A scissor lift is a useful piece of equipment to have on a construction site. Providing a safe, steady enclosure and a rising platform, a scissor lift helps workers accomplish precise tasks at high elevations, from close inspections to cable wiring. When choosing a scissor lift for your project you need to consider height and lift weight before you hire. To ensure that you hire the correct scissor lift, use the information below to understand the different types of lifts available and what projects they do best.
Scissor Lift Sizes
19-Foot Scissor Lift
Because of its compact size, the 19 foot scissor lift manoeuvres easily and works best for tight areas and indoor work spaces. Powered by electricity, this lift doesn’t emit harmful fumes in indoor environments. It is usually used for indoor construction and maintenance tasks.
26-Foot Scissor Lift
The 26-foot lift can tackle jobs such as hanging signs or trimming trees. It has a wider work platform than a 19-foot lift, so it can accommodate more workers and/or materials, making it a good choice for a variety of construction and industrial projects. Its four-wheel-drive design makes it well-suited for navigating rough terrain, including slopes and inclines for off-road and landscaping work.
32-Foot Scissor Lift
The 32-foot lift, is suited for industrial, construction, and maintenance tasks. The 32-foot lift features interlocking bar-style struts for added stability over an extended period of time, giving workers direct and safe vertical access to high work areas.
40-Foot Scissor Lift
The 40-foot scissor (rough terrain) lift's design allows multiple workers to reach a high elevation, making it well-suited for working on outdoor industrial, construction, and maintenance applications.
Narrow electric models work well for high interior work such as wall and ceiling maintenance. Wider electric models can accommodate more workers, making it useful either indoors or outdoors for projects like mural work, bricklaying, ceiling work, and light fixture maintenance.
50-Foot Scissor Lift
The 50-foot scissor lift makes an ideal choice for extensive jobs requiring maximum lift height. Best for outdoor work environments, its larger platform can accommodate multiple workers and lift heavy loads, and its four-wheel drive navigates well over rough and uneven terrain.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Scissor Lift
Working Height
The most obvious consideration to make is to account for the maximum and minimum work height requirements for your project. With a variety of heights to choose from, AAH can provide a scissor lift that accommodates for the amount of vertical reach that is needed for the job.
Platform Width
Another important aspect to consider is the platform size. Although platforms come in standard sizes, there are options with extendable platforms. However, bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better. When you extend the platform size, you change the centre of gravity, affecting the overall performance of the lift. Be sure to alter your lift calculations to account for this, as an unbalanced load can be problematic.
Type of Environment
Consider the work environment for your job. Where you need to work affects whether you need an emission-free electric lift for indoor jobs, a four-wheel-drive model to navigate rough terrain, or a narrow lift to access hard-to-reach spaces on crowded worksites.
Type of Project
Knowing the specific tasks required for your project as well as the material in your load helps determine what lift to choose. If you need to navigate through small areas, you may need a narrower or smaller lift. If you need to fix something from above, you may require a lift that goes higher. Consider the stability of your load, the material included, and the load’s centre of gravity. All of these considerations impact your lift choice.
Load Capacity
You can’t just consider how heavy the load needed to be lifted is. You also need to account for the workers you might need on the platform. If you need multiple workers to perform your task or if you need to lift heavier materials, you need a lift with an elevating work platform that offers significant space and maximum stability.
Types of Scissor Lifts
Not only can you hire different types of scissor lifts for different jobs, but some lifts come powered differently than others, which affects how they work as well as where they work.
Rough Terrain Scissor Lifts
Four-wheel-drive scissor lifts are better for harsher terrains and carrying heavy weights. Used in outdoor environments, these diesel or dual-fuel engines can operate safely and provide extra horsepower for manoeuvring over rugged landscapes and uneven worksites.
Electric Scissor Lifts
Electric-powered scissor lifts are well-suited for indoor use because they don’t emit fumes and operate quietly, reducing noise that can echo and be amplified in confined spaces. Additionally, electric lifts have a smaller footprint and work better in tighter spaces.
For more information on our range of scissor lifts available for hire, give us a call on 133 224.