When you need to get work done in high places such as a tall building, there are now solutions available. The towable lifts can bring your workers safely into the area.
As with any technological equipment that is constantly developed, one of the first inventions for this is the scissor lift. Eventually, the boom lift was developed to address the limitations of the scissor lift. Now, we also have the spider lifts and spider cranes for sale in Australia and other countries.
We will discuss the improvements brought by the spider lift when compared with the scissor lift.
Scissor Lifts
The scissor lift was very helpful for the industry since it provided a safe way to reach the higher floors of a building to do repair work, renovations, repainting, and cleaning.
The scissor lift consists of a wheeled base, like a truck. They have lattice-shaped braces and attached to these is a stable work platform. They will use hydraulics to lift the platform to the level that needs to be reached. Because there are wheels at the base, the structure can be moved to and from as the task requires.
You can use the scissor lifts on buildings like hotels and schools, for cleaning and installation. You can also see them on construction sites and even in interiors since there are different size variations. For interiors with high ceilings, they are used for tasks like replacing bulbs on the chandelier.
Benefits of the Scissor Lift
Scissor lifts are more practical and safer than a ladder or wood scaffolding, which have already recorded multiple accidents. You have a full platform at your disposal, so you can bring the things that you need in one trip.
The braces remain stable even while the workers on the platform are moving around. Motion and activities are not limited. Ladders are very unstable and dangerous, and you can hardly bring a toolbox with you, let alone cans of paint. The caged platform on the scissor lift will help workers focus on their task and they even have grips to hold on to.
The wheeled base can be locked, similar to a car’s hand brake. This will give stability and safety for the workers above. Even if the base is uneven or with slopes, the workers can be confident that they would not just roll off.
Spider Lifts
The spider lift is a variation of the boom lift, which is also a variation of the scissor lift. They operate the platform from an articulating arm, which has multiple hinges. The arm was an improvement from the hydraulic scissors that can only move up and down.
The boom lift and spider lift both operate from a crane-like arm in order to reach areas that are not easily accessible from the scissor lift. The platform would be smaller than that of the scissor lift because it was designed to reach smaller places. The spider lift arms can also reach up to 100 feet or more, higher than the scissor lifts.
The difference between spider lifts and the traditional boom lifts is that the boom lift needs a heavier base because it depends on the weight for stability. The spider lift got its name from the four legs, similar to rigs that can be fixed to a stable ground or base. That said, spider lifts are smaller, easier to use, and more portable than the boom lift.
The boom lifts are like vehicles and they run on gasoline or diesel. Spider lifts are similar but the compact models can operate on a battery, meaning they don’t have any exhaust fumes which is good when they are used indoors.
The spider lifts are good for smaller tasks and hard to reach areas, but they can also operate on construction sites. It is this versatility that separates them from both the boom and scissor lifts.
