Which lift should you choose? A guide to the types

Choosing the right lift is one of those decisions that are easy to underestimate, yet it really affects the pace and cost of work on site. A wrong choice of platform type means, at best, inconvenience (too little reach, a platform that is too narrow), and at worst downtime, because the machine simply cannot do the job, or the need to swap the equipment halfway through. Below is a short guide to the four main types of lift (cherry pickers, also called aerial work platforms or MEWPs), their strengths and the situations in which they work well.

Scissor lifts

This is the simplest design and usually the most economical option where what counts above all is working height and a large, stable platform. The scissor mechanism raises the platform vertically, with no way of extending an arm sideways, so scissor lifts work best on flat, hard ground, for assembly, finishing and installation work where several people with tools need a comfortable working space directly above the point of work. Typical uses are installing suspended ceilings, painting large surfaces, and electrical or ventilation installation work carried out under a ceiling. Electric versions work well inside buildings (non-marking tyres, quiet, no exhaust fumes), and diesel versions with 4×4 drive on unpaved ground outdoors, for example on a building site at the shell stage.

Articulating boom lifts

An articulating arm, made up of several segments joined by joints, lets you not only raise the platform but also swing it out sideways and “over” or “behind” an obstacle, for example over a production line, warehouse racking or a structural element. This makes articulating boom lifts suited to places where you have to reach a point of work that is not directly above where the machine stands, for example repairing a façade while avoiding a bay window, working on street lighting near trees, or installing advertising on buildings of irregular shape. The price of this flexibility is usually a lower platform capacity and a smaller platform than on scissor lifts of similar working height: an articulating boom lift is usually designed for 1–2 people, not a larger crew.

Telescopic boom lifts

A straight, extending telescopic boom offers the greatest horizontal outreach at great working height. This is the type of lift you reach for when you have to get high and far from where the machine stands, for example on façades, large industrial halls, steel structures or bridges. Unlike an articulating boom, a telescopic boom has no extra joints along the way: it extends along a single axis, which gives greater reach for the same boom length, though at the expense of the ability to “go round” an obstacle. Diesel telescopic boom lifts with 4×4 drive also cope well in more difficult terrain, so they are often chosen for building sites without paved access roads.

Vertical mast lifts

This is the lightest and most compact category: a narrow profile and low unladen weight mean that vertical mast lifts work where other lifts simply will not fit, or where the load capacity of the floor slab does not allow a heavier machine. Typical use is work inside buildings: installing services and ventilation ducts, and work in narrow corridors and stairwells, where a standard scissor lift or articulating boom lift simply cannot move.

Factors worth taking into account

Besides the type of structure itself, it is worth assessing a few additional factors: the type of ground (paved or not, which decides between electric and diesel 4×4 drive), the availability of space (whether the machine will fit in a corridor, a gate, between racking), the required working height and horizontal outreach (not only “how high” but also “how far from where the machine stands”), and the number of people and the weight of tools that must fit on the platform at the same time.

How to choose in practice

Before you decide, it is worth answering a few questions. Are you working outside, on unpaved ground (then 4×4 and diesel count), or inside a building (then electric drive will be better)? Is the point of work exactly above where the machine will stand, or does it have to be bypassed or reached sideways? How many people and how much equipment must fit on the platform at the same time? If you are not sure which type will be best, describe the job to us, the height and the nature of the terrain, and we will help you choose a model from our fleet suited to the specific work.