Which lift should I use for tree felling and care?

Most often an articulating boom lift, because the jointed arm lets the platform go into the crown and round the trunk and limbs, reaching where a straight boom or a ladder cannot. On grass, in a park and in a forest you need a rough terrain version with 4×4 drive. For tall trees standing beside a hard-surfaced road, a telescopic boom lift with a long reach also works well.

Does a lift for trees have to be a rough terrain 4×4?

Almost always, because trees grow on soft ground: grass, soil, forest undergrowth, a park. A 4×4 rough terrain machine with large wheels will get to the tree and stay stable, and load-spreading plates are laid under the outriggers. An electric scissor lift “for floors” will sink into soft ground and is not suitable for this work.

How do I choose the lift height for a tree?

Working height is matched to the highest cut in the crown, not to the total height of the tree, plus a margin, because the sawyer needs the platform above or beside the limb being worked. Horizontal outreach is also important: to get into the crown, the machine often stands away from the trunk and works with its arm sideways. The values are read from the reach chart of the machine.

What should I watch for when working with a lift near power lines?

Work near overhead power lines requires safety distances to be kept, and often the line to be switched off and earthed by the power utility, which is the contractor’s responsibility. Neither the machine nor a cut limb is brought close to the conductors. For such jobs the qualifications and experience of the operator and the sawyer are also crucial.

Knowledge base

Lift for tree felling and care: how to choose

An articulating boom lift instead of climbing: how to match height and horizontal outreach to the crown, why a 4×4 rough terrain machine is needed on grass and in a park, how to work out capacity for the sawyer and a long log, and how to work safely near trees and power lines.

Updated: 8 October 2026 · Published: 24 September 2026 · Author: RK Rental team

Felling and caring for trees from a cherry picker (aerial work platform, MEWP) is much safer and faster than climbing with a chainsaw. Instead of working in a harness in the tree, the sawyer stands in the platform, with stable support, full reach of the arms and room for tools. The machine is chosen here for the crowns and the terrain: the decisive factors are height, horizontal outreach and what the machine will drive over to reach the tree.

Why an articulating boom lift rather than a ladder or a straight boom

A tree is not a flat wall: limbs spread sideways, and the cuts have to be made from different sides of the crown. That is why the first choice is an articulating boom lift: the jointed arm with a jib lets you take the platform between the limbs, round the trunk and position it above or beside the section being worked. A straight telescopic boom works for tall trees standing beside a road, where what counts is mainly vertical reach and reach in a straight line.

The terrain decides: a 4×4 machine and plates under the outriggers

Trees grow on soft ground: lawn, park, embankment, forest track, soft verge. This rules out “floor” machines. You need a rough terrain lift with 4×4 drive and large wheels, and plates are laid under the wheels and the feet of the outriggers to spread the load, so that the machine does not sink in and stands stably. Before the machine drives in, it is worth checking the access and the place where it will stand; we have collected a checklist in the article how to prepare a site for a lift delivery.

Height and horizontal outreach: two figures, not one

For a tree you choose the machine for the highest cut in the crown (not for the top of the tree) with a margin, because the platform must be above or beside the limb being worked. Horizontal outreach is just as important: to get into the crown, the machine often stands away from the trunk and works with its arm sideways, and the capacity falls with the distance from the base. We explain how to read this in the article on the load and reach chart, and the choice of height itself in the text on working height.

Capacity for the sawyer and the cut wood

The platform carries the sawyer with a chainsaw, safety and rigging equipment, and when thicker limbs are cut, sections are lowered on ropes. The platform capacity must cover the person, the tools and the load from the wood. Thick limbs are cut into pieces and lowered in a controlled way: long timber is not dropped so that it strikes the machine or the people below.

Safety: lines, people, the zone under the tree

Power lines — when working near overhead lines, safety distances are kept, and it is often necessary for the power utility to switch the line off. Neither the machine nor a limb is brought close to the conductors.
Zone under the crown — the area where limbs can fall is fenced off and marked; no bystander may enter it.
Wind — for most platforms the limit is 12.5 m/s; in wind the crown and the cut branches become unpredictable, so the work is stopped.
Qualifications — operating a mobile elevating work platform requires a UDT licence (UDT is Poland’s Office of Technical Inspection). For difficult felling jobs rental with an operator works well, and we run training for your own crew with an exam.

Frequently asked questions

Which lift should I use for tree felling and care?: Most often an articulating boom lift, because the jointed arm lets the platform go into the crown and round the trunk and limbs, reaching where a straight boom or a ladder cannot. On grass, in a park and in a forest you need a rough terrain version with 4×4 drive. For tall trees standing beside a hard-surfaced road, a telescopic boom lift with a long reach also works well.
Does a lift for trees have to be a rough terrain 4×4?: Almost always, because trees grow on soft ground: grass, soil, forest undergrowth, a park. A 4×4 rough terrain machine with large wheels will get to the tree and stay stable, and load-spreading plates are laid under the outriggers. An electric scissor lift “for floors” will sink into soft ground and is not suitable for this work.
How do I choose the lift height for a tree?: Working height is matched to the highest cut in the crown, not to the total height of the tree, plus a margin, because the sawyer needs the platform above or beside the limb being worked. Horizontal outreach is also important: to get into the crown, the machine often stands away from the trunk and works with its arm sideways. The values are read from the reach chart of the machine.
What platform capacity do I need for tree felling?: The platform carries the sawyer with a chainsaw, rigging and safety equipment, and often sections of limbs that are lowered on ropes. The platform capacity must cover the person, the tools and the load from the cut wood. On boom lifts the capacity can be limited at full reach, so when planning to cut thicker limbs, check the values in the machine’s table.
What should I watch for when working with a lift near power lines?: Work near overhead power lines requires safety distances to be kept, and often the line to be switched off and earthed by the power utility, which is the contractor’s responsibility. Neither the machine nor a cut limb is brought close to the conductors. For such jobs the qualifications and experience of the operator and the sawyer are also crucial.