Aerial Lifts Key Terms

Understand aerial lifts key terms to find the best models for your operation

Finding the right aerial lifts for your business is crucial. Before you buy aerial lifts, it’s important that you know the key terms. Otherwise, you might purchase a scissor lift when you really need a boom lift. Or, you might find you can save money with a boom lift that operates on diesel power rather than a gas powered aerial lift. Read the key terms in this guide to get a better understanding of the types aerial lifts on the market.

Boom lift

A boom lift, or cherry picker, puts a working platform at the end of a hydraulic lifting system, which enables workers to reach high places. A boom lift sometimes has a bucket attachment rather than a platform. Boom lifts are sometimes separate pull-behind units, or they can be part of a truck.

Telescopic booms

Telescopic booms give an added extension to the boom. In addition to the regular sections of a boom aerial lift, the telescoping portion retracts into the top portion. This essentially gives you another section of aerial lift for additional height and reaching capabilities. The telescopic boom operates hydraulically and the operator can control it from the work platform or base.

Scissor lift

A scissor lift provides a more stable work platform than a boom aerial lift. A folding mechanism raises and lowers the work platform hydraulically. You can get scissor lifts in narrow styles that can get into tight places.

Articulating boom

An articulating boom has more than one hinged boom section. Articulating booms can extend the reach of the original boom by several feet.

Stock picker or order picker

A stock picker, or order picker, is an electric aerial lift that allows workers to pull goods from high shelves in storage areas of the warehouse or stockroom. A hydraulic system raises and lowers a platform so the worker can safely move the products from a high storage location to the ground.

Rotating reach lift

A rotating reach lift remains close to the ground. It uses a scissor aerial lift to raise a working platform to a comfortable height for workers. The top platform of the rotating reach lift swivels so the material on the rotating reach lift stays within easy reach of the workers.

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