Boom lift vs scissor lift: which one does the job need?

A scissor lift goes straight up and carries more weight. A boom lift reaches up and out, past things a scissor cannot get around. Work directly above a firm, level floor: hire a scissor. Something in the way, or the machine can't park under the work: hire a boom. Up, over an obstacle and back down to the work: that is where a knuckle boom earns its rate.

Here is how the six elevated work platforms in our Sale yard compare, then the questions that decide it.

What is the real difference between a boom lift and a scissor lift?

A scissor lift raises a wide, railed deck straight up. It can't reach sideways past its deck, but it carries people, tools and material. A boom lift puts a smaller basket on the end of an arm. A telescopic boom extends in a straight line; a knuckle (articulating) boom has a hinge partway along, so it can climb, fold over an obstacle and come down onto the work.

They are also treated differently on licensing and harnesses under WorkSafe Victoria's industry standard for elevating work platforms (edition 4, 2023), covered below.

How do our boom lifts and scissor lifts compare?

The Nifty is the cheaper of the two booms at $250 a day against $385, so if 12.2 m working height covers the job, start there. Go to the JLG when you need more height or up-and-over reach.

When do you need a boom instead of a scissor?

You need a boom when the machine can't park directly under the work: gutters behind a garden bed, signage above a shop awning, cladding above an open trench, anything over a fence.

• Outreach: the Nifty 120T reaches 6.1 m sideways and the JLG 450AJ 7.6 m. A scissor gives you its deck and not much more.
• Up and over: a knuckle boom lifts its basket over an obstacle and drops down behind it. Published specs for the JLG 450AJ put its up-and-over clearance at about 7.3 m (450AJ spec listing).

You want a scissor when the work runs along a ceiling or wall above a floor you can drive on: services fit-out, ceiling grid, high racking, a long wall to paint.

When does a knuckle boom earn its rate over a trailer boom?

When the job needs more height, up-and-over reach, or a machine that moves itself around site. The JLG 450AJ reaches a 13.7 m platform height (about 15.7 m working) with 7.6 m of outreach, and it drives between set-ups. The Nifty 120T tops out at 12.2 m working height and sets up on outriggers each time it moves, but it tows, so it can come out behind a ute instead of on a truck.

At the same day rate, the site decides. A long run around a building or a reach over a roof line points to the knuckle boom. One or two set-ups on a house block, towed in yourself, points to the Nifty. The other difference is the licence, below.

Which lift suits rough ground, and which needs a slab?

Slab scissors need a flat, firm surface: the LGMG S0607E and S0808E are for concrete floors, not a cut pad after rain. WorkSafe Victoria's standard notes that scissor-type EWPs are built either for flat, solid surfaces or for rough terrain depending on the design, and it lists packing under wheels to level a machine as a hazard, not a fix (WorkSafe Victoria).

For site ground, the Haulotte Compact 12DX is a 4x4 rough terrain scissor, and the Swift spreads its weight on tracks where wheels would sink. The JLG 450AJ is built to drive on site, and JLG lists 45% gradeability for it (JLG). If the ground is marginal, tell us when you book and we'll tell you which machine suits it.

Can you use a boom lift or scissor lift indoors?

Use an electric slab scissor indoors. WorkSafe Victoria's standard warns that a diesel EWP in a poorly ventilated space can build up carbon monoxide, and the Haulotte Compact 12DX and JLG 450AJ are engine-powered machines for outdoor work.

Outdoors, wind is the limit: every EWP carries a wind rating, and some slab scissors are rated for fewer people outside than in. Check the decal.

How much weight can you put on the platform?

Scissors carry far more. The Haulotte Compact 12DX takes 450 kg and the LGMG S0607E 230 kg. Boom baskets are tighter: 200 kg on the Nifty 120T and about 250 kg on the JLG 450AJ, and two adults with a tool bag can be close to 200 kg on their own.

Rated capacity is people plus everything they carry. For cladding, glass or ducting, use a scissor, or a telehandler for the material and a lift for the people.

What licence do you need for a boom lift or scissor lift in Victoria?

A boom-type EWP with a boom length of 11 m or more needs a high risk work licence, class WP. Scissor lifts and booms under 11 m don't need that licence, but the operator still needs proper training. WorkSafe Victoria lists the WP class on its high risk work licence page and states that you don't need a high risk work licence to operate a scissor lift.

Boom length is not working height. It is the greater of the vertical distance from the ground to the platform floor at full height, or the horizontal distance from the boom's centre of rotation to the outer edge of the platform (SafeWork NSW sets out the test). On our fleet:

• JLG 450AJ: 13.7 m platform height, so the operator needs a WP licence.
• Nifty 120T: Niftylift lists a 10.2 m platform height and 6.1 m outreach (Niftylift spec sheet), which puts it under the 11 m line. No WP licence on those figures, but training is still required.
• All four scissors: no high risk work licence. Training is still required.

For machines without a licence class, WorkSafe Victoria's standard expects nationally recognised training with proof of competency (an EWPA Yellow Card or RTO certificate, for example), plus familiarisation on the specific model. Depending on the machine and site, we may ask to see a licence or ticket before it leaves the yard.

Do you need a harness in a boom lift or a scissor lift?

In a boom lift, yes. WorkSafe Victoria's standard says a full body harness needs to be worn by every person on the platform of a boom-type EWP, clipped to the designated anchor point, not the handrail. The reason is the catapult risk: a basket on the end of an arm can whip if the machine drops a wheel into a hole or the boom strikes something.

In a scissor lift, a harness is only needed if the manufacturer or your risk assessment says so: the guard rail runs right around the deck, and the platform can't invert or rebound like a basket. Sort harnesses and lanyards before the machine arrives.

How does each lift get to your site?

The Nifty 120T is a trailer boom: tow it yourself or we deliver it. Niftylift puts it at around 1,400 kg (weights vary by spec), so check your vehicle and towbar are rated for it. The LGMG S0607E and Swift come on their own plant trailers. The JLG, Haulotte and S0808E need transport, arranged from the Sale yard when you book.

We deliver across Gippsland, from Sale out to Traralgon, Morwell, Maffra, Bairnsdale and Warragul; more on that in getting hire gear delivered in the Latrobe Valley. If a machine breaks down, call the yard and we sort it: a breakdown costs you the day, not the hire rate.

Common questions

Is a knuckle boom the same as a cherry picker?

Cherry picker is the everyday name for boom lifts with a basket. A knuckle boom has a hinge in the arm to reach up and over obstacles. Our JLG 450AJ is one; the Nifty 120T is a straight telescopic boom.

Can I take a scissor lift onto grass or gravel?

Not a slab scissor. The LGMG S0607E and S0808E are built for flat, firm floors. For grass, gravel or a site pad, hire the Haulotte Compact 12DX (4x4, 450 kg deck) or the Swift tracked scissor.

What is the highest lift you have?

The JLG 450AJ knuckle boom, at about 15.7 m working height and 13.7 m platform height, with 7.6 m of outreach. It needs a WP licence to operate.

Do I need a licence for the Nifty 120T?

On the manufacturer's figures, no high risk work licence: its 10.2 m platform height and 6.1 m outreach sit under the 11 m boom length line. You still need EWP training, and you still wear a harness in the basket.

Which lift is best for a two-storey house?

Usually a boom, because gardens, paths and eaves stop a scissor getting under the work. The Nifty 120T (12.2 m working height) covers most gutters and fascias and can be towed in; the JLG 450AJ suits bigger roof lines and longer runs.

Tell us the height, the ground and what's in the way, and we'll tell you which machine fits the job. Check availability.