Over-center vs. Non-Over-center

When looking at an Articulating Bucket Truck, there are two main designs to consider. The first, and most common, is a Non-Over-center bucket. The NOC bucket will articulate and extend to a full 90 degrees (straight up in the air). This is a great design for electrical work as you are generally close to the truck. The limitation to the NOC bucket truck is that the amount of total side reach is the length of the upper boom and no more.

For a more versatile and maneuverable bucket truck, the Over-center unit will provide almost twice the side reach.

The term “Over-center” refers to the position of the upper boom when it is fully extended and actually breaks past the 90-degree mark…it goes over center. This function will give an operator the ability to extend the lower and upper boom out vertically, thus having almost twice the amount of side reach…the full length of the lower and upper boom extended.

The over center models are perfect for applications where the operator needs additional maneuverability and added side reach. For instance, many arborists utilize the over center bucket trucks as well as utility workers who need the additional flexibility.

The easiest way to determine if a bucket truck is over-center or not, is to look at the position of the upper and lower booms. If they are stacked on top of each other, 99% of the time, it is a NOC boom. If they are side-by-side, then 99% of the time it is an OC boom.

Some bucket trucks also have a lower boom that breaks over center. For instance, the Lift All LOM-10-55 has a lower boom that will break 10 degrees past the center mark…or 100 degrees.