What is a cherry picker?
You probably already have a basic idea of what a cherry picker is: a piece of equipment that raises a work platform to high areas. We’ve all seen them in use, from street lighting contractors repairing street lights, to film crews shooting aerial shots, to window cleaners working in high-rise city offices. Sometimes called powered access equipment, access platforms, aerial lifts, flying carpets, or aerial work platforms, cherry pickers get workers to otherwise inaccessible high areas quickly and safely.
So you think you might need a cherry picker for a job, but what kind of machine do you choose? The choice in the fast growing cherry picker sales and rental market can be daunting: vertical lifts, boom lifts, scissor lifts or truck mounted lifts… it’s hard to know where to start. This guide will give you an introduction to the types of cherry pickers out there and help you decide which one is right for your task.
Types of Cherry Picker Elevators
There are a wide variety of kits available on the market for cherry pickers, which is good news because it means whatever the job, there has to be the perfect machine to fit it. But the variety of machines available and the sometimes conflicting terminology used by different companies to describe them can be confusing. So here’s a general introduction to the types of machines available, the types of work they’re best for, and the different terms you might see used to describe them.
Up and down or side to side?
Cherry picker aerial lifts are divided into two main groups, each covering a wide variety of equipment. The first group is the boom type lift, roughly speaking, a joint lift that lifts a platform up and also out. The second group is usually called scissor lifts: These lifts simply raise a stable platform vertically, often using the criss-cross scissor mechanism that gives them their name.
boom lifts
Boom lifts come in all shapes and sizes, from self-propelled to truck-mounted. The main feature of a tail lift is that it is articulated, meaning it can move sideways as well as up and down, making it ideal for reaching up and over objects to reach hard-to-reach areas like ceilings. .
Self-propelled aerial platforms
A self-propelled tail lift is usually a smaller unit that can be moved from one location to another by the operator from the basket. This means they are quick and convenient to get to more than one tricky spot without having to stop working and reconfigure the unit. They are ideal for renting on a long-term project on a site, where a cherry picker may be needed for a variety of jobs at height. Machines like the Haulotte Star 10 are popular for internal use or the Haulotte HA16SPX is an example of a self-propelled boom often used on building sites or projects.
Truck Mounted Booms
A truck or van mounted boom is the ideal choice for jobs that require access to numerous tall work areas in a short space of time. For example, machines like the Ascendant 12.5VM are often used for street lighting work. Great for short-term rentals on jobs where you need to get in and out quickly, truck-mounted booms offer speed and mobility. They can come with larger platforms that can carry multiple workers and heavy equipment. Popular truck mounted crane models include the Ascendant 22 or Bronto 34, both of which are robust vehicles that are easy to operate. Truck-mounted booms can be rented without a driver; those weighing less than 3,500 kg can be driven with a standard driving licence. Larger HGV truck mounted booms are supplied with a fully trained operator.
Trailer Mounted Booms
Working on the same principle as a truck-mounted boom, a trailer-mounted boom lift gives you the option of picking up and moving the rig using your own vehicle for towing. Lightweight and versatile, they are a good low-cost option, often used by builders on smaller jobs.
Specialized lifting platforms
In recent years, tail lift manufacturers have developed some very specialized access equipment designed for particular working conditions. Rough terrain boom lifts, like the popular Haulotte HA16SPX, are designed for use on rough terrain outdoors, and others may have tracks and even non-marking tires for inside jobs. Another specialized type of platform lift is the narrow access platform, such as the Spider FS370 or Mantis 29, which is designed for use within commercial environments such as shopping malls, airports, or theaters. Extremely versatile in terms of configuration, this type of lift is available with a battery to prevent fumes, can fit through a standard doorway or into narrow access areas and still provide access to high areas inaccessible by stairs.
scissor lifts
Mobile, practical and versatile, scissor lifts use a mechanism to vertically lift a caged platform. This could be a criss-cross scissor mechanism, or one of several other designs. Scissor lifts are typically self-propelled, meaning they can be driven from the basket by the operator, and can be battery or diesel powered, allowing for both internal and external use.
Battery powered scissor lifts
These are ideal for indoor commercial use. Several models offer a narrow working width that allows them to travel along warehouse aisles, making them ideal for carrying out tasks such as inventory within a warehouse. They are also ideal for jobs where equipment is needed at height. such as electrical engineering. Because scissor lifts are compact when lowered, they can be easily stored on site.
Diesel powered scissor lifts
These come in various sizes, from the Haulotte Compact 10DX, which is ideal for smaller construction sites where space is at a premium, to the Skyjack 9250, which is ideal for cladders who want to attach large pieces of cladding to a building.
Scissor lifts can offer a low cost solution to working at height, with push models at the lower end of the price range.
Where should I go to learn more about cherry pickers? Now that you have a basic understanding of the type of access platform that might be right for you and the questions to ask, your next source of information is a cherry picker rental and sales company, who will be able to provide you with expert advice on which lift to use. is the best for you.