Equipment Selection

A step-by-step size guide that avoids the common mistake of choosing height before access.

Both handle ground a standard slab scissor can’t. They solve different problems. Rough terrain: built for construction sites A diesel rough terrain scissor like our 32ft LGMG SR1018RD is a big 4WD machine for unsealed ground, slopes within rating, and long outdoor days. Diesel means no charging downtime; big tyres mean it travels a site…

The repair bill for a wheel-rutted lawn or cracked pavers can exceed the machine hire. Tracked machines exist to prevent exactly that. Why tracks are gentler Ground pressure = weight ÷ contact area. Rubber tracks spread the machine’s weight across a long, wide footprint, so pressure per square centimetre drops dramatically versus four small tyre…

The most common access-hire failure isn’t height — it’s width. The machine arrives and doesn’t fit through the door. Measure the whole path, not just the doorway Walk the machine’s route from delivery point to work area and measure the tightest point of each: gates, door frames (with the door open against the wall), corridors…

A knuckle boom earns its hire rate when the work point is somewhere a scissor lift can’t park under. Eight jobs where it’s the right machine: 1. Facade and render work Park on the hardstand, articulate over the garden bed or footpath, work the wall face. The boom follows the building; a scissor would need…

An honest guide — matched to the machines we actually hire out, with the trade-offs stated. The default: 19ft electric scissor lift For racking work, sprinklers, lighting, data and general maintenance up to ~5.8m platform height, a 19ft electric scissor does the job quietly with no fumes — so the warehouse keeps operating around you….

Solar work is materials handling as much as access: panels, rails and inverters have to get to height efficiently. Commercial rooftops via outdoor ground: rough terrain Most commercial solar installs load panels from ground that’s unsealed or unpredictable. The 32ft diesel rough terrain scissor is the solar workhorse: big platform with extension deck for panel…

“Best” lists are usually ads. This one states the trade-offs, names when the cheaper machine wins, and only covers machines we actually run — so judge it accordingly. Best all-rounder: 19ft electric scissor lift The machine that covers more Sydney jobs than everything else combined: warehouse maintenance, fit-outs, electrical, painting, signage prep. Quiet, fume-free, fits…