How far can a cherry picker reach?

Outreach, up and over and working height

Three figures on a boom data sheet decide whether a machine can get to the work.

• Outreach

  Outreach is how far the platform can reach out sideways from the machine. It is the figure to check when you cannot park under the work, for example over a flower bed, a car park or a canopy.

• Up-and-over height

  Up-and-over height is the highest point a jointed boom can reach over before coming down the other side, for example over a canopy, parapet or roof edge. Telescopic booms extend in a straight line, so they are chosen for reach rather than for getting over things.

• Working height

  Platform height plus roughly two metres for a person standing and reaching. Match it to the highest point of the job.

Full reach and full height rarely come together

The full set of positions a boom can reach is its working envelope, shown on the maker's range chart. Most booms cannot reach their full outreach at their full height, and some carry less weight in part of the envelope.

Check the range chart for your height and reach together, and ask us for the chart of the machine supplied if the job needs a lot of height and reach at once.

Longest reach by type

The working height range and the longest published outreach for each boom type we list. Each row opens that type's machines.

Articulated or telescopic?

An articulated boom, the kind most people call a cherry picker, bends up and over obstacles. A telescopic boom extends in a straight line for reach from one spot when you cannot get close. The articulated boom with the longest outreach we list is the 31.8m diesel articulated boom lift, at 21.6m (70ft 10in) of outreach and 31.8m working height. The telescopic boom lift with the longest outreach we list is the JLG 1850SJ 58.56m diesel telescopic boom lift, at 24.38m (80ft) of outreach and 58.56m working height.

If something sits between the machine and the work, check the up-and-over height. If the way is clear but the work is far from where the machine can stand, compare outreach.

• Articulated boom lift hire

  Jointed booms that reach up and over.

• Telescopic boom lift hire

  Straight booms for the longest reach from one spot.

Reaching over a canopy, roof or parapet

Up-and-over height is the highest point a jointed boom can reach over before coming down the other side, for example over a canopy, parapet or roof edge. Telescopic booms extend in a straight line, so they are chosen for reach rather than for getting over things.

Of the 15 booms whose maker publishes it, the JLG 1250AJP 40.3m diesel articulated boom lift reaches over the highest obstacle, at 18.44m (60ft 6in) up and over.

Measure the height of the obstacle and how far the work sits behind it, then check both figures on the machine page.

Outreach of every boom we list

Shortest reach first. Up and over is shown where the maker publishes it. Each row links to the machine page with the drawing, specification and price.

How to measure the reach you need

Find the closest spot the machine can stand on firm ground, then measure across to the furthest point of the work and up to its highest point. Choose a machine whose range chart covers both together, with a margin for tools and fixings.

Remember the space the machine needs to set up: outriggers on spider lifts and trailer mounts, and room for the boom and the base to swing.

• Which lift do I need? Free tool

  Enter your height, outreach, ground and access width.

• Cherry picker and scissor lift sizes

  Working height ranges for every type, in metres and feet.

• Cherry picker hire

  Every cherry picker we hire, with the price on each.