Part 1 of 4: Buying a 10-Year-Old 660SJ Boom Lift at Auction – What a Roofer Should Budget For

Part 1 of 4: Buying a 10-Year-Old 660SJ Boom Lift at Auction – What a Roofer Should Budget For

If you are a roofer (or any contractor) who just bought a 10-year-old 660SJ at auction, this four-part series will walk you through everything you need to get it safe, legal, and ready for the jobsite. In Part 1 we cover the initial purchase and the big-ticket inspections and parts you’ll need right away.

You’re walking the equipment auction and you score a 10-year-old 60-foot boom lift (660SJ model) with 4,121 hours on the clock. That’s right around the average for machines this age, making it a realistic and common purchase. But before your crew is 60 feet in the air hanging off a roof, this Aerial Work Platform (AWP) still needs to be brought up to current safety standards.

On any 10-year-old unit like the 660SJ, two items almost always need prompt replacement: the boom extend/retract cables (wire rope) and the wear pads. Most manufacturers recommend replacing the cables at 12 years or 7,000 hours. At 10 years old, it’s best practice to renew both — even at average hours — to keep the boom operating smoothly and safely.

The standard AWP inspection checklists cover decals, structural welds, controls, brakes, and hydraulic cylinders. You’ll also run a full cylinder drift test as part of the annual inspection.

Cost Assumptions (OEM Parts from gciron.com)

  • Labor: $75/hr fully loaded
    → Quarterly inspection ≈ 4 hours = $300
    → Annual inspection ≈ 12 hours = $900
  • Quarterly materials (grease/lube + top-offs): $130
  • Annual materials (filters, oil, grease, fluid top-off): $450
  • Full hydraulic fluid change (approx. 34 gal system): $950 every 2 years
  • One-time 10-year catch-up items (OEM from gciron.com):

Immediate Post-Purchase Costs + First-Year Ownership

Time Period (from purchase) Inspections & Work Completed Labor Only Materials Only Total Estimated Cost
First 30 days Full Annual + hyd fluid change + wire rope kit + wear pad kit + cylinder drift test $2,250 $450 + $950 + $1,450 + $1,827 $6,927
First 6 months 1 additional Quarterly $300 $130 $430
First 12 months 2 Quarterly + 1 Annual $1,500 $710 $2,210
Year 2 4 Quarterly + 1 Annual + hyd fluid change $2,100 $1,470 + $950 $4,520
Year 3 4 Quarterly + 1 Annual $2,100 $1,470 $3,570
Year 5 total (cumulative) Multiple Quarterly + Annuals + 2 hyd fluid changes + initial kits $11,850 $4,380 + 2×$950 + $3,277 (kits) $21,457

Bottom Line for Roofers

Plan on investing roughly $6,900–$7,200 in the first 30 days to make your auction 660SJ safe, legal, and ready for the jobsite. After that initial catch-up, expect $3,500–$4,500 per year for routine inspections and consumables.

While it adds to the upfront cost, a properly maintained AWP boom lift on your own truck is almost always cheaper than renting one for every roofing job.

Next week in Part 2: We’ll cover the cylinder drift test in detail — why it matters on a 10-year-old machine and exactly how to check it.