My bucket truck bucket nearly became a swimming pool

Was trimming a big oak in the rain last Tuesday after a client insisted because a storm was coming. Got the bucket up about 40 feet and noticed water sloshing around my boots. Turns out the drain hole was plugged with leaves and I had been sitting in a nice 6 inch puddle for 20 minutes. Dumped it out by the time I got down and left a wet trail through her yard. Anyone else ever have your bucket fill up on you when you least expect it?

2 comments

2 Comments

miles27911d ago

Yeah that's a scary situation, especially being that high up. Had a similar thing happen a few years back and it's no fun at all. Water adds a lot of weight to the bucket and can mess with your balance more than you'd think. You were smart to dump it when you got down, some guys might not think to check that drain hole. Glad you didn't get hurt out there.

lucasw8211d ago

Wait, are you sure about that drain hole thing? I thought most newer buckets have them on the OUTSIDE of the lip, not in the bottom where stuff gets trapped. My old man used to drill his own holes on purpose for that reason. But yeah you're totally right about the weight thing - water doubles the load easy and makes the bucket handle funny when you swing it around. I bet a lot of guys forget to check for standing water before hoisting back up. Honestly I think the scariest part is how fast it can shift on you once you're already moving. One second it's fine, next you're fighting the whole setup just to keep from tipping.