Used JLG Manlift Purchase Question

[pdeal]

I'm starting to look for a used manlift. The use will be my own personal use around my property maintaining buildings primarily. Looking for about a 40' lift. I was thinking JLG or Skyjack with Deutz diesel. I think either a straight boom lift or an articulating boom lift would do me. It appears I need to look about 2013 or prior to avoid a common rail engine. I looked at a 2014 and it had the common rail. I almost bought a 2014 Skyjack but decided against it partly because of the common rail engine and the need to buy a $1000+ tool to work on it.

JLG it appears has a control system that requires an electronic diagnostic tool to diagnose issues. From what I see though the tool doesn't seem to be too badly priced (about $300 or so I think).

Anyway, I wanted to post here and see what kind of insight people have into these machines. I'm pretty good at working on stuff mechanical, electrical, and electronic but I'd like to not wind up with a machine that needs very expensive diagnostic tools to work on it.

 

[Zewnten]

Manuals are available online for free for all genies and some JLGs. Havent been able to figure out where the cut off is. Plan on replacing at least a few hoses right away. With the analyzer I think JLG are easier to work on personally.

 

[pdeal]

It’s nice that the real manuals are easy to come by fir these machines.

 

[Tyler d4c]

I bought a Skyjack a week or so ago and they also have all the manuals parts op and repair online free for the veiwing. Bought some parts for it and they seem quite avalible. I wouldnt be afaid to buy another at this point

 

[pdeal]

There was a guy in Maryland that had some nice Skyjack lifts for sale. I almost bought a 2014 until i found out it had a common rail engine. I thought 2014 wouldn’t be but i guess deutz started with that a year or so earlier.

 

[Zewnten]

Im not sure I understand. What repairs are you planning on doing that requires avoiding common rail duetz?

 

[pdeal]

Well in a perfect world no repairs ever. That never works for me though and so whatever it needs as time goes on. The point is to buy something that is repairable by me, which is why i want to avoid an engine with modern controls. Really the modern engines probably wouldn’t be so bad if the manufacturers would implement them in a way that they could be diagnosed without very expensive diagnostic tools.

 

[Zewnten]

So its not something to do with common rail, you're avoiding common rail because thats when deutz uses an ECM?

 

[pdeal]

As far as i know this is the case. I can’t remember the engine model of the 2014 but whatever it was i researched it and it appears to have electronic controls.

 

[willie59]

Deutz models prior to common rail/computer control were typically BFM1011F and BFM2011F, both are old school manual injection diesel engines, fairly reliable, but unless you can confirm it's been done recently then plan on replacing the timing belt and tensioner pulley, I try to not go over 2 to 3 thousand hours on those belts. Bad things happen if they let go.

 

[pdeal]

^^^That’s good info!

I have a compressor with the F3L912 engine. I don’t think that one has a timing belt but gears. I’d have thought the 1011 and 2011 engines were the same.

 

[willie59]

IMHO, the Deutz 912 is prolly the best diesel engine ever made. Noisy as hell, but damn near bullet proof! The 1011 and 2011 at totally different engines compared to the 912.