Lighten Up

Contracting is not a desk job and projects rarely follow the nine-to-five schedule. When work spills over into the evening, when jobs call for pre-dawn wakeup calls or when contractors must move indoors or underground, crews need the right type of equipment to illuminate their way to a successful project completion.

Picking the right commercial light tower (say a portal 30-ft mast model, equipped with a diesel engine and a set of four lights illuminating about seven acres) can mean ensuring production and safety to construction sites, mining locales, disaster and emergency response areas and special events when a little extra light is needed for work to continue in off hours.

“Light towers are a very popular piece of equipment because they give contractors the ability to extend the workday,” says Rachel Luken, product marketing manager for Doosan Infracore Portable Power. “With a light tower, you have the ability to get work done during normal hours and then continue to work through the night. More productivity equals more money.”

Offered by manufacturers such as Allmand Bros., Doosan Infracore Portable Power (formerly Ingersoll Rand), Terex, Wacker Neuson and Magnum, with a price ranging from $6,000 to $18,000, light towers provide versatility to a jobsite thanks to their portability, power output and plethora of model choices. They even come with unique options, such as auto start, that make operation a bit easier.

Before adding a light tower to an equipment fleet, finding the right machine to suit a project’s needs is important. By determining the type of applications the machine will work in and the amount of light that’s required, a contractor can successfully purchase a tower and extend his or her workday well into the evening.

Bright Buying Habits

We hope you already have that amazing relationship with a local dealer who provides you great service. If not, the first step is finding a reputable equipment house that can service your lighting needs. Light towers are a popular rental item — with up to 80 percent of all units sold domestically going into rental fleets, according to Mark Leupi, utility product manager for Wacker Neuson — so the rental lot is a great place to experiment with your needs. Locate a good local equipment dealer by staff knowledge, quality advice, good machines, fair rate and that extra special after-the-purchase care.

“Since [a light tower] is a piece of equipment that has a number of moving components and there are many different configurations available to fit a contractor’s need, the first thing to consider is who you’re purchasing from,” says Luken. “Consider the dealer’s reputation, as well as the amount of support you’re going to be able to get from them as far as application knowledge, parts, labor and service.”

Light Towers for Lease Industry Experts Shed Some Light on Proper Renting Practices Service with a Smile The first step to renting a light tower is finding the right dealer or company to get your equipment from. Be sure to scope out a business that is well known and offers quality service both on and off the rental lot. “Always rent from a reputable company that stands behind its equipment,” says David Spears, product manager of power products for Terex. “A good rental company can help you size the area you need to light and recommend the number of machines to do the job.” Other important features to look for in a rental company include delivery options, fuel supply and service responsiveness. “When renting a tower, be sure the dealer shows you how to properly and safely operate the specific tower you’re renting before you leave,” says Rachel Luken, product marketing manager for Doosan Infracore Portable Power. Do the Math When renting a light tower, it’s important to crunch some numbers such as how many towers you will need and how much it will cost. Make sure to consider the number of towers and amount of light your application requires to avoid overspending. “If you’re on a site that needs multiple light towers, renting towers that provide more illumination per tower will cut down on the total number of towers needed and lower the total cost of the rentals,” says Doug Dahlgren, product manager for Allmand Bros. Inc. Rental rates for light towers vary for a number of reasons, including region, time of the year and model options. Daily rental rates can range between $90 to $120 and monthly rentals are available from $400 to $600. Get Going After finding the right piece of equipment to rent, it’s important to have the resources to get the tower to where you need it to be. A light tower can easily be towed behind a standard pickup, assuming you have the hitch and electrical capabilities. If more than one tower is being rented, a flatbed and other materials may be needed. “Light towers are designed to be towed individually,” explains Dahlgren. “You can also use a flatbed to transport multiple towers to a site. Twelve standard lay-down light towers can fit on a 52-ft flatbed, assuming the contractor has enough tie-downs and straps to hold that many in place.”

After deciding where to purchase or rent a light tower from, the next step is to determine what applications the equipment will be expected to perform. If the tower will be towed and used on rugged sites, it’s imperative to look for one that has a robust and stable design. Another factor in finding the right tower is the light “output” that’s needed to illuminate a site. An adequate amount of light helps to ensure a safe and productive jobsite, so picking out a tower with proper illumination is extremely important. The amount of ground coverage that’s lit by a tower is commonly measured in footcandles or half-footcandles.

“The Illumination Engineering Society [IES] is the organization that sets the standards for determining safe and proper levels of illumination,” says Leupi.

For example, the IES requires that a general construction site have at least 10 footcandles of illumination, while one to five footcandles are sufficient for a parking area.

Typically the majority of light towers are sold with metal halide bulbs that provides for high output, good color and efficient overall lighting. Another option that’s available is a high-pressure sodium (HPS) bulb. These bulbs give off a softer orange color and carry a little higher of a price tag because the average life span is about twice as long as a standard metal halide one. For example, a metal halide bulb can last up to 12,000 hours while a HPS bulb can keep on glowing for around 24,000 hours.

Metal halide bulbs also provide around 110,000 initial lumens, whereas HPS bulbs emit 140,000. A typical light tower is equipped with four lights, each illuminating at an average of 0.5 footcandles and around two acres, adds Luken. If more than four lights are needed, some manufacturers offer six and eight light options.

Besides spotlighting the jobsite, a light tower can be a mobile generator, so check out the available auxiliary power output. Along with its standard lighting duties, a tower may also be used to power some smaller tools and equipment throughout the workday such as power drills, heaters and additional lights. This power level is rated by kilowatts (kW). Most standard light towers supply 6 kW, however, some manufacturers offer higher outputs from 8 to 20 kW.

“You need to consider what the tower can do besides provide light,” says Doug Dahlgren, product manager for Allmand Bros. Inc. “For example, is it going to be used as a standby generator, and what generator capacity does it have for auxiliary equipment?”

Adding options to a light tower is another consideration to make when purchasing. Manufacturers offer numerous options on their equipment to increase productivity and safety. Some of the major options are usually additional power outputs, various tow hitch choices and manual and electric winches. An auto-start feature is also a popular option for light towers. This feature utilizes photo cell and/or timer technology to turn lights on at dark and off in the morning or at other times designated by owners.

“A time saver, the auto-start option is great for fleets of light towers or machines located in remote locations making daily attention unnecessary except for periodic re-fueling,” says David Spears, product manager of power products for Terex. “The auto-start feature may offer personnel, fuel and time savings and can easily offset the cost of purchasing the option.”

The auto-start feature is also a desirable option for owners who plan to use their towers for security purposes such as keeping streets or equipment yards well lit to deter thieves or other crime. Buyers can expect to spend up to, if not more than $1,000 to add this option.

“Many municipalities or cities will set up a light tower if they have a high-crime area,” says Luken. “For example, they may want to have a light tower on a specific corner where there’s been a lot of crime. They can set it to come on at dusk or for any certain amount of hours they want to monitor that area. It’s helpful because an operator doesn’t have to travel to the site to do that.”

When renting or buying equipment, you will need to closely inspect the iron. Ownership means upkeep, so it’s helpful to find a machine with easy access to all major maintenance points, especially the engine. Light towers require specific maintenance checks based on daily, weekly and monthly intervals, including visual inspections of the cable (to check for fraying) and the power cord running to the lights for nicking or cuts in the cord insulation, says Leupi. Other maintenance tasks include checking tires, brake lights, hitches and safety chains, as well as routine filter changes.

“Time spent on maintenance and repairs are lost productivity of the machine,” says Spears. “Routine maintenance is made easy with wide open cabinet designs and readily accessible service points for oil, fuel and air filters.”

Buying Used

If a new light tower isn’t in the cards for your business, purchasing used equipment is always an option. Used light tower prices can range from 30 to 70 percent of new machine prices, depending on the number of hours and condition of the machine.

Perhaps the most important factor when buying a used light tower is the machine’s maintenance. When looking at a used piece of equipment, always be sure that it comes with accurate maintenance records. These records will allow you to see what work has been done to the machine and if there has been any neglect with routine maintenance checks.

When searching for a used light tower, it’s important to check out its major components — like the engine and alternator — that come with higher price tags when repairing or replacing. The better condition they are in, the less money you’ll spend down the road after the purchase.

“Make sure the engine is in good condition,” says Dahlgren. “It could cost more to install a new engine than it would to purchase a new light tower.”

Checking the wiring, cables, winch and mast for any damage or major safety flaws is a must. Spears also suggests ensuring that the axles, tires and wheels of the tower are in good shape, as well as making sure there is a consistent voltage output of the generator.

When work calls for your crew to stay late, a light tower will keep you productive and safe well into the night. By examining your needs and the different features and options that are out there, you can find the right light tower to suit any application.

Pam Stask is assistant editor of Compact Equipment, based in Peninsula, Ohio.

Guiding Light Light Towers from Doosan Put the Spotlight on the Super Bowl

They won’t appear in any commercials featuring Clydesdales, but 50 Ingersoll Rand portable light towers from Doosan Infracore Portable Power had a strong presence at Super Bowl XLIII this year. Doosan Infracore Portable Power partnered with Pinnacle Central of Florida to deliver 50 Ingersoll Rand light towers to Tampa, Fla., for the big game on Super Bowl Sunday. Most of the towers were used to illuminate parking areas and entrances from Dale Mabry Highway; however, some units were positioned around the stadium, in places where fans stand in line to enter. The LightSource light tower is designed to be used for special events and disaster relief, as well as meeting the rigorous standards of construction jobsites. Each unit has a 6-kW generator that powers four 1,000-watt floodlights for up to 68 hours of continuous operation. The light tower’s mast extends 30 ft and rotates 360 degrees for optimum lighting in any conditions. Doosan Infracore Portable Power manufactures Ingersoll Rand LightSource light towers at its headquarters and manufacturing facility in Statesville, N.C.