Scissor lift vs cherry picker
A scissor lift takes a wide deck straight up. A cherry picker is the everyday name for a jointed boom that reaches up and over. Pick by whether you can park under the work, or need to bend around something in the way.
How they differ
Both are MEWPs (mobile elevating work platforms). The difference is how the platform moves.
A wide deck on folding supports that rises vertically. Room for a crew and materials, no outreach. IPAF 3a for self-propelled models.
A boom-type lift with a jointed arm that reaches up and over obstacles. Boom lift is the machine type; cherry picker is the everyday name for the jointed kind. IPAF 3b for self-propelled articulated booms.
When a scissor lift wins
Choose a scissor when the work is directly above a spot you can park on, and you want deck space for people and tools.
Firm, level ground under the job
Ceilings, lighting, HVAC and indoor fit-out on a smooth floor suit electric scissors.
A crew working together
The wide deck is built for more than one person and their materials, which a boom basket is not.
Rough terrain scissors handle uneven outdoor ground when you still only need to go straight up.
When a cherry picker wins
Choose a boom when something sits between the base and the work, or you need to reach a facade, roof edge or plant from the side.
An articulated boom bends around canopies, racking, roof edges and plant. That is what most people mean by a cherry picker.
Facades, gutters, signage and cladding often need outreach you cannot get by parking underneath.
When you cannot get close and need the longest outreach from one spot, a telescopic boom is usually the better boom, though people often search for it as a cherry picker.
Working height and platform height
Platform height is how high the floor of the basket or deck goes. Working height adds roughly two metres for a person standing and reaching, so it is the figure to match to the job.
Match the job to working height, then check outreach on a boom if you cannot park under the work. See the sizes guide for the range of every type we hire.
Heights in metres and feet from the machines on this site.
Live prices by hire length for every machine we take bookings for.
Questions
- Is a scissor lift a cherry picker?
- No. A scissor lift only goes straight up, so it is never a cherry picker. Cherry picker is the everyday name for a jointed, up-and-over boom-type lift. Scissor and mast lifts are MEWPs too, but they have no boom.
- Which IPAF card do I need?
- Self-propelled scissor lifts are IPAF 3a (mobile vertical). Self-propelled articulated and telescopic booms are 3b (mobile boom). Spider lifts and van, truck and trailer mounts are 1b (static boom). Static mast lifts are 1a. Each machine page shows its category. Ask about operated hire if nobody on site holds the right card.
- Which is safer, a scissor lift or a cherry picker?
- Neither type is inherently safer. Safety depends on choosing the right machine for the job, a site-specific risk assessment, and an operator trained for that IPAF category. A boom with outreach needs different exclusion zones and ground checks from a vertical deck. See IPAF training and operated hire if you need a trained operator with the machine.
- Which is cheaper to hire?
- It depends on the size, power and hire length, not on the type name alone. Compare live prices on the scissor lift hire and cherry picker hire pages, or on the hire costs page. Pick the machine the job needs first; the wrong type costs more in time and rehire than a small price difference.
- What is the difference between working height and platform height?
- Platform height is how high the floor of the basket or deck goes. Working height adds roughly two metres for a person standing and reaching, so it is the figure to match to the job.
Ready to choose? See every machine by working height