Home / News & Media / Press Releases / What is the Difference between a Scissor Lift and a Boom Lift?
Construction and maintenance projects in high, hard-to-reach areas often cannot be accessed with conventional ladders. Workers require a stable platform that supports both themselves and the materials and tools necessary for the job. Scissor and boom lifts provide the ideal solution for safely elevating workers to these challenging locations. In this blog, we’ll briefly explain what scissor and boom lifts are, followed by four key considerations to help determine the best lift for your application.
Boom lifts are hydraulically controlled elevated work platforms that offer the highest reach. They allow operators to be raised and moved both horizontally and vertically, making them suitable for tasks indoors and outdoors.
1. Telescopic Boom Lifts (also known as straight or stick boom lifts) feature a single hinged, extendable arm that can reach out over distances.
2. Articulating Boom Lifts (commonly referred to as knuckle booms) have multiple arms connected by knuckle-like joints, enabling enhanced reach and maneuverability.
Scissor lifts are elevating work platforms that move exclusively in the vertical plane, allowing personnel, tools, and supplies to be raised for various tasks. Unlike boom lifts, they lack telescopic or rotational capabilities.
The lifting mechanism consists of linked, folding supports arranged in an 'X' criss-cross pattern. Scissor lifts can be self-propelled, trailer-mounted, or truck-mounted, and may also include optional outriggers or stabilizers for added stability.
- Reach Comparison: Boom lifts provide greater overall reach than scissor lifts.
- Telescopic Boom Lifts: These offer the maximum vertical reach, often two to three times higher than scissor lifts.
- Height Consideration: The required work height is crucial in deciding between a boom or scissor lift. Boom lifts are ideal for extremely high work areas on tall structures or within trees, while scissor lifts can be used for heights below 20 meters.
- For work areas that aren’t completely clear of obstacles, an articulating boom lift is the best choice.
- Articulating Boom Lifts: With multiple hydraulic boom arms, these lifts allow the operator platform or bucket to maneuver over, under, or around obstacles such as scaffolding or building frameworks.
Each boom and scissor lift comes with a manufacturer-rated safe weight limit (SWL) and a specified maximum number of occupants for the platform or bucket.
It is crucial to never exceed the SWL to ensure operator safety.
Weights contributing to the SWL include the combined weight of the workers and any tools or materials used for the task.
For projects requiring numerous heavy tools and supplies, a larger lift with a higher SWL is necessary. Scissor lifts, with their larger platforms, are better suited for lifting multiple personnel along with tools and materials, while boom lifts typically accommodate only one worker.
The location of the work is a crucial factor in determining the appropriate type of lift.
Boom lifts are primarily used for outdoor applications, such as construction sites, while most scissor lifts are designed for indoor use in factories and warehouses.
However, specially engineered rough terrain scissor lifts can be utilized outdoors on construction sites and other locations, making them an exception to the indoor usage rule.
The size of your budget for purchasing or renting an Elevated Work Platform (EWP) significantly influences which lift is most suitable for your needs.
- Cost Comparison: Scissor lifts are generally more affordable than boom lifts and, due to their simpler operation, are ideal for budget-conscious jobs.
- Height and Maneuverability: If your project requires extra height or maneuverability, a boom lift is the better choice.
