KME Towers

[Rescue101]

I've read the horror stories of Philly and the others. Also the Keep Mechanics Employed.I'm interested in hearing from folks who actually own this product what your experience has been either good OR bad.If you don't care to post here,feel free to E-mail me. Any help would be greatly appreciated. T.C.

[RedBaronl32]

T.C.
Get to a Doctor! Couple of days resting and you'll be good as new!

[Rescue101]

Tony! Shsssh! You'll let the cat out of the bag! After I worked a month to catch him.Your Radar get upgraded or sumthin? You haven't missed a post yet.You get your "packet"? T.C.

[NewJerseyFFII]

We do not have a Kme aerial but our department runs a 2005 Kme excel pumper that has been one of our " BETTER " apparatus so far !... Since this tread is about Kme Fire Apparatus can any other truck builder match this : A 100 foot Kme Quint Stick rear mount,208" wheelbase, O.A.L. under ( 37 feet ) on a tandem rear axle. Most other builders ladders start at ( 40'- 43' ) O.A.L.!...

[RFDACM02]

TC: Talk to the guys in Auburn,ME about their KME tower. Nice story last year in the KJ about how much the tower cost the City and how often it was out of service. I was told by an ex-KME salesman that he had all the faith in the world on their pumpers and was very disappointed working with the aerial people. I talked a bit with a Capt. from the Auburn Tower and got a real earful!

[Halligan84]

No problems whatsoever on a 2002 95' MM here. The aerial quality was outstanding. We worked through some workmanship issues on the body before it was delivered. Nothing but normal service and adjustments here as far as down time.

[Command6]

We do not own one, but I did some checking since we knew they would be bidding on our 100' MM.

Spoke with two departments who recently took delivery. When I called one chief and asked him to tell me about any problems they've had and how they were addressed, his reply was, "I'd be glad to. Do you have an hour to talk?"

The other department was also very dissatisfied with their rig.

Like RFDACM said, I would not hesitate to purchase a KME pumper as my local VFD has two, but I'm sort of leery of their towers.

[FWDbuff]

TC- what did I tell you about smoking those funny-smelling cigarettes?

[Rescue101]

Buff,Ssh! It goes in the pipe. T.C.

[mduran]

As I posted in the forum about low bid, we have been runnig KME/Grumman since 1984 and currently have a 75' tandem axle KME aeriel Cat on order to be delivered in December. I know that Newnon GA has a Midmount Tower as far as I have heard they are very satisfied so much that the just took delivery of a custom pumper from KME. Gwinett Co. GA. has atleast 10 engines in service now had just ordered 10 more engines. LA Count CA is buying KME engines and Aeriels. Alot of large departments buying them now. We have never had any major issues with our engines and rescue other than replacing some bulbs and a couple of gauges.

I know you will find some who have nothing but bad things to say about a manufacture because they will like one more than the other. Thats their personal preference and thats ok to like one more than another.

Our service thru KME and NAFECO has been nothing but above and beyond anything we have asked for or could ever expect.

I am very satisfied with KME as you can tell.

[NewJerseyFFII]

Kme's platform cradle system supports the weight of the platform & it's occupants with the ladder as opposed to the extention cylinders.This yields increased safety, decreased platform stress,and smoother operation. The Kme Aerialcat ladder structure is designed with " 100,000psi steel which reduces the overall weight of the ladder and provides unrivaled strength !....

[SSIaerialmanTIM]

Where is Resq14? Anyone with a kitty kat for his avatar should be required to give his opinion on the thread. And no clever “one liner” either. TL

[FWDbuff]

Buff,Ssh! It goes in the pipe. T.C.

I dont care how you smoke it but if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times not to smoke that Nesquohoning Catnip!

JUST SAY NO!

[wizzaecofOZ]

psssssst -

Shorter means shorter.

Shorter aerial with shorter overlaps = shorter bedded aerial length = shorter OAL. Shorter aerial section overlaps = higher stress in overlap areas = more critical welding requirements and special bracing at critical high load points. Higher stress usually coincides with higher maintenance. This approach to aerial design requires higher yield steel, and the aforementioned special bracing can create "hard spots" in the aerial's bend characteristics and sharp differences in strain over adjacent aerias of the aerial. Measuring the OAH of the aerial above the recommended climbing height makes it "magically" attain a high height number, but the reach falls way short.

Aerials designed this way are sold by pushing "maneuverability", since they fall short on reach. There are trade-offs in every aerial design. There is no free lunch. If you accept some benefits, you have to accept the associated drawbacks.

[npfd801]

The Kme Aerialcat ladder structure is designed with " 100,000psi steel which reduces the overall weight of the ladder and provides unrivaled strength !....

Not slamming the KME product, but I've always been under the impression that the KME aerials were among the heaviest (weight wise) in the industry. Has this changed? I've always thought this was a trait of the stuff from long before they had their name on the product. For all I know this heavier weight could have yielded high capacities...

I'm just curious how much weight they reduce by using this particular breed of steel over comparable aerial products on the market.

I don't run a KME, haven't climbed a KME, etc. so please don't take this as an attempt to slight the product.

[Opinionated]

There are several KME aerials around my area - haven't heard of any serious problems as of yet. A few minor grumblings here and there, but half of the time it's because the rigs aren't don't start with a "p" or are not synonymous with "A dead fish pool."

I know of a well put together one that runs out Bunker Hill Co. 55 in PG, MD. 100' rearmount on a 37'5" truck. I would've done a few things different, but it seems like the quality is there, and it works for them.

I can tell you that our '07 Panther/Predator Squad has just as good fit and finish as any other supposed top of the line brand I've seen. This rig is built solid... and we love it!

(Nothing beats an Amish built LTI with a Conestoga Body )

[SSIaerialmanTIM]

I'm just curious how much weight they reduce by using this particular breed of steel over comparable aerial products on the market.

Actually using
100,00 Psi steel
VS.
using 80,000 Psi Steel;

Doesn’t provide any real weight savings because the materials weigh almost the same anyway, and also because of “over built” designs. (which by the way in some cases actually reduce the strength to weight ratio of a given design)

A bar of each sample (80K or 100K), of the same dimension (length, thickness, size, etc) will weigh within a few grams of the other.

Since the materials weigh "the same" - it would take one heck of a design change to be able to truely claim an overall weight savings. TL

[Ledebuhr1]

They dident say it was a lot lighter. Maybe the Pierce tower is 43,560lbs and the KME is 43,559lbs.

[NewJerseyFFII]

I am a big Seagrave Aerialscope fan myself, but this Kme 100' MM was parked in our firehouse parking lot for two days by one of the firefighters who is a Kme sales rep and he was showing this rig to a fire department in the area. The truck looked very well put together, with a strong bucket support system & beefy steel ladder !....

[hfdchiefone]

I've read the horror stories of Philly and the others. Also the Keep Mechanics Employed.I'm interested in hearing from folks who actually own this product what your experience has been either good OR bad.If you don't care to post here,feel free to E-mail me. Any help would be greatly appreciated. T.C.

Well you can read the horror stories of philly, but somthing had to happen due to they have a midmount tower on order at KME, along with another City or two south of me just ordered midmount towers

My career department we run everything KME except one engine, if you want feel free to go to out website www.hazletoncityfire.com to take a look at them

Have a 1995 KME 102' rearmount tower, biggest issue was the Tomar lighting, with the exceptions of some leaks on the motor and a the brake canisters rooting out from the wonderful de-iceing spray they put on the roads, pretty happy with it, just wish they would of waited and purchased a midmount

Volunteer department i am a member of has a 2003 KME 75' rear straight stick, with the excpetion of a few motor recalls from Detroit and a axle issue that was replaced by the manufactor of the axle, the truck does it job and runs great, you can view that at www.mcadoofireems.com

any questions feel free to send me a email, c229@ptd.net stay safe