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Top 5 Qualities to Look for in a Water Truck

4000 Gallon Water Truck by Ledwell

Water Truck Buying Guide

2000 Gallon Quality Water Trucks For Sale

Are you thinking about buying a heavy-duty water truck?

Shifting from renting to buying is a significant investment, and the vast options available on water trucks can be daunting. Whether you need a customized water truck or a stock water truck, you must consider several important qualities before you buy. Our water truck buying guide has the top 5 things to consider when purchasing a heavy-duty water truck.

1. Tough keel
Opting for a quad-bent design in the tank’s foundation ensures you’ll have a heavy-duty, stout truck. Also look for scalloped, interior-welded seams. This makes it harder for the seams to crack, making the tank last a very long time—possibly longer than the chassis it sits on. Internal piping should be welded before the tank is installed, and your manufacturer should test it to 120 psi before it leaves the plant.

2. Heavy-duty liner
The thicker the liner, the better. Our standard is a 30-millimeter finished thickness, which is the thickest in the industry. A good liner protects the tank’s interior from corroding, so the thicker the liner, the longer your tank will live. Look for a tank that’s blasted inside and out for a smooth finish. And pay attention to the type of liner you’re getting. If you’ll be carrying drinking water, your tank needs to have a potable compliant liner.

3. Strong pump and valves
A water truck’s pump is like the heart of the truck—it keeps everything moving. Selecting a water tank with an American-made two-bearing system with at least a 1.25″ input shaft and 3″ diameter driveline will help to keep water flowing. Incorporating in-cab air-operated controls is the best choice to work in tandem with the pump for maximum spraying.

Ledwell Water Tank Trucks For Sale
4000 Gallon Water Truck by Ledwell

4. Sturdy, well-protected hose reel
Keeping your water truck’s hose protected is key to making it last longer. A good water truck will have a rear internal hose reel mounted inside a frame that protects it from the elements. Mounting the hose reel inside of a frame also reinforces the reel to be sturdier. When it comes to your reel, extra storage is always a plus. Look for a water truck that has a storage box for side nozzles, suction hoses, and other accessories right where you need them.

5. Dependable service
Ask about the water truck’s warranty, and ask about service after the warranty runs out. Will you be able to get parts quickly? Will the company be able to repair your equipment at a reasonable cost? Will the service team continue to help you troubleshoot issues with your equipment for the duration of your ownership? These are essential factors to consider when you’re talking with references and peers in the industry.

We hope these top five qualities will help you when looking to purchase your next water truck. If you would like more information on a Ledwell Water Truck, be sure to reach out to us.

Change in Season: Time For Preventative Maintenance

Ledwell 6 Yard Dump Truck

Season change means different behaviors for your trusted equipment. But you can make sure that this doesn’t affect your work on the job. There are a variety of actions you can take that your equipment needs to stay efficient and running. One of them is preventative maintenance. Not all equipment is as easy as your typical loading ramp – having to grease the landing gear only once a year. But maintenance is imperative for longevity.

We believe wholeheartedly that maintenance schedules will allow your equipment a long, happy life, no matter the piece.

We’ve devised several Preventative Maintenance sheets for your benefit. These outline how you can prepare your equipment for various conditions and what you must do to get the most out of your money. Preventative Maintenance checklists are available for the following equipment:

You can also tune into our social media on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube. We know it’s tough to remember when your equipment needs routine maintenance when you have a million other things happening on the job. That’s why we do our best to provide you easy access, like adding preventative maintenance questions and answers to those above-mentioned social media outlets.

If these aren’t enough for you, and you’re looking for something a little more specific, you can always check out our FAQ page on our website or give us a call. One way or another, Ledwell is determined to gain your satisfaction through equipment performance.

Get Low With the Ledwell HydraTilt Truck

Ledwell custom hydraulic trail truck - HydraTilt Truck
Ledwell custom hydraulic trail truck - HydraTilt Truck

What do you get when you take a HydraTail Truck and add a unified hinge and hydraulic tilt deck? Ledwell’s groundbreaking, patent-pending HydraTilt Truck

“We saw an opportunity to create a more versatile truck. One that takes up less space on the street, accommodates low ground clearance equipment, has a shorter bed height, and has a deck that tilts high enough to unload containers.”

“We’ve had a lot of success in the rental industry with our HydraTail truck, but even those customers were having trouble with getting some of their lower ground clearance equipment over the tail and hinge easily,” said Ledwell engineer Gary Gathright.

The truck’s innovative design centers around what the Ledwell team calls a unified hinge.

“When you hinge the deck and tail off of the same piece, when they’re parallel with each other, there’s no step-down like you’d get with two hinges,” he said. “It’s an easier loading situation, and you can more easily slide things off, like a container or non-powered equipment.”

Gary said the HydraTilt Truck can be positioned to result in a loading configuration similar to the rollback, but it’s 5 3/4 inches lower in transport mode.

“That makes it easier on the drivers loading the equipment and creates a lower center of gravity, so you have a more stable platform when you’re driving,” he said. “And you can haul larger equipment.”

The HydraTilt Truck’s smaller loading and unloading space makes it an asset in urban areas.

“When you’re on a crowded downtown street, you want to take up as little room as possible as you load and unload,” Gary said. “It makes for a safer environment for the driver unloading the equipment, and it’s safer for the public in general because you’re not taking up multiple driveways or blocking the street.”

The Ledwell team ultimately designed the HydraTilt Truck to make customers’ lives easier.

“This is simply an extension of what we have done for nearly 75 years, which is to take feedback from our customers and create the equipment they need,” he said.

Learn more about the Ledwell HydraTilt Truck

Choosing a Grapple: Which Rotobec Attachment is Best for You?

Ledwell Demolition Dump with Rotobec Grapple Attachment

If you’re in the market for a grapple truck or attachment, you can’t beat industry-leading Rotobec grapples. Rotobec launched its revolutionary rotating hydraulic system in the forestry industry. Later, the company expanded its product offerings to include recycling, waste handling, railroad maintenance, and construction and bulk material handling.

Which grapple will work best for you? Rotobec has a wide selection of grapples designed for specific industries and job applications.

Ledwell Demolition Dump with Rotobec Grapple Attachment

Forestry & Logging

Excavators, material handlers, and log loaders need tough grapples that can adapt to various situations. If you’re looking for something versatile, Rotobec’s Log Grapples, Combination Grapples, and Rotobec Power Attachments fit the bill. Rotobec’s Pulpwood Grapples and Butt’n Top Grapples load and unload trucks efficiently.

Industrial Jobs

Industrial grapples handle a variety of materials in any environment imaginable. Rotobec’s Clamshell Buckets are available in multiple sizes and configurations. The Demolition Power Attachment Grapple is built with thicker, stronger steel. Rotobec’s Pipe & Pole Handing Series Grapples safely handle utility poles and gas lines.

Waste Handling

Rotobec offers grapple attachments for each step of the waste handling and waste removal process, with specialized units for trash, compaction, sorting/demolition, and waste collection. Plus, they offer multi-purpose, and waste collection grapples that make roadside pickup and storm cleanup quicker and more efficient.

Scrap Metal

If it isn’t tough, you don’t want to use it for scrap metal. Rotobec is an industry leader in durable, tough, innovative products for scrap metal handling. Their Orange Peel Grapple has a fully guarded, hose-less cylinder design that reduces the risk of hydraulics damage. The Demolition RPA’s 360-degree rotation allows for more flexibility in motion than traditional dangle style rotation grapples.

Railway Operations

Need to move railroad ties? Look no further than Rotobec’s rail grapples. The Tie Bundle Grapple can handle 5-9 tie-wide bundles, and the Loose Tie Grapple helps collect and move ties without bringing shale along.

Storm Chasers

Hurricanes, tornadoes, severe storms, and floods can cause catastrophic damage and leave behind an immense amount of debris. Storm chasers need dump trucks outfitted with a versatile, multi-purpose loader and grapple combination that can handle a variety of materials, such as the Rotobec Elite 910 + Waste Collection Grapple.

Authorized Rotobec Dealer

Looking for a do-everything package? Pair a Rotobec loader and grapple with a Ledwell Dump Truck for a powerful machine that’ll get the job done.

As an authorized Rotobec dealer with the quickest turnaround times in the industry, we can build a truck to your specs and ship it out when you need it, where you need it. Learn more.

Contact us to discuss which Rotobec attachment will best meet your needs.

Winning at Innovation: Ledwell Solar Lift Loading Ramp

Solar Loading Ramp by ledwell
Solar Loading Ramp by ledwell

If you are looking for the next innovative piece of equipment – look to Ledwell! Our Solar Lift Loading Ramp is the 2020 Innovative Product Award, Miscellaneous Category winner – presented by RER Magazine.

During a typical workday, the goal is usually to get the most done, in the shortest amount of time and in the most organized way possible. Efficiency is key. The revolutionary Ledwell Solar Loading Ramp is built for just that. If you’ve ever wished you could cut out the lengthy process of lifting your ramp via hand-crank then this is the perfect addition to your arsenal. We’ve managed to give your ramp the capability to harness the power of the sun, so you don’t have to work so hard. Simply connect our Solar Panel to your ramp’s battery system, charge it, and then flip a switch and allow your Solar Lift to do the rest. It’s the easiest way to find the perfect angle for the job at hand.

Maybe you already have a perfectly good Ledwell Loading Ramp, All-Weather or Standard, and wished you had the opportunity to upfit your ramp. Well, you do! We can upfit any current Ledwell Loading Ramp with a Solar Lift Kit and voila, you have your very own Solar Lift Ramp!

The Ledwell staff had heard from many customers that drivers frequently had difficulty lining up the height of the trailer when they backed up their vehicle to a loading dock. “They need to move it up or down to match the trailer height because you don’t want to jump some mower off the ramp,” says Steve Ledwell. “Some drivers either don’t wish to run them up and down because it’s a little work, or some literally can’t physically do it anymore for whatever reason. So, we came up with this plan to put a solar panel and put a switch on it. You pull a switch and it goes up or you pull a switch and it goes down. And now we have a ramp that can go up and down easily, so drivers more easily get it correct. It’s safer and easier for the drivers, it’s safer on the load and this way drivers don’t mind spending a few extra seconds to match up the height because it’s not hard.”

Ledwell emphasizes the safety benefits of the solar ramp. “The drivers are taking a chance not matching up right,” he says. “The driver will take a machine and try to drive it on a ramp that’s either six inches too low for the trailer or six inches too high because they didn’t want to crank it anymore. So, this is a much safer and easier solution.”

We are beyond proud of the team that made this new ramp operation a success. To read the entire article go to rermag.com.

Learn more about upgrading your Ledwell ramp with a solar lift kit.

Lube Buddy Provides Service On the Go

Ledwell Service Skid - Manufactured in America

When you’re on the go, working a time-sensitive job, or just looking for convenience, you need access to service equipment fast. Ledwell has your quick solution to perform in-the-field equipment PM service and maintenance with a portable service skid – Lube Buddy.

Our Lube Buddies provide an easy and efficient way for you to keep your equipment serviced and ready to go. This equipment can be utilized as a mobile unit or serve as a stationary portable maintenance center at the job site!

Our Lube Buddy, Jr. is suited for light-duty vehicles. Its smaller stature makes it lighter, and easy to move from location to location. Convenient to place. Allows for easy access to air, fresh fluids, and properly dispose of waste. This piece of equipment comes with spill and overflow pans to minimize mess, and non-corrosive pipe fittings to ensure longevity.

If you’re searching for something a little more heavy-duty, we’ve got you covered.

This Lube Buddy option can turn any of your medium-duty hauling vehicles into a skid-mounted, self-contained fuel and lube service center! Much like the Lube Buddy, Junior, the Lube Buddy Max is designed in such a way to prevent excessive spillover and ensure a long lifespan.

Easily move these units with a forklift. Place on a level surface to avoid any spills and to ensure proper operation. Be sure to always read the accompanying operators’ manuals in regard to all pieces of equipment you own.

To learn more about the Lube Buddy, Jr. or Lube Buddy Max and other service equipment, visit our Service Truck page.

Ledwell Mobile Lube Service Center with Compressor
Ledwell Lube Buddy Jr

Happy Trail-ers!

Blue Ledwell Hydratail Trailer with tail in down position. Red and black Self Contained Unit sitting on front deck of trailer. Sunny blue sky with green trees in the background and light brown dirt on ground.

When it comes to hauling, Ledwell has you covered with our top-notch HydraTail Trailer lineup.

Our trailers aren’t just about getting from A to B; they offer ample space, custom designs, and versatility.

Whether you prefer HydraTilt, Interior Beam, or Perimeter Beam, each option is carefully manufactured to meet various needs.

Heavy Haul Trailer Manufacturer, Ledwell

Looking for a trailer that ticks all the boxes?

The HydraTilt Trailer is your go-to for a seamless haul, thanks to its innovative design. This trailer utilizes a hydraulic tail and hydraulic main deck hinged at the rear to attain a shallow angle of approach from the tip of the tail to the nose of the trailer to create a non-existent break over.

Need versatility?

Our Perimeter Beam HydraTail Trailer offers multiple options, including a Hydraulic Mini-Deck and a Drop-Deck for extra load height – up to 10 inches. Plus, our Knuckle Boom Trough feature ensures a snug fit for medium-sized equipment. This lowers the ride height of the excavator equipment several inches.

With Ledwell, customization is key – from tie-down options to paint colors, we’ve got you covered. Explore our HydraTail Trailers today on our website or give us a call for more information!

Ledwell Interior Beam Trailer for Sale
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