Seagrave isn't for everyone. It is true they've never been at the forefront of innovation and generally offer a relatively standard product line. They do not have an extended dealer market...they have just a few strong areas that they market...and they are not cheap. For those reasons, I think they've conceded to being a high end, low volume builder. Its my opinion that losing FDNY business actually helped them....they've rebuilt relationships with the smaller customers and no longer have all their eggs in one basket....a basket that is too demanding.
Seagrave is all I've ever driven and operated...going back to 1992. My area has nearly 100 Seagrave apparatus currently on the streets. I believe we have the second highest concentration of Seagrave apparatus, behind the FDNY. We've essentially had the same salesman since 1987 and they last forever....two big keys in fire apparatus - dealer relationship and durability. Louisville is about to replace a 1994 Seagrave 100' quint...22 years old and making 1200 runs a year with no problem. We also have a 1992 TeleSqurt still in frontline service...with no replacement in the pipeline. It kills me when I see departments replacing 5-10 year old apparatus (often because the newly elected Chief wasn't a fan of the previous "name") and others who justify replacement based off their "mean streets." We've got "mean streets," crappy roads, every weather cycle in the universe, and daily fires as well...but we have an excellent shop and preventative maintenance program. 20-25 year replacement is now the norm for us. Imagine that...taking "care" of a rig will make it last longer? We ran Mack and Pirsch apparatus forever, as well...you couldn't kill them.
Seagrave even had their issues for a while, evidence that everyone does. Back in the early 2000s, the "strike" rigs were complete lemons. Labor issues will cause that...just like replacement refs in the NFL. I do enjoy hearing feedback on other manufacturers while out photographing rigs. I won't knock the other guys...but will say that E\-One has made a remarkable comeback....and there are SOME manufacturers taking entirely too long to deliver complete junk.
In the end and from my experience, a simple well-constructed rig with strong dealer support should last you forever. It should be no surprise that the more crap you put on a rig, the more engineering involved, the more gimmicky innovations you add...the more troubles you will have.
Kent Parrish
Louisville, KY
Seagrave is all I've ever driven and operated...going back to 1992. My area has nearly 100 Seagrave apparatus currently on the streets. I believe we have the second highest concentration of Seagrave apparatus, behind the FDNY. We've essentially had the same salesman since 1987 and they last forever....two big keys in fire apparatus - dealer relationship and durability. Louisville is about to replace a 1994 Seagrave 100' quint...22 years old and making 1200 runs a year with no problem. We also have a 1992 TeleSqurt still in frontline service...with no replacement in the pipeline. It kills me when I see departments replacing 5-10 year old apparatus (often because the newly elected Chief wasn't a fan of the previous "name") and others who justify replacement based off their "mean streets." We've got "mean streets," crappy roads, every weather cycle in the universe, and daily fires as well...but we have an excellent shop and preventative maintenance program. 20-25 year replacement is now the norm for us. Imagine that...taking "care" of a rig will make it last longer? We ran Mack and Pirsch apparatus forever, as well...you couldn't kill them.
Seagrave even had their issues for a while, evidence that everyone does. Back in the early 2000s, the "strike" rigs were complete lemons. Labor issues will cause that...just like replacement refs in the NFL. I do enjoy hearing feedback on other manufacturers while out photographing rigs. I won't knock the other guys...but will say that E\-One has made a remarkable comeback....and there are SOME manufacturers taking entirely too long to deliver complete junk.
In the end and from my experience, a simple well-constructed rig with strong dealer support should last you forever. It should be no surprise that the more crap you put on a rig, the more engineering involved, the more gimmicky innovations you add...the more troubles you will have.
Kent Parrish
Louisville, KY
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