use are selected boards free of knots and we also liquid nail and nail together hwich results in poles that can be used several times,as poles get worn we replace with new ones and off we go, also we will nail a 2x4 for railing when we get to our working hieght.i do know that pump jacks are safe if work with properly. they are nice in remoldeling because most of the time landscaping is in the way and customer want to save..of course i use staging when possible later walt @ wood concepts
*Ditto Mongo and Jim B's comments. I use the guardrail/ workbench setup ...... it attaches to and moves with the pump jack. It's nice not having to squat down to cut or work on something and it provides a little piece of mind ...... especially if your are not Twinkletoes anymore like me.
*The aluminum poles are much safer than the wooden.If you have to work after a rain storm the wooden can slip and they never seem to work well even when dry.
*Have used the wood pole jacks for many years and am satisfied with there operation for occasional use. Choose wood carefully. I screw them together. Wide pick very usefull. It's easier to work on a sidewalk than a plank. Safety rail/bench on open side should have. The store bought top braces can be used in almost all configurations: fastening to fascia, wall, up under the overhang and into the roof. Be sure to hit the framing. What I like best is being able to do what you should never do.....install and work alone. There's a fine line to cross bracing. You have to decide when too much sway is not safe. Pump jacks are the ticket on uneven terrain or tite sites.
*so every time i would sit on the plank to kick the release.. i'd say to myself.. do ya feel lucky, punk ?well, do ya ?bought our first set up of alum-a-pole 2d hand....$1000 for 4 (24') plus 4 pumps and 4 arms...never looked back...wish i had 'em when i started.... sold our 10 pumpjacks for $200.. how long are you gonna stay in business ? or , is this just a temporary situation ?oh.. you're gonna use pumpjacks for 30 years ?buy some alum-a-pole....now..besides .. look what you can do with the safety net ...
*i so every time i would sit on the plank to kick the release.. i'd say to myself.. do ya feel lucky, punk ? I know exactly what you mean.Terry
*"...how long are you gonna stay in business ? or , is this just a temporary situation ?"Funny you should say that, Mike. I was just sayin' last month that the temporary nature of our business is exactly what draws folks into it, and at the same time holds them back from making commitments that would pay off in the long run. You hit at the crux of the matter, right there. Me, I'll always be a dreamer, a wanderer, a loner, but you are absolutely on target when you talk about "exit strategies" and "picturing the future".
*jim... is this dreamer, wanderer, loner.. gonna show up at adrian's ?missed ya... been real busy with your pinhole work ?
*I'd really like to get to Adrianfest but it just wasn't in the cards this year. At least someone else will have a shot at the bocce championship now though, huh? Been real busy with school and work and bein' a husband and father. I still take a few minutes a day for e mail but kind of got out of the habit. off and running - Jim
*I must have about twelve pairs of pumps for wood which I like. three pairs are about 24 years old. I oil them every time I take them down. I've never had a malfunction on mine but those I have seen in others were from improper handling or use.The plywood head brackets are "frowned upon" by OSHA. You can buy all the metal adjustable head brackets you want for each jack. That way you can place them every so often up the side wall using screws and move them as you go up and down. waste less wood that way.
*When choosing wood for th poles I prefer to get full length 2x4's so you donthave any splices. 24 foot 2x4's are readily available although some people balk at the added cost, I believe it makes a much safer pole especially when its my ass up there!! butt splices are a potential weak spot and one more spot where they can bind up onthe way up or down.I know of on guy who was working on some pumps built by some one else who didn't notice that there was a big ol' knot in the 2x that spanned the splice.2 people ended up in the hospital but luckily no serious injuries. Whew!Ever since I heard that story I always inspect pump jack poles very closly before I let any one on them.If your going higher than 24' on a regular basis the you need alumapoles.Happy siding!!Mr. T.
*I've gone to 38' with wood poles but inspection saftey is critical. A good rule is that the crew walking them should be the crew building them. A support jack or brace is essential at every joint like that. I use metal gusset plates at the splice side. with nails.
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I need information concerning the purchase of pump jacks. I am a light commerical and small residential type of home Improvement company. I seldom use them but see the need to have quick and reasonable access such as renovations as windows, siding, and brick pointup work. New aluma-pole ($1,300) units are advertised as the be alls but price is prohibitive for how hard, I use them. But the old wood based system can be setup for ($300). Clearly falling is most expensive situation. I need comments on the whether wood system is short on functioning, what are their maintence requirements, can they be used to attach to brick veneered buildings?