In industrial and commercial operations, ensuring safe and efficient access to elevated workspaces is essential. Powered access equipment provides solutions to all manner of challenges: from working up and down building façades to carrying out repairs under bridges.
Maybe you are working in a factory and need to carry out roofing repairs over a production line, or you work in facilities management and have to hang up Christmas decorations in a shopping centre. Perhaps you have to repair glazing on an office building.
Each of these tasks requires access machinery with different characteristics. Companies specialised in access hire stock a range of equipment suitable for different tasks. In this article we’ll be covering a number of machines from scissor lifts to Power Towers and cherry pickers, and we’ll have a look at what they are typically used for.
Scissor Lifts
Scissor lifts are versatile platforms characterised by their crisscrossing metal supports, allowing controlled vertical movement. These lifts provide a sturdy and expansive work surface, making them indispensable in warehouses, manufacturing plants and commercial facilities.
- The Genie GS1932 5.8M / 19 FT Electric Scissor Lift offers reliable and stable platforms for tasks such as stock picking, maintenance and installations at moderate heights. Being electric, it is ideal for working indoors where emissions can be a problem. It can be easily transported and can fit through doorways and other tight spaces, being only 1.8m in length, 81.3cm in width and 2m tall. The working platform can also be extended outwards increasing outreach by 0.9m.
- For working at greater heights, the Skyjack 3226 7.9M / 26FT Electric Scissor Lift is a better option.
Vertical Mast Lifts
Vertical mast lifts utilise a single mast to extend vertically. These machines are designed to navigate tight spaces with precision, making them ideal for warehouses and distribution centres. They facilitate access to elevated areas for maintenance tasks, equipment handling and inventory management without compromising stability.
- The Genie AWP-30S 10.80M / 35.6FT Vertical Mast Lift is small and easy to move through tight spaces. This machine is ideal for working at heights and has a small outrigger footprint which allows it to be positioned close to walls.
- For jobs that require more outreach such as working over obstacles, the Manitou 100 VJR 9.85M / 32FT Vertical Mast Lift is a great machine. It is equipped with a jib to provide outreach and it is electric, making it ideal for working indoors where emissions can be a problem. The basket is perforated to provide visibility of what’s underneath.
Power Towers and Pecolifts
In industrial settings, Power Towers present a compact and efficient low level access solution. Their compact design and ease of operation make them invaluable in tasks requiring rapid and safe access, such as facility maintenance, stock management and light installations in warehouses and retail spaces.
- JLG 4.5M / 15FT Power Tower NANO SP is one such machine, being small, compact and ideal for working in tight spaces. It has a safe working load of 250 Kg and a working height of 5.1 metres.
- Although not a powered access machine, the Pecolift Z00120 3.5m / 12 FT Push Around Personnel Lift, weighing only 180 Kg, is a must have for working indoors in tight spaces. It is fully manual and operated with a wheel on the platform. This makes it emissions free and low-noise, again, ideal for indoor jobs.
Cherry Pickers / Boom Lifts
Boom lifts, also known as cherry pickers, have extensive reach and flexibility in accessing heights. They are integral in construction, maintenance, and infrastructure development projects.
- Cherry pickers such as the Niftylift 170 17M / 55FT Electric/ Diesel Towable Cherry Picker are relatively small machines. Equipped with four outriggers, an articulated boom and a telescopic upper boom, this machine can reach a working height of 17.1m and has an outreach of 8.7m, making it ideal for a wide range of tasks like installing overhead fixtures, conducting repairs on tall structures and facilitating access in challenging terrains. Their 360º slew combined with a 100º basket rotation makes this machine one of the most versatile in its class.
- The Dingli BT28RT 28M / 93FT Articulated Boom Lift, a rugged-terrain machine which comes with 360° continuous turntable rotation and four-wheel drive. It is ideal for a wide range of applications, including the construction and maintenance of tall buildings and structures, installation of signage, tree trimming and other outdoor maintenance tasks.
Many come with non-marking tyres, like the Snorkel A38E 11.6M / 38FT Articulated Electric Boom Lift. This machine cannot reach the heights of the Dingli BT28RT, but is great for smaller jobs, being quite small at 4.1 x 1.5m, having 360º (non-continuous) rotation and 90º platform rotation, it can work in tighter spaces.
Applications Across Industries
Scissor lifts find application in warehouses for stock management and maintenance tasks. Vertical mast lifts are great for navigating tight spaces, crucial in distribution centres. Power Towers streamline operations in various industrial and commercial settings such as retail and warehouses. Meanwhile, cherry pickers are indispensable in construction and infrastructure projects, providing access for maintenance, installations and repairs.
Drogheda Hire and Sales, located in Dublin and Drogheda, have you covered with a wide variety of powered access equipment indispensable for many industries and DIYers, from scissor lifts to cherry pickers and Power Towers.
If you would like to speak to us about access hire for your project, don't hesitate to get in touch and we'll be more than happy to assist you:
- Call us on 041 9841419 for our Drogheda depot or on 01 9108757 for our Dublin depot
- Use our contact form, here.
- Try our Enquiry Bot at the bottom left hand corner of our home page.