Platform Basket’s Spider 20.95 proving popular with UK arborists

Since its UK launch in 2020, Platform Basket’s Spider 20.95 tracked platform is proving a huge success with UK tree surgeons who are benefiting from its work envelope, unrestricted platform capacity and range of features suited to the arboricultural sector.

Shaun Day, managing director of UK distributor Promax Access, said, “Although we only took delivery of the first units in June the amount that have been chosen by the tree care sector is already into double digits. It has certainly raised the bar and expectation levels for tracked platforms in this working height range, offering operator benefits generally associated with much larger and more expensive machines.”

The Spider 20.95 offers a working height of 19.4m and an outreach of 9.5m while weighing 2800kg. Its maximum outreach can also be achieved with an up-and-over height of 7m, ensuring the machine can be set up over hedges and fences as well as clear of drop zones. Another important factor to its growing success has been its unrestricted 250kg platform capacity, which allows users to reach more of the tree canopy without having to remove weight from the platform cage or reposition the machine.

Lawrence Thompson, Owner of Thompson Tree Services which recently purchased a Spider 20.95, said, “We originally looked at a few other spider lifts on the market, some of which offered slightly more outreach but with a reduced platform capacity. The problem is that by the time one of our guys is loaded up with his kit and chainsaw it will already be pushing the capacity well over 100kg. On top of this, the 20.95’s boom movements felt a lot more steady and controlled than the other models.”

Features being appreciated by tree surgeons include its width and height adjustable tracks for greater ground clearance and stability on challenging terrains, a 1.8m jib with 180deg of platform rotation for greater control in and around tree limbs, and the ability to self-level on slopes of up to 17deg. All the machine’s hoses and cables have also been concealed within the heavy duty steel boom to protect them from any falling debris.