Sutphen Fire Trucks for Sale

You can buy a reconditioned, service-ready used Sutphen fire truck without paying new-build prices or waiting years for it. Sutphen is a family-owned Ohio builder that’s been making fire apparatus since 1890, best known for its four-sided box-boom mid-mount aerial platform, and Fire Truck Center sells used Sutphen aerials, quints, and pumpers that pass a 150-point inspection with third-party NFPA pump tests and aerial certification, backed by a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. Used Sutphen aerials and quints generally run from around $20,000 for older units to the mid-six figures for newer platforms, with pumpers lower — see the Sutphen trucks listed on this page.

What are Sutphen fire trucks known for?

Sutphen fire trucks are known for the four-sided box-boom mid-mount aerial platform, a design the company built its name on. Sutphen is a family-owned manufacturer out of Ohio, in business since 1890 and now run by the fourth and fifth generations of the family. That continuity matters when you buy used, because the parts, the service network, and the design language have stayed consistent for decades.

The box boom is the piece to understand. Tom Sutphen started developing the company’s aerial in 1958 and debuted the first Sutphen aerial — a 65-foot platform quint — at FDIC in 1964. The four-sided box-boom design was built to protect the waterway, airways, and electrical lines inside the boom while giving firefighters a stable platform to work from. Sutphen builds these aerials from lightweight, high-strength aluminum and Huck-bolts them together for strength and easier maintenance over the truck’s life.

Sutphen also specialized in mid-mount aerials early on. Mounting the aerial in the middle of the truck lowers the center of gravity and balances the weight, which makes for a safer drive and better sightlines pulling up to a scene.

The model line you’ll see on the used market includes:

• SP 70 — a 70-foot single-axle mid-mount platform with a stainless-steel body. Compact footprint, first-out engine capability.
• SPH 100 — a 100-foot mid-mount platform with a full rescue bucket.
• SL 75 — a 75-foot single-axle aerial ladder.
• SLR 75 / SLR 108 — rear-mount aerials (the 108 rides on a tandem axle).
• TDA — Sutphen’s tractor-drawn aerial, in 101- and 105-foot ladders.

For a department, the takeaway is simple: a Sutphen is built heavy-duty and holds its value, which is exactly why a well-kept used one is worth buying.

Can you buy a used Sutphen fire truck, and what types come up?

Yes — used Sutphen apparatus does come to market, most often as mid-mount aerials and quints, with pumpers showing up too. Fire Truck Center sources, reconditions, and sells them, so you’re not left hunting auction listings and hoping a truck is sound. The Sutphen units we have now are listed on this page.

Because Sutphen is best known for its aerials, that’s where most used demand lands. If you’re shopping the aerial side, browse our used aerial and quint inventory to see what’s ready now. If you need pumping capacity on a budget, the used pumpers we have in stock are worth a look alongside any Sutphen aerial. You can also see every truck we have for sale in one place.

A used Sutphen doesn’t have to be old to be a smart buy. Plenty of aerials and pumpers come out of small departments as reserve trucks — low hours, well maintained, and visually close to new.

What should you know before buying a used Sutphen?

Before buying a used Sutphen, know that most units are mid-mount platform quints, that the box-boom aerial is built to last, and that parts and resale value hold up because Sutphen has stayed family-owned and consistent for over a century. The work on your end is matching the configuration to your department.

A used Sutphen tends to share a few strengths worth knowing:

• The reliability is in the build. The four-sided box boom and Huck-bolted, high-strength aluminum aerials are made for demanding use, and many ride on Sutphen’s extreme-duty Monarch chassis. A maintained Sutphen aerial has plenty of service life left in it.
• Parts and service stay available. Because Sutphen has been family-owned and building on the same core aerial design since 1890, sourcing parts and service for an older truck is steadier than with brands that have changed hands.
• They hold their value. Sutphen is one of the major apparatus brands that holds value well for parts and reliability, and older aerials in particular are often the most truck you can get for the money.

On configuration, match the truck to your buildings and your crew:

• Reach. Departments usually run a 70-, 75-, or 100-foot aerial based on the tallest buildings they have to reach over the top. Sutphen covers that range with the SP 70, SL 75, and SPH 100.
• Quint versus straight aerial. A mid-mount platform quint carries a pump, water tank, hose, ground ladders, and the aerial on one truck, so it can run first-out as an engine. That’s most of Sutphen’s used platform inventory.
• Single versus tandem axle. A single-axle unit like the SP 70 is shorter and easier to maneuver; a tandem-axle truck adds braking capacity and compartment space.

Get reach, quint-versus-ladder, and axle count right, and a used Sutphen will fit your run card for years.

What should you check when buying a used Sutphen aerial?

On a used Sutphen aerial, inspect the aerial device first — the box boom, turntable, pedestal, and ladder for cracks and structural problems — then confirm the truck carries a current third-party NFPA aerial certification before you buy. The aerial is the one system that separates an aerial from every other truck, and it’s the one that costs the most to get wrong.

Here’s how our founder frames it, from years of buying and reconditioning these trucks:

“The biggest difference is between aerials and all other types, because aerials have a very complex mechanism mounted on top that needs to be very carefully inspected — no cracks in the system, the turntable, the pedestal, the whole ladder system. Making sure the ladder is structurally and functionally solid is the biggest part.”

Sutphen’s box-boom construction helps here. The four-sided boom is a rigid, enclosed structure, so a Sutphen aerial that’s been maintained tends to inspect clean. But you still verify it, you don’t assume it.

Work through the truck in this order:

1. Aerial device. Box boom, turntable, pedestal, and ladder sections checked for cracks, fatigue, and play. This is the make-or-break check on any Sutphen.
2. Aerial certification. A current third-party test to NFPA standards confirms the aerial is safe to operate. On a ladder truck this test can take a full day.
3. Pump. If it’s a quint, the pump gets an NFPA pump test — no leaks, holds vacuum, flows its rated GPM.
4. Structure and drivetrain. Frame integrity first, then engine, transmission, brakes, and suspension.
5. Miles and hours. Our guideline is roughly 100,000 miles and 10,000 hours as an upper bound, and many reserve aerials come in far under that.

Every used Sutphen we sell goes through our 150-point inspection and gets its pump test and aerial certification from a third party before it leaves the lot, so you get documented proof on each of these points rather than a promise.

How much does a used Sutphen fire truck cost?

A used Sutphen costs a fraction of a new one, with price driven mostly by apparatus type, age, and aerial length. Used aerials and quints span a wide range — older units can land near $20,000, while newer mid-mount platforms run into the mid-six figures — and pumpers are generally lower. For a full breakdown by truck type, see what used fire trucks actually cost.

These are Fire Truck Center’s general used ranges by apparatus type, not Sutphen-specific quotes — every truck is priced individually.

The comparison that matters is used versus new. A new mid-mount aerial platform now runs well over a million dollars, with build queues stretching two to four years. A reconditioned Sutphen aerial can be in service in a matter of weeks. You’re saving hundreds of thousands of dollars and years of waiting, on a truck that’s already proven itself in the field.

Financing is available through lenders that specialize in emergency vehicles, so the up-front number doesn’t have to be the whole story for a department on a tight budget.

Why buy your used Sutphen from Fire Truck Center?

Because every truck is reconditioned and put through a 150-point inspection with third-party NFPA pump and aerial certification, then backed by a 30-day satisfaction guarantee and nationwide delivery. That combination is rare in used apparatus, and it’s built to answer the one fear every buyer has: getting a lemon.

The 30-day satisfaction guarantee is the part almost nobody else offers. If the truck isn’t right, you return it within 30 days for a full refund, for any reason. Fire Truck Center pays the return freight, and the truck comes back in the same condition it went out. Thirty days is enough to confirm a used fire truck is mechanically sound.

Delivery is handled the same way — carefully. Aerials are usually driven to your department rather than hauled, which protects the truck and often saves money on a big unit. Most buyers come out to our Levittown, PA facility to inspect the truck in person first, then we deliver.

Frequently asked questions about used Sutphen fire trucks

Where are Sutphen fire trucks built, and is Sutphen still family-owned?

Sutphen fire trucks are built in Ohio, and the company is still family-owned. Sutphen has been in business since 1890 and is now run by the fourth and fifth generations of the Sutphen family, making it one of the oldest continuously family-owned fire apparatus manufacturers in the country. That long ownership is part of why parts and service support stay steady for older trucks.

What’s the difference between the Sutphen SP 70 and SPH 100?

The Sutphen SP 70 is a 70-foot single-axle mid-mount platform, while the SPH 100 is a 100-foot mid-mount platform with more reach and a larger rescue bucket. The SP 70 is built for a compact footprint and first-out engine capability, which suits departments that want an aerial that also runs as an engine. The SPH 100 trades that compactness for height and bucket capability, for taller buildings and heavier rescue work.

How many miles or hours are too many on a used Sutphen?

As a general guideline, we look for used trucks under about 100,000 miles and 10,000 engine hours. Many reserve aerials and pumpers from small departments come in well under that, because they barely ran in their first life. Low numbers matter less than documented maintenance and a clean inspection, but they’re a good first filter.

Does a used Sutphen aerial come NFPA-certified?

A used Sutphen aerial from Fire Truck Center comes with a current third-party aerial certification and, on a quint, an NFPA pump test. Both tests are performed by an independent testing company following NFPA standards, so you have documented proof the aerial and pump are safe to put in service. We won’t deliver an aerial without it.

Can you deliver a Sutphen aerial to our department?

Yes — Fire Truck Center delivers nationwide, and we’ve sent trucks to nearly every state in the lower 48. Aerials are usually driven to your department rather than shipped on a carrier, which protects the truck and often costs less on a large unit. Most departments inspect the truck in person at our facility first, then we handle delivery.