Top 4 Things to Consider when Purchasing a New Scissor Lift

08, Sep. 2025

 

Top 4 Things to Consider when Purchasing a New Scissor Lift

Top 4 Things to Know When Purchasing a New Scissor Lift

When it comes to elevating your team safely and efficiently, a scissor lift is often the go-to piece of equipment. Whether you’re in construction, maintenance, or warehousing, scissor lifts are an indispensable tool for getting the job done at height. However, with so many models and options on the market, purchasing a new scissor lift can feel overwhelming. To help guide your decision-making process, here are the top 4 things to know or consider when purchasing a new scissor lift.

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  1. Understanding the Type of Scissor Lift You Need

Scissor lifts come in various types, and choosing the right one for your specific needs is crucial for both performance and safety. The two main categories of scissor lifts are electric and diesel, but there are also hybrid options.

  • Electric Scissor Lifts: Ideal for indoor use, electric lifts are quiet, have zero emissions, and are perfect for clean environments like warehouses, factories, and malls. They are most effective on smooth, flat surfaces and typically have a more compact design, which is great for maneuvering through narrow aisles.
  • Diesel Scissor Lifts: These lifts are better suited for outdoor use, particularly on rough, uneven terrain. With powerful engines, they provide more lifting power and can handle challenging work sites like construction zones or outdoor event setups.
  • Hybrid Scissor Lifts: Offering the best of both worlds, hybrid lifts can operate on both electric and diesel power, making them versatile and adaptable for various work environments.

Tip: Determine whether your lift will be used indoors or outdoors and assess the terrain where you’ll be working before making your choice.

Tip: Consider the actual weight of the machine and the ground bearing ground bearing pressure. This spec may be important for working on finished surfaces or other fragile flooring.

  1.  Lift Height and Weight Capacity

One of the first things to consider when purchasing a new scissor lift is the maximum lift height and weight capacity required for your projects. Different models offer different heights, and the right one for you will depend on the types of tasks you’ll be performing.

  • Lift Height: Scissor lifts come with varying platform heights ranging from 20 feet to over 50 feet. If you only need to reach moderate heights, a smaller lift may suffice. However, for large-scale construction projects or maintenance on tall buildings, a lift with greater reach will be necessary.
  • Weight Capacity: Scissor lifts are designed to carry a certain weight, including the operator and any tools or materials they may need. Standard scissor lifts can typically hold between 500 to 1,000 pounds, but some models can support more. Be sure to account for the weight of both the operator and any equipment that will be on the lift at the same time.

Tip: Make sure to select a lift that has a sufficient weight capacity and reach for your operations to ensure safety and efficiency.

  1. Safety Features and Certifications

Safety is paramount when using any type of heavy equipment, and scissor lifts are no exception. Ensure that the lift you choose has all the necessary safety features in place to protect your workers while on the job.

Some essential safety features to look for include:

  • Tilt Sensors: These sensors help prevent the lift from tilting or tipping over if the ground is uneven or the lift is over-extended.
  • Emergency Lowering System: This feature ensures that the lift can be safely lowered in case of a power failure or malfunction.
  • Guardrails and Platform Safety Gates: These are critical for preventing falls and ensuring workers stay secure while on the lift.
  • Stabilizers: For larger models, stabilizers provide additional support, helping keep the lift steady and safe while working at great heights.

Additionally, check for certifications that ensure the lift complies with safety standards, such as those set by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and ANSI (American National Standards Institute). A lift that meets these standards guarantees that it’s been tested for safety and is up to code for usage in most professional environments.

Tip: Always verify that the scissor lift meets industry standards for safety before finalizing your purchase.

  1. Maintenance and Serviceability

A key consideration when purchasing a new scissor lift is how easy it will be to maintain. Like all heavy equipment, regular maintenance is necessary to keep the lift operating smoothly and avoid costly repairs down the line.

Look for a lift that comes with a reliable warranty and access to customer service. A good warranty should cover major parts and defects for a specified period, allowing you to repair or replace components without extra cost.

Additionally, choose a model with easy access to common maintenance points such as hydraulic systems, batteries (for electric lifts), and engine components (for diesel lifts). Some models are designed for easy troubleshooting and repairs, which can save you time and money.

Finally, consider the availability of replacement parts. Purchasing a lift from a reputable manufacturer or dealer ensures that parts will be readily available when needed, preventing unnecessary downtime.

Tip: Consider what lift dealers are located near you. It is likely that any warranty work would need to be completed by an authorized dealer. It is more convenient when you have a local dealer, so you do not have to spend time hauling your equipment far away for warranty repairs. Your local dealer would also be able to help you source any parts you may need.

Tip: Review the lift’s warranty, maintenance requirements, and service options before purchasing to ensure you can keep it running efficiently for years to come.

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Conclusion

Purchasing a new scissor lift is a significant investment, and ensuring you make the right choice is essential for the safety and productivity of your team. By carefully considering the type of lift, height and weight requirements, safety features, and maintenance needs, you can make an informed decision that fits your business or project’s unique needs. Whether you’re working indoors or outdoors, on smooth or rough terrain, a well-chosen scissor lift willhelp elevate your operations to new heights.

Want A Lift Rental is an authorized dealer for several different lift manufacturers. We partner with JLG, Genie, MEC, Skyjack and Hy-Brid by Custom Equipment to sell new aerial lift equipment and replacement parts. Call us today for more information about purchasing a new scissor lift or check out what used equipment we have for sale as well.

What Considerations Should Be Taken When Choosing ... - Morn Lift

Making the right choice when it comes to mobile scissor lift platform equipment is absolutely necessary to a successful and worry-free work experience. Operators that have no choice but to work with the wrong lift equipment are oftentimes tempted to sacrifice safety in order to make the lift work for them. Rather than forcing your operators to compromise safety, you should carefully select your lift equipment. Don’t make your choice based on previous rentals, guesses, or simply what is available for rental at that time. There are a number of ways to prepare yourself before you start looking at scissor lift equipment.

Scissor lifts provide operators with opportunity for both increased speed and security while working in a wide array of environments. How do you choose the right scissor lift for your project? Well, the first step is to determine which option is best suitable to optimize your operational flow. For this reason, more businesses are investing in mobile scissor lifts to increase productivity and decrease cost.

Here are 5 considerations that should be taken when choosing a mobile scissor lift:

1. Consider the Job Site

Where will you use the scissor lift? Is the job indoors or outdoors? Location plays a large role when buying or renting aerial lifts. Low-emission scissor lift platforms deliver a quiet, convenient solution for sound-sensitive indoor environments, such as office buildings, retail stores, hotels and schools. There are many unforeseen obstacles that you may not consider when choosing a mobile man lift. Included in these are aisle-ways, rough surfaces, turning radiuses, elevators, and slopes. Check to make sure that the job sites will have the proper power sources easily accessible and that there is no obstacles blocking the equipment’s path.

2. Application

What kind of work will you perform with the scissor lift? Typically, hydraulic scissor lifts are best suited for indoor applications, such as warehouses, factory floors, hangers, auditoriums, gymnasiums, and galleries. They are standard in indoor environments, but they also work well outdoors or any environment with hard-level surface. First and foremost, you need to make sure that you get a lift that has the proper reach for your application. Additionally, you need to make sure that the lift will be capable of getting from the delivery truck to the job site. If you are planning to use the scissor lift outdoors, make sure you have an electric outlet nearby to charge the unit. Or you can choose DC power to control the lifting process.

3. Work Height

How high are you going? To determine the right platform height, you must first assess your work height. This will vary, depending on whether you are changing a lightbulb inside a warehouse or working on a window outside a building. At MORN, you could tell us what your wanted work height is, then we can engineer the scissor lift for you. Our mobile aerial scissor lift can vertically reach up to 18m which could meet a wide range of work requirement.

4. Load Capacity

What are you lifting and how much does it weigh? How many people and materials will be on the platform at once? To pick the right scissor lift table, first determine the combined load capacity of personnel and materials. There are two separate capacity ratings provided by lift manufacturers. The first is for the maximum number of persons allowed in the platform. The other capacity is the total weight of the people, tools, and materials in the platform. MORN scissor lift tables are configured with standard load capacity of 300kg. Don’t exceed this capacity or it can lead to a much higher likelihood of disastrous accidents!

5. Power Supply

Considering the type of power that your lift is powered by is very important, especially if you run a multi-shift operation that requires lifts to be ready to go at nearly every hour of the day. If this is the case, you will want to get a lift that is powered by liquid propane gas since there is no downtime required. For MORN mobile scissor lift, AC power, DC power and diesel power can be chosen for different job sites. But do heed that battery powered lifts will run approximately 4 hours before they need to be recharged. When the battery is fully discharged, it will take 6-8 hours before it is fully charged again.

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