I was thinking about buying a telebelt and would like to hear about some pros and cons.  Also would like to hear some prices of trucks too. thanks.

Stinger

I might be banned for saying this.... but

Putz has really done a great job improving belt trucks since they purchased the concept from ROTEC.

They seem to have done a much better job of holding their value than pumps. Belts have their place. Large rocks/ no problem, bad mix/ no problem and you can backfill the walls your pour.

all and all; belts are well worth a look

Bob,a great point.We did an intersection paving job several years ago.There was power line on allot of the pour,we used my 52m,telebelt,laser screed and the pour went resonably well.I had to make one move and the mix was so hot you could see flames coming out of the mixer.I still tell my therapist I suffer from brain damage from that pour.Once the boom was clean I bet I spent 2 hour baring the hopper,yuk.The telebelt simply used the pressure washer.

There are many advantages to the belt as it doesn't care what's on the belt,for the most part.Allot depends on your market area and how one approaches it.

Bob,2 of us in trouble now

I figured a belt had its place and the only reason I thought getting one is I have a couple big jobs this year that would like to use one.  What would a good 80 foot reach run?

I would like to see some pictures of telebelts in action as i am not too familiar with them. how about it todd??  thats 3 in trouble now.

Tom,

If you keep the rollers turning and clean, keep the scrapers clean and tight and grease the machine on schedule... etc;

basically treat the machine like the book says you should they are simple and inexpensive to operate. If you wait until you have to work on it to work on it then it is a disaster.

A good belt operator is just like a good pump operator, he does PREVENTIVE maint' -  not repairs. He is the key to success.

We have one. Great Machine, But!!! TO Many Moving Parts..Must keep it Clean!! eat off it CLEAN!!! Service from putz is poor very poor!!! any questions Ask Away!!

we had one nice piece of equipment but alot of moving parts and lots of prev maintenance some like them some dont they move gravel limestone mulch very effective concrete and sand are tuff on the moving parts , concrete can be conveyed but can be very messy if the operator doesnt have much experience they are nice machines but the design is not perfected yet close but not quite there yet do some research and think hard we had a 105 and alot of jobs we were doing could have used the 130 very few the 80  would have been effective on realize there is no extensions adding xtra hose that will not happen and there is about a 25' dead section so you cant pour all the way to the back of the truck we traded ours in on another pump last year and calls for one have been far and few between so if your area doesnt have one give.it a try just make sure putz will take in as a trade if it doesnt work out for you you can shoot me a email at toddt@tmisla.com

Hello all,

I thought that I would put my two cents in.

My name is Kevin Blake I am with Illinois Conveyor Enterprises. we rebuild, service and sell parts for the Rotec Super Swinger and for the Telebelts, and for the last 10 years that's all we do. so we know Truck mounted conveyors.

So, whey did I tell you all that? is this guy trying to sell us? why sure, but the main reason is to extend our help with our knowledge and know how, that cost nothing.

so if there is some help we can extend here, we will do it but if you would like to call, our phone is 630-469-1300 our web site is www.ilconveyor.com

then next time I will try not to make it sound so much like a sales pitch.....

Check out the RB auction in CHI',ILL next week for a deal on a belt truck. There are five of them going on the block.

Perhaps you could get "Smoothbelt" to give you the scoop on them.

Here is a link

http://www.rbauction.com/equipment_search/equipment_results.jsp?auction_id=All&industry_id=6&class_cd=CPU&vc_make=MACK&Search_type=Other

We had a couple "telebelts" years ago. Putz really did a good job on improving the Rotec design. Those things are neat, but you need a daily maintenance routine followed religiously.

I've been a belt operator for over two years now. The first year and a half were nothing but windfarms; six day weeks 16+ hour days. Anything less than that was a relief.

Belts are fantastic machines so long as you recognize a few things about them. #1 - There are a metric buttload of moving parts involved. They need to be cared for properly. If kept on top of this is not a huge issue. #2 - They can be pricey to run... if you don't have a good operator or the desire to support the machine. The machines themselves are not overly common, this increases the costs associated with the machine. Your operator should be able to catch things before they become 'problems' and you should be willing to replace what needs replaced. Getting a new $40 part is a lot more palatable than 'trying to save money and do without' especially when the second option has the hidden cost of multiple torn hydraulic hoses, broken hydralic fittings, bent boom components, a feeder that will no longer sit level because it's twisted 18° and having concrete all over the truck.

As far as which model to go with you would have to analyze your specific needs and working environments.
In my personal experience and opinion it's difficult to go wrong with a 110. The way that the chassis is laid out makes the truck and the operator very efficient. The outriggers have a greater range of motion which gives the trucker a greater capacity to level itself out in rough terrain. Again on the rough terrain theme the 110 has a much tighter turning radius than the old 105s (what doesn't?) and the 130s. Additionally it can navigate rough terrain better than the others just mentioned The 130 has a very low center and long low tail that hang out past the rear axles and the 105 just has trouble operating in rough terrain period because the main boom needs room to set the feed conveyor down without crushing an outrigger. TB110s carry 200 gallons of water whereas the 130s only carry 170. Also if you foresee yourself doing a lot of sand and gravel the 110s have a tray behind the cab that can hold a sand hopper and a bunch of parts, tools and supplies. While the 130 has space for carrying a sand hopper there are no slides or brackets to actually secure it, the hopper just gets slid onto the frame which tears the crap out of the paint, grip tape and deck.

I've run a TB 50, and have done long term field work with the TB 130 and 110, I have not run a TB 80 or TB 600 but I'm seriously lusting after the 600.