Scissor/boom/aerial lift ??'s

[rolloffhill]

Anyone know anything about them?

Looking for a smaller one for some minor work around mine and my dads shop. Found a couple local under $2k. Anything anyone knows what I should look for, stay away from?

I have seen about 3 major brands, Genie, JLG, and Skyjack

I am looking for a cheap one rather than pay rent on one that will end up being about the same price.

Some of the work will be on gravel, and I know some of those scissor lifts only have 2.5" of ground clearance.

Any feedback is good feedback I guess

 

[Dualie]

well if you don't need a telescopic unit. There's not a lot that can go wrong with an older platform electric scissor lift. I got one for free and didn't know what the hell i would do with it. Now i don't know what i did without it!

 

[rolloffhill]

You gonna leave me hangin' like that, or you wanna tell me what can go wrong??:beatsme

 

[Dualie]

With electrics the only "major" thing usually is battery's. With the telescopic there's a lot more. sensors, controls, engine, wear pads, leaking hyd cyl. I own a scissors lift. WE usually just rent the telescopic man lifts. Every job has a different requirement for personnel lifting.

It doesn't pay to buy boom lift for us. some times we need a small foot print zero tail swing overhang that only needs to go 25 feet, other times we have needed a truck mounted condor that went 175'. Let me tell what a fun ride it is a full 175' of stick.

 

[rolloffhill]

Well I just got home from buying it....

MEC 2548ht, 25' high, hard rubber tires, about 4" ground clearance and it does work on gravel. Needs a little TLC but the price was right, and I got a special set of ramps for loading them on my trailer....

 

[Lashlander]

:beatsme

For some reason the pics didn't come though.

 

[thejdman04]

You gonna leave me hangin' like that, or you wanna tell me what can go wrong??:beatsme

Alot of stuff can go wrong on scissor lifts. Most controls are electric over hydrulic and dpeneding on the tech who kept the machine up these can be electrical nightmares. The little electric over hydraulic solenoids etc get expensive when you start repairing them. Electric scissor lifts are meant to be used on hard level surfaces, I cant emphasis that enough, too many times too many guys try otherwise. Alway chock the wheels. Most use hydraulic motors and rely on the trapped fluid as a parking brake, when o ring blow or something happens 20 ft in the air is a problem. Thypical stuff check hoeses etc.

 

[thejdman04]

With electrics the only "major" thing usually is battery's. With the telescopic there's a lot more. sensors, controls, engine, wear pads, leaking hyd cyl. I own a scissors lift. WE usually just rent the telescopic man lifts. Every job has a different requirement for personnel lifting.

It doesn't pay to buy boom lift for us. some times we need a small foot print zero tail swing overhang that only needs to go 25 feet, other times we have needed a truck mounted condor that went 175'. Let me tell what a fun ride it is a full 175' of stick.

The rental company I work for now has a genie 125, The boss took me up on that baby all the way up, driving around, even went over a curb, there was probably close to 8ft of sway in that stick. I aint scared of heights but even I started to wonder when at that height. What happens when that one hose that was weeping a little bit...

 

[rolloffhill]

Alot of stuff can go wrong on scissor lifts. Most controls are electric over hydrulic and dpeneding on the tech who kept the machine up these can be electrical nightmares. The little electric over hydraulic solenoids etc get expensive when you start repairing them. Electric scissor lifts are meant to be used on hard level surfaces, I cant emphasis that enough, too many times too many guys try otherwise. Alway chock the wheels. Most use hydraulic motors and rely on the trapped fluid as a parking brake, when o ring blow or something happens 20 ft in the air is a problem. Thypical stuff check hoeses etc.

Geeze JD are you following me around???

I started tracing down the electrical bugs that this guy had neglected, the main thing wrong was a broken wire inside the control box. They obviously never found the problem cause there is NO screws to hold the cover on the box, so it stayed loose constantly. After I fixed that, no more problems, it had just been neglected a little bit. Picked up a new Hyd oil filter and will change that and thought I was gonna change the fluid. Doesn't look like it will be an easy task to drain since the hyd. tank is very low to the ground, but I'll figure it out.

I can get pics up later. Got home in the dark last nite with a broken spring hanger bolt on the trailer. Spent alot of time running the wife to the doctor today, but replaced and painted the floor today. Also made a hanger for the control box. The only thing I wish this lift had that most others have is a joystick, this one just has knobs, but I can deal......

 

[Dualie]

QUOTE=thejdman04;25569]The rental company I work for now has a genie 125, The boss took me up on that baby all the way up, driving around, even went over a curb, there was probably close to 8ft of sway in that stick. I aint scared of heights but even I started to wonder when at that height. What happens when that one hose that was weeping a little bit...[/QUOTE]

i was putting a new JLG 60'er in front of the door opening in a building were doing the steel in on Tuesday. It was dark I knew there was a 18" x 36" X 12" Hole there somewhere and i thought i was straddling it. I WAS wrong!!! Put a wheel right in the bad boy. It flipped me up about 3' and laid me on my A$$ in the basket hit the back of my head on the way down. Didn't have a harness or hard hat on. I was the last one on site. THANK GOD i didn't brake any bones or get knocked unconscious.

I have always known that was possible but never had it happen to me personally. Now i have. No need to do it again. And i have a new found respect for those harnesses. I'm not going to wear one in a scissor lift on concrete but Im definitely going to mind the holes.

Had to use the gradall and some creative cribbing, pushing and Pulling to get it out of the hole by myself. (Couldn't let the employees see MY screw up you know)

Oh and to the best of my knowledge there's special check valves in all the critical cylinders to act as a brake if i line blows. From the way it sounded there like the check vales in a cranes outriggers.

 

[thejdman04]

QUOTE=thejdman04;25569]The rental company I work for now has a genie 125, The boss took me up on that baby all the way up, driving around, even went over a curb, there was probably close to 8ft of sway in that stick. I aint scared of heights but even I started to wonder when at that height. What happens when that one hose that was weeping a little bit...

i was putting a new JLG 60'er in front of the door opening in a building were doing the steel in on Tuesday. It was dark I knew there was a 18" x 36" X 12" Hole there somewhere and i thought i was straddling it. I WAS wrong!!! Put a wheel right in the bad boy. It flipped me up about 3' and laid me on my A$$ in the basket hit the back of my head on the way down. Didn't have a harness or hard hat on. I was the last one on site. THANK GOD i didn't brake any bones or get knocked unconscious.

I have always known that was possible but never had it happen to me personally. Now i have. No need to do it again. And i have a new found respect for those harnesses. I'm not going to wear one in a scissor lift on concrete but Im definitely going to mind the holes.

Had to use the gradall and some creative cribbing, pushing and Pulling to get it out of the hole by myself. (Couldn't let the employees see MY screw up you know)

Oh and to the best of my knowledge there's special check valves in all the critical cylinders to act as a brake if i line blows. From the way it sounded there like the check vales in a cranes outriggers.[/QUOTE]

Theres supposed to be yes. But like i said Im not scared of heights at all but when your up that high you start to wonder. Thats a HECK of a fall. I also know our maintenace program LOL. We dont replace hoses until failure, and we dont always change the oil or filters like we should, meaning that o ring and check valve might not be int he best shape either.

 

[Xcopterdoc]

Mayville (MEC) makes a good scissor lift. Not as easy to work on as a Genie, but simple none the less. Good batteries and battery maintenance is a must. Charging depletes the water, check and refill on a regular basis. Keep the battery terminals clean and check the cables for tightness during refilling. Simple machine.. most lil parts available thru Grainger rather than going to the dealer.

 

[rolloffhill]

Yup, I agree. I spent quite a bit of time cleaning and tending to the batteries and charging system too. Checked all the water levels, disconnected all of the cables and charged each battery seperatly on trickle to try to get them all back in decent shape. The onboard charger is such a high amperage.

I had 1 bad battery out of 6 and it was bringing the whole system down. Not to mention the corrosion that was on the terminals. Then the genious that owned it before me used cable to connect 2 of the batteries that was atleast half the size of the others.

Sometimes it is amazing what people will do when they "fix" their equipment. I can see using some things in a pinch, but ya gotta go back and make them right at some point.

 

[Xcopterdoc]

charging each battery is a good idea at first to get em all on line and up to snuff. Now let the onboard charger do the work. Much better. The amps will drop off as the batteries get charged.

 

[Charlie Ahuja]

Hi Rolloffhill, I suggest on more website Mtandt Lanka this website provides scissor lift rental at affordable price.