From macqueeneq.com:
Pierce composite
- Job Number:35091
- Chassis: Enforcer™
- Body: Pumper
- Actual Overall Height: 10? 0?
- Engine: Cummins L9
- Horsepower: 450 hp
- Front Suspension: Leaf
- Rear Suspension: Spring
- Electrical System: Hard Wired
- Pump: Hale Midship
- Pump GPM: 1,500 gpm
- Tank: Water
- Tank Size: 750 Gallons
#1 by Michael m on January 16, 2021 - 10:39 AM
What happened to Tower 85. I know they have been running one of the quints for awhile in place of the tower.
#2 by Mike C on January 16, 2021 - 7:54 AM
Jim Wilk – In addition to what John mentioned, with it being all proprietary, parts are only available through Pierce which means everything on the TAK-4 is extremely expensive. I drove a Velocity engine a while back with the TAK-4 and I’ll admit it drove awesome but the way Pierce markets the TAK-4 I don’t see it stopping any better than any other engine with a straight axle and a retarder or Jake. I would say the biggest downside to the TAK-4 is that is very expensive to maintain and from my experience, it’s much higher maintenance from a straight axle.
In terms of the Command Zone, it’s not just wiring, it’s a whole multiplex system which is all proprietary. While it’s a pretty decent system, in fact, I’d go as far to say it’s a very nice system, all modules and components must come through Pierce. The VMUX, Parker, and Class 1 systems are much easier to obtain parts from at a much lower price.
The gist of my explanation is that the TAK-4 really isn’t anything special and I don’t like proprietary parts. I’m not entirely convinced that multiplexing is better than hard-wired either.
#3 by Cmk420 on January 15, 2021 - 10:23 PM
Bill – One thing to note about Palatine too is that, unless it has changed since I moved out of the area, Station 81 is run as a jump company between the ambulance & engine, so there might be some times when they only have three ambulances available depending on what is going on at 81; however, they have a strong auto-aid pact with Rolling Meadows & Palatine Rural.
#4 by John on January 15, 2021 - 8:33 PM
While the TAK 4 may not be “prone” to failure, it does fail with a fair amount of regularity. Independent front suspension has never really caught on with big trucks to this day. Ball joints and spindles can break with the heavy load put on the front end,so the components must be stout. But that adds to the weight,too. They can also “knuckle under” in a curve,again due to the weight and forces involved. This is not really a concern in cars and pickups,but could result in a lack or loss of control in a bigger truck. This is all just my opinion,of course,but I have a fair amount of time driving and working on trucks,including apparatus.
#5 by Bill Post on January 15, 2021 - 8:08 PM
Mike C and Crabby, as far as Palatine goes, even though this latest Pierce rig seems to be without some of the electronic frills that you mentioned, Palatine hasn’t been relying on them as a sole supplier of apparatus (unlike some other suburban fire departments). Since they also have Ferrara, Spartan Crimson, and at one time E/One, I wonder if their crews have any favorite products and how the performance compares.
By the way, to me the biggest story about them getting a new Pierce engine isn’t the rig per se, but the fact that they didn’t purchase a quint. Palatine was running Engine 83 as a quint for while. Station 83 was their quint station so much so that they had a reserve quint there. While I know that a quint can either operate as an engine or a truck but not both simultaneously (as you would need much larger crew to do that) the fact that they are replacing their quint with an engine signifies a major operational change. Quint 83 was able to operate as a 2nd truck if necessary.
One of the unique things about the Palatine Fire Department is the way their stations and companies are spread out. The central is the truck, squad, and chief with no engine or ambulance. Station 85’s district is evenly divided into four quadrants where each is covered by an engines and ambulance.
#6 by Jim Wilk on January 15, 2021 - 4:09 PM
Mike C,
Can you explain the negatives of the Tak 4 and the Command Zone wiring?
#7 by crabbymilton on January 15, 2021 - 3:12 PM
True. I know departments have their long term contracts and loyalty to one builder or another. Plus continuity and commonality are good things. But at the same time, you do limit yourself when you stick with one builder. So they ought to think long and hard when contracts are up. We all have our favorite apparatus but the bottom line is will it work and last a long time and don’t worry about the nameplate. The builder needs to worry about that part and the rest of it should take care of itself.
#8 by Mike C on January 15, 2021 - 1:25 PM
Crabby – I agree! I’m sure you know my opinion on Pierce but Palatine eliminated 2 major proprietary components on this rig. The Command Zone and the TAK4. Without those 2 components, I’d like to think it’ll be a halfway decent rig. Some people will say they don’t like all the computerized features on modern day fire apparatus. Well, it’s fair to say, this doesn’t have modern day computerization.
#9 by crabbymilton on January 15, 2021 - 12:35 PM
I like it. can’t get much more no nonsense than that.