My 8-Year Journey with the Platform Basket 1890 Pro
After eight and a half years of faithful service (and plenty of breakdowns along the way), my trusty Platform Basket 1890 Pro Spider Cherry Picker might finally be reaching the end of its road. I’ve just been back to Promax in Barnsley to collect it from yet another round of repairs, and let’s just say… even picking it up was a challenge when the machine decided to play up on me again!
In this post, I want to share what it’s been like owning the Spider 1890 Pro for nearly a decade the highs, the headaches, and why I’m now seriously looking for a replacement.
If you want the full story in action, make sure you Why I Am Looking For A New Machine and see the machine (and me) in all our glory.
Why the 1890 Pro Changed Everything
Back in 2017, I bought the 1890 Pro from Promax.
Up until then, I’d been using van-mounted cherry pickers, which did the job but were pretty limited. Getting my first spider cherry picker completely changed the game.
Suddenly, I could take on trickier work, roofs, chimneys, schools, sports halls, and places where a van-mount just wouldn’t fit.
Around 90% of my jobs involve chimneys or roofs, and this machine has been central to all of them. Honestly, I can’t imagine running my business without it.
And it hasn’t all been work! From Scout group egg-drop challenges to my yearly obsession with Christmas lights (including decking out a local toy library in Bullwell for free), the Spider has been part of my life in more ways than one.
The Downside of Old Age
As much as I love the machine, the past couple of years have been tough. The 1890 Pro has started to feel its age, and little problems have turned into costly cycles of repairs:
- Intermittent starting faults
- Solenoid issues
- Snap brackets and a broken basket
- Burst hoses and worn cogs
- Rust spots and dented panels
- And the worst of all, the tracks constantly falling off
That last one is a nightmare. Picture me blocking traffic on a Sunday afternoon, next to a busy road, trying to wrestle a track back on while drivers honked their horns… not my finest hour!
In the last year alone, repairs and maintenance have cost me over £8,000, and that doesn’t even include downtime or lost jobs.
One particularly painful bill came to £2,700 in a single go. At some point, you’ve got to ask yourself, is this money better spent on a new machine?
Looking Ahead: A Smarter Replacement Plan
The Spider is still going. It still gets me through jobs. But the trust isn’t there anymore, every time I start it up, I’m wondering what’s going to go wrong next.
This isn’t the first cherry picker I’ve had to replace, but the difference this time is I don’t have to rush.
In the past, breakdowns forced me into buying whatever was available at short notice, sometimes leading to expensive mistakes.
Now, with years of spider experience under my belt, I know exactly what I need from my next machine. The 1890 Pro’s breakdowns, frustrating as they are, are buying me time, time to do my research properly, test different models, and make the right call.
And the first step? Heading to Vertical Days, the UK’s biggest access equipment show. If there’s a worthy replacement for the 1890 Pro, that’s where I’ll find it.
Final Thoughts
Owning the 1890 Pro has been a rollercoaster, a machine that’s given me freedom and flexibility in my work but also a fair share of stress and costly repair bills.
The next chapter is about making a smarter choice, ensuring I can keep offering reliable, high-access services without the constant fear of breakdowns.
If you want to see the full story, including some of the breakdown disasters and my plan for the future, make sure you watch the full video here. And don’t forget, you can follow along with all my cherry picker adventures online.
Follow Me Online:
• 🌐 Website: www.dji-uk.co.uk
• 🎥 YouTube: @dan_cherrypicker_man
• 🎵 TikTok: @dan_cherrypicker_man
• 📸 Instagram: @dan_cherrypicker_man
• 👍 Facebook: Dan the Cherry Picker Man
• ⭐ Google Business Page: DJI High Access Services – Google
• 🛒 Amazon Shop: My Amazon Storefront
My workwear is sponsored by Granite Workwear, and all of the clothing I’m wearing in the video can be purchased on their website: https://www.graniteworkwear.com/
