Super Lawn Trucks
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News & Press
2012-04-20
Super Lawn Truck Frequently Asked Questions
1) How much does a Super
Lawn Truck cost?
It depends on the equipment
you choose. Do you have a certain payment range that you must stay within? We
have specially designed landscape trucks from as little as $600/month to
$1500/month depending on what you need. Our clients have the option to lease or
purchase. They also have the option to make seasonal payments.
The best way to get an accurate quote
is to decide on an exact SLT design for your company with the productivity
enhancing options desired to take your company to the next level. SLT price quotes are FREE to professional landscape contractors.
2) What are your interest
rates for financing the purchase of a Super Lawn Truck system?
Your interest rate is
dependent on 3 things:
- Your credit history. Do you know if your credit
score is above 700? If so, you'll likely fall into the A tier, which is
the best rates available.
- The equipment you choose also impacts the
interest rate. For example, new equipment always finances for a lower rate
than used equipment.
- Interest rates are also directly affected by the
method of financing (leasing vs. purchasing). Generally, many of our
clients interest rates fall between 5% and 10%. For example, if someone chose a 36 month lease, they
generally get a lower rate than with a 48 month term.
We have found that the most
important part of buying the truck is not the interest rate on the loan. The most important issue is getting you
dependable, productivity enhancing equipment to help make your company run
smoothly. We will work with the
biggest names in commercial truck finance to get you the very best finance rate
possible.
3) What is the gas
mileage on a Super Lawn Truck?
We have 2 lines of trucks:
light and medium duty. The GMC Savana (or Chevy Express), one of our light duty
trucks, has an EPA estimated 15-18 MPG. In our loaded road tests, we have never
seen 18 MPG. Our road tests show
12-15 MPG with the 4.8 liter gas engine with a 12 foot long SLT Eco Series body
and total loaded weight of 9,000 pounds.
Medium duty trucks do not
have an EPA fuel economy rating. However, fuel economy observation is 8-16 MPG
depending on the engine type, cargo weight, GVWR and driver habits. We can show
you the impact that fuel economy and fuel prices have on your choice of truck
if we know how many miles you drive per year, the cab/chassis package, and body
size best suited for your company. Diesel powered trucks get better fuel
mileage than gas powered trucks. Your sales rep can help you select the best
cab/chassis for your firm.
4) How many mowers will
fit in a Super Lawn Truck?
This depends on the size of
the body selected. Discuss the exact equipment you place on your crew with your
SLT Advisor. If you provide the
names and models of your lawn equipment, we can make suggestions that will
allow you to match your needs perfectly.
With body lengths from 12-24 foot long and 80 to 102 inches wide, we can
design a truck body to meet your needs.
5) Do you have a method
of storing grass clippings and other trimmings?
Yes, our Debris DumperTM
comes in two sizes, 2.5 or 5 cubic yards of debris holding capacity and 1 ton
dump/tilt capacity. The Debris DumperTM
mounts directly behind the cab of the
truck and dumps to the passenger side using a single lever hydraulic system.
There is easy access via doors on each side of the Debris DumperTM.
We also have two models of Debris
Bins. They look and install just like the Debris DumperTM
, but they
do not have the tipping/dump function. You will need to rake, shovel, or sweep
debris from inside of the Debris Bin. This is a low cost option to the Debris
DumperTM.
6) I think your hydraulic
ramp isn't practical. It appears slow, weak, or that it will require too much
maintenance. I prefer a
manually operated ramp.
We built the very first
prototype Hydra-RampTM
way back in 1991! We have produced our Patented
Hydra-RampTM under the Super Lawn TruckTM name since 1998. Although we have
upgraded our ramp engineering over time, Hydra-RampTM systems from 1991 are
still operating today! Our average client has 6,000 to 8,000 open/close cycles
per year. With the truck life
cycle of 10-15 years, we expect the Hydra-RampTM to go through 60,000 to 120,000
cycles. So, the best thing you can
do is speak to a few of our clients about their experience using the
Hydra-RampTM system for yourself.
This product is built for daily commercial use.
Here is some information
about speed of operation. The
original ramp took 35 seconds to fully open or fully close. The 2nd
generation HR Series takes 23 seconds to open or close. Today, our Eco Series®
Hydra-RampTM operates in just 10 seconds! The quick push of one button opens,
closes and locks it up tight.
Our ramps are super strong!
We have engineered our Hydra-RampTM systems for 4 different weight ratings. The
number after our HR ramp series (1500, 2500, 3500 or 4000) denotes the weight
rating of the ramp in pounds.
Our Eco Series® Hydra-RampTM
has a weight rating of 2,500 lbs.
Our Hydra-RampsTM are very
low maintenance! We utilize a DC Electric motor, similar to
the starter on a car, to operate the totally enclosed and submersed hydraulic
pump. With fast and short pump
operations, the fluid never goes through extreme heat. In fact, we
do not recommend scheduled fluid changes. Walter Scott of New York bought his
first SLT system in 1999. He
recently bought a new SLT Eco Series® truck and traded in the old 1999
model. Although the truck and body
system was 13 years old, it still had original
equipment in working order after 13 years! That's tough equipment.
Hydraulic cylinders are key
components of the Hydra-RampTM. As each application is different, there is no
commonly published information on duty cycles for cylinders. Stress on
materials and seals vary so much from one application to another that is
virtually impossible to predict the life of the cylinder. What we can say is
that our cylinders have been tested to a minimum of 50,000 cycles.
Consider this. Hydraulics
are used everywhere and all around you. Hydraulics are used on most car brake
systems, aircraft, skid loaders, lawn mowers, lift gates, and equipment
everywhere to improve productivity. Sure, if you break a hydraulic line it
would need to be
repaired. We still drive cars, even though we know when we buy one we will need
to service the brakes one day.
The Super Lawn Truck Hydra-Ramp has a two-year limited warranty for commercial use. The complete SLT product warranty is found here.
7) What maintenance is
required on the Hydra-RampTM?
We recommend re-coating
the Hydra-RampTM with our anti-slip coating product every couple of years as it will
wear thin from the mower tire traffic over time. One gallon of the anti-slip
coating costs around $60. We can
ship the product direct to you and you can simply apply it with a brush.
How durable is our Hydra-RampTM system? Unique Landscaping of Georgia brought one of their two dozen trucks in this
past summer for service. The truck had been in use since the year 2000. A ramp hinge had
broken. This style hinge was actually discontinued in 2001 and replaced by a
stronger one. So, we upgraded the hinge set and put him back on the road, ready
to go another 10 years!
The Hydra-RampTM
Series is built for daily commercial use. Loading and unloading equipment is fast and safe. The hydraulic ramp operation reducers exposure to back injuries often associated with lifting heavy loading ramps. Once you try the Hydra-Ramp series, you'll love it.
8) Do you have a manually
operated loading ramp option?
Super Lawn Trucks builds a
couple of models of manually operated ramps.
The MR-750 is the lowest cost model of manually operated
loading ramps offered by Super Lawn Technologies. The MR-750 is a bolt-on folding ramp that works with gas
spring assist cylinders similar to those used on an upward opening rear door of
a minivan or SUV. The MR-750 is
designed to fit most box-van bodies with a finished floor elevation not to
exceed 41 inches and body widths
from 80 to 102 inches wide. The folding
ramp design extends to 10 feet in length with widths from 32 inches to 48
inches wide. The MR-750 creates a
loading angle of 18 to 22 degrees (ground conditions vary), which is
comfortable to walk up/down or ride equipment up/down.
The MR-750 is typically installed in a side-by-side fashion (2
ramps) to accommodate commercial mowers with deck ground clearance of 4 inches
and total weight not to exceed 1,500 pounds. The split-ramp design also reduces
exposure to back injury.
The MR-750 does not replace the rear door system on a box
van. Roll-up doors may stay in
place for security. Ramps will fit
on the rear of the truck with little to no modifications to the truck
body. The compact folding ramp can
be shipped to you for installation and comes complete with installation
instructions. Some assembly is required.
The exterior dovetail 4-foot extension with a spring assisted, expanded metal, split-ramp
design is another lower cost alternative to the Hydra-RampTM. The extended
dovetail design makes this truck model four feet longer (adds length), which
can be a disadvantage in tight situations. We suggest a roll-up rear door on
the box van/truck body. The roll-up door will add security, but will require
maintenance and add cost to the truck body. The coil springs on the split-ramp
design will also require service every couple of years as they wear out over
time making lifting the ramp more physically challenging.
Something else to note with
this type of ramp is that expanded metal is not as durable as the solid steel
used on the Hydra-RampTM system. Expect the expanded metal to bend after
repeated loading and unloading of equipment. Welds are simply not as strong
with less contact area to weld to. Finally, expanded metal ramps can be slippery when wet.
In conclusion, while these
ramps can save you some money up front, they will require much more maintenance
and/or replacement, and they are not as safe an option as the durable
Hydra-RampTM system.
9) Do you only work with
Isuzu Trucks?
We have a great history
working with Isuzu. However, we
also have Fuso and GMC models available in inventory in most times of the
year. We have installed our SLT
body systems on Ford, Chevy, UD, Hino, GMC, Isuzu, Fuso and others. If you have a special need, chances are
we have experience with it.
10) Do you have Used
Trucks?
We have limited supplies of
used trucks. When we do get one,
they usually sell in one to two
weeks. Used trucks do not offer
the flexibility of design when compared to starting with a new truck. The best way to learn about availability
of used trucks is to let your sales rep know that's what you want. Then, they can alert you when a used
truck is available. If you have a used truck, we can add Super Lawn Truck
options or send some SLT components to you for installation. Visit www.usedsuperlawntrucks.com to view inventory of new and used Super Lawn Trucks.
11) Can you explain the
difference between the SLT Pro Series and the SLT Eco Series of lawn truck bodies?
When you think SLT Pro
Series®, think heavy duty. Think
SLT Eco Series®, and think economy.
The SLT Pro Series® bodies
utilize enclosed bodies with completely flat floor designs to maximize the
storage space
for equipment. The Pro Series® also uses the original Hydra-RampTM with bi-fold
design, dual hydraulic cylinders and loading weight ratings of 1500, 2500,
3500, and 4000 pounds. SLT Pro
Series® Hydra-RampsTM serve as the locking rear door of the truck body, the
loading ramp, and a work-bench when set up in the table configuration. The Pro Series® uses heavy duty
cab/chassis packages which allow for Debris DumperTM options and cargo weights
in excess of 4,000 pounds.
The SLT Eco Series® bodies
utilize enclosed bodies with flat floor and sloped-floor (dove tail)
designs. The SLT Eco Series® bodies
utilize the Eco Series® Hydra-RampTM which doubles as the rear door and loading
ramp. The Eco Series® body system
uses a lighter weight design than the Pro Series® body with Hydra-RampTM system
allowing for larger payload capacity.
The SLT Eco Series matches perfectly with light duty (under 10,000 lbs GVWR) AND medium duty (10,001 lbs to 19,500 lbs GVWR) cab chassis options. Your SLT advisor can help you determine which model best fits your company's needs.
12) Can you explain your
warranty with the truck cab/chassis?
The truck cab/chassis
warranty varies by manufacturer. Service and repair will be performed at the
nearest servicing dealer. Your sales rep will provide details from the
manufacturer.
13) Can you explain the
warranty with SLT products?
Super Lawn Trucks offers a
two-year limited warranty on SLT manufactured products. We also provide a 5
year buy-back guarantee. Here is a short summary: