Show Customers the Light… and More

The type and number of light towers a customer needs depends on the application, and even though rental machines tend to be ‘bare bones’ units with less features, that, too, varies with the application.

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Light towers are popular rental items that attract a broad spectrum of home owner and professionals customers. When their application calls for illumination, they will first and foremost look for a unit that delivers optimum light. But their list of wants likely won’t end there. There’s an array of considerations to be addressed, not the least of which is run time, auxiliary power needs, durability, portability, and ease of operation.

Lights first

To meet their lighting needs, rental customers have essentially two lamp options, metal halide, and LED. High-pressure sodium (HPS) lights are available, as well, but their orange tint lighting is less attractive to most customers.

“Metal halide (MH) light fixtures are still the most popular,” said Vince Hunt, product marketing manager for Wacker Neuson. “Their capital investment costs are five to six times less than LED and their light intensity (lumens) is significantly greater than LED. This will change, though, as the price of LED comes down. In fact, LED lights are available on all our light towers.” 

According to Generac Product Manager for Mobile Products David McAllister, the choice between metal-halide and LED lamps might be academic in the near future. “The market transition to vertical mast is well underway and the LED revolution is next,” he remarked. “In addition to dramatically lowering light tower fuel consumption and increasing run times, LED fixtures are durable, virtually eliminating the bulb-out issue. They are instant on and off, no waiting to re-strike like metal halide lights, and they last a long time.”

Deree Bivins, product manager, lighting systems, Doosan Portable Power, puts these illumination level requirements in perspective. “A number of factors help determine the amount of light needed for an application based on the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) recommendations,” she explained. “They include the size of the area, whether light needs to be constant, and how bright it should be. Utility work, for example, requires more light than illuminating a parking lot.”

The type and number of light towers a customer needs depends on the application, and even though rental machines tend to be ‘bare bones’ units with less features, said Hunt, that, too, varies with the application. Like McAllister, he underscores the growing popularity of vertical mast models because of their fast set up/tear down and easy operation. “The design,” he emphasized, decreases the total length of a light tower, maximizing the number of machines that can fit on a standard shipping truck or that can be stored by the rental house.” 

Typical applications

David Streiff, Generac’s director of national sales for mobile products, places light tower applications into three basic categories: entertainment or events; general rental lighting for construction; and oil and gas, mining, and remote locations.

“For short-term applications, such as events, the principal requirement is a unit that’s easy to transport, set up and operate. Unlike many professional applications, they might not have big auxiliary power needs for a generator.

“Our model MLT6 is a good option for these types of applications. It’s very intuitive and easy to operate, so you don’t have to be a professional to get it up and running. The vertical mast unit features a 6 KW generator, 90 hours of run time, and four 1,000-watt metal halide lights. In addition, its innovative design allows for 19 units to be transported on a 53-foot flatbed trailer, resulting in reduced transportation costs for the rental customer.”

“The MLT6SMD, introduced at The Rental Show this spring, offers a few more features," added McAllister. “Among them is a dual-speed engine for quieter operation and LED lights. When running at low speed with lights only, the engine operates at 65 dBA, ideal for event rentals. In combination with LED lights that require less energy, low-speed operation can increase run time from 90 to 215 hours.”

Construction applications vary considerably, but they generally require rugged light towers that offer several auxiliary power options. “Salespeople need to ask if the light tower is going to be used as a power source as well as a light source,” said Hunt. “While most standard light towers have around 6kW of output, models go up as high as 20kW, such as the Wacker Neuson LTW20. Essentially, these higher output units are rented as dual-purpose machines that serve both as a generator and light tower.”

Bivins agrees. “A combination machine like our model L20 offers necessary illumination while providing up to 20kW of energy for powering tools, heaters, or a jobsite trailer. A two-in-one machine like this is especially beneficial for jobsites with tight quarters -- ones that require light but don’t have a reliable power source.”

McAllister reminds readers that the type of lights, LED or MH, will impact available auxiliary power. Just as an example, he noted that LED lights on Generac 6kW generators allow users to export up to 5kW of power compared to 1kW when equipped with metal halide lights.

“LED lamps are finding their way into more construction projects in large part because they are extremely durable and efficient,” said Jim Siffring, product manager, generators at Atlas Copco. “The LED floodlights we incorporated into our LED highlight V5+ can last longer than 30,000 hours and withstand tough conditions, from vibrations during transport to harsh work environments. For instance, contractors with a fleet of 200 light towers can save as many as 600 bulbs each year when switching from metal-halide light towers to the HiLIghtV5+. Because they are more efficient than metal-halide bulbs, LED bulbs contribute to overall fuel savings, as much as 520 gallons of diesel per 2,000 hours of operation.

“Light tower canopies, not just the lamps, must also withstand difficult construction applications. Many, today, offer more weather resistance and durability than previous models.”

Other applications

Events and outside construction projects are typical applications for light towers, but they are also used in the oil and gas industry and mining operations, often located off the beaten path in remote locations.

“We launched two other products at The Rental Show, the MLT4060MVD and the LINK tower,” said McAllister. “The MLT4060MVD is a wide-body light tower ideal for remote locations. It has a long 580-hour run time and an automated light controller for photo eye or timed start/stop sequencing. The light tower also features an Engine Temperature Management System that keeps the engine at the proper temperature regardless of operational loads or ambient temperature.

“A strobe-like beacon can be timed to alert operators when fuel is running low and telemetry will allow them to monitor operation from virtually anywhere. A 1,000-hour oil change interval is attractive for both the remote user and the rental house.”

Indoor use, where emission issues prohibit the use of gas or diesel-powered units, requires a different type of light tower. The portable LINK tower is Generac’s answer for this. The unit can be connected to a 120V utility power source or generator and features LED lights and a mast that extends to 17 feet. Two towers can be linked together on a 20-amp circuit to provide additional illumination.

Other specialized jobsites, such as evening road construction, might require diffused light. “Light balloons are a recent innovation for this type of application,” noted Hunt. “Because they emit a very soft light with less glare and fewer shadows, compared to standard light towers, they have become popular for party events, too. Wacker Neuson offers two light balloons, the LBS 110m that comes with a tripod and the LBA 110m, a simple light balloon that customers can use with their own equipment. The latter can be quickly attached to scaffolding or asphalt pavers.”

Cost and other concerns

Fitting cost to the application is part of the rental equation from two perspectives: initial and operations cost. Siffring gives this example: “Light towers with metal-halide bulbs are usually less expensive for contractors to rent. Conversely, since metal-halide bulbs are less efficient than LED lamps, customers would have to weigh the rental costs against the higher fuel costs associated with using them.

“Then there are transportation costs. Because of their small footprint, compact light towers allow contractors to get more of them on a trailer and reduce costly trips to the jobsite. Even our diesel units are designed to be compact, which contribute to transportation efficiency.”

“Certain applications might require glare-free lights for night work, whereas others might put restrictions on fluid containment or noise level,” added Bivins. “Some jobsites, in both the United States and Canada, have established containment regulations that can include oil, coolant and fuel. Selecting a portable light tower that offers containment as part of the machine frame makes it simple for customers to comply while avoiding the additional costs associated with a separate containment tray or spill pad.”

As the above manufacturers pointed out, when it comes to renting light towers, showing the customer the light requires more than determining their immediate illumination needs. There are numerous applications that require customers to take into account portability, auxiliary power needs, run time, and durability, among other considerations. Just as with any rental customer, matching equipment and features to the application is fundamental to having a satisfied customer and repeat business.

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