When you rent a boom lift, cherry picker, scissor lift or forklift, think ahead about the tasks and the conditions on site. A few clear answers help you get the right machine the first time.
The job and the load
What will I be doing? Hanging event decorations and constructing a building call for very different equipment. Know the job before you choose.
Do I need to lift people, materials or both? Often you need two machines at once: a boom lift or scissor lift to raise the people, and a forklift to raise what they are installing.
What tools and materials must come up with me? You may need only a light and a screwdriver, or a large amount of material. Space on a scissor lift or boom lift platform is limited.
Is the item small and light, or large and heavy? A cherry picker typically lifts only 500 to 1,000 lb, and that includes people, tools and materials. Large items that weigh little can also cause trouble. A 30 ft by 20 ft banner is not heavy, but 60 ft up in a light 10 mph breeze you are holding on to a 600 sq ft sail.
Weather and working height
What will the weather be during the work? The day may be clear and sunny, but if it rained for the previous five days, the site may be deep in mud. Wind becomes a serious factor on the larger booms.
How high do my feet need to be to reach the work comfortably? Standing on tiptoe is uncomfortable. Standing on a box or ladder on the platform to gain a little height is very dangerous and not allowed.
Ground conditions
What surface will the machine stand on? Job sites have many surfaces: concrete slab, asphalt, hard-packed earth, gravel, soft soil, sand, grass, hardwood floors, marble and more. The machine must be on hard, level ground before you go up. Even a small angle at the base becomes a large angle at the top, and tipping over is one of the easiest ways to be killed.
Indoors or outdoors, and what is in the way
Will I work inside or outside? Boom lifts come in electric, gasoline, propane and diesel versions. Indoors you should use electric or propane. Gasoline and diesel machines belong outdoors in well-ventilated areas only.
Are there obstacles to reach over or around? A scissor lift goes straight up and down, so you must be able to position it directly under the work. Boom lifts reach much further. A 60 ft straight boom has a horizontal reach of 50 ft, and a 60 ft articulating boom can reach up 34 ft and out over 30 ft.
Here is what poor planning looks like. You have a half-day maintenance job on your building and want the cheapest option. A scissor lift is always the cheapest, but you need to get up and over bushes and shrubs, so it will not work. You need a boom. To check which machine fits your job, contact United Gulf.