Quick answer: if the machine can park directly under the work, hire a scissor lift — bigger deck, steadier platform, usually cheaper. If anything sits between the machine and the work point — an awning, dock, parapet, garden bed — you need a boom lift’s horizontal reach.
What each machine is designed to do
A scissor lift is a vertical platform on a folding mechanism: it goes straight up with a large deck for people, tools and materials. A boom lift puts a small basket on an articulating or telescopic arm: it trades deck space for the ability to place the platform away from the chassis — up, over and around obstructions, with slewing rotation for fine positioning.
Height, outreach and access path
Marketing heights hide the real difference. Check three numbers on the spec sheet, not one:
- Working height — where your hands need to be (platform height + ~2m standing reach).
- Horizontal outreach — how far sideways the basket can sit from the chassis. Booms only; a scissor has a small deck extension at most (0.87–0.9m across our fleet).
- Up-and-over clearance — the obstacle height the boom can clear on the way to the work. This is the number awnings, ducts and parapets actually test.
In our fleet the numbers make it concrete: the 34ft LGMG AR11J knuckle boom gives 12.75m working height with 6.78m horizontal outreach and 5.32m up-and-over clearance; the 40ft LGMG S1212E-2 scissor reaches higher straight up (14m indoor working height) but with zero outreach. Taller machine, narrower question.
Indoor, outdoor and ground suitability
- Indoors on slab: electric scissors win — quiet, fume-free, non-marking tyres. Our 19ft electrics (JLG ES1932, LGMG S0607E II) are built for exactly this.
- Outdoors on firm or rough ground: the AR11J boom runs diesel power, foam-filled rough-terrain tyres, an oscillating axle and 45% gradeability; a 32ft rough-terrain scissor does the same for straight-up work.
- Wind: every machine has a model-specific limit (the AR11J’s is 12.5 m/s). Some electric scissors are indoor-only at full height — the S1212E-2 is rated 14m working height indoors but 9.5m outdoors. See Wind Limits and Weather for EWPs.
Width, doorways and transport
Small electric scissors fit where booms never will: the ES1932 is 0.81m wide and the S0607E II 0.79m — through a standard doorway — while the AR11J is 1.85m wide, 2.06m stowed height and 5.77m long. Weight matters too: 1,550kg for the 19ft scissor vs 5,400kg for the boom, which changes floor-loading and transport. If the job is inside an occupied building, the scissor usually wins on access alone.
Capacity, people and tools
Scissor decks carry more: 230kg on the 19ft electrics, 320kg on the 40ft, and 454kg (4 people indoors) on the 32ft rough-terrain — against 270kg and 2 people in the AR11J basket. If the task needs two trades plus materials aloft, a boom basket gets crowded fast.
Safety, licensing and training
- Scissor lifts don’t require a high risk work licence in NSW, but operators must be trained and competent — the EWPA Yellow Card is the industry-standard evidence.
- Boom-type EWPs with a boom length of 11m or more require a WP high risk work licence — our AR11J is in that class, so factor the ticket into your plan or ask us to quote a licensed operator with the machine.
- In any boom-type EWP, operators should wear a harness clipped to the designated anchor point. Full picture: Do You Need a Licence for an EWP?
- Both machines need a documented pre-start inspection at the start of each use, and ground that can support the load — see Ground Conditions for Access Equipment.
Typical jobs
- Scissor: warehouse lighting and cable tray, ceilings and services runs, shopfit, walls you can stand next to, solar staging.
- Boom: facades with setbacks, signage above awnings, work over loading docks and plant, tree work where suitable, anything the chassis can’t sit under.
- Both on one job: many facade and fit-out jobs run a scissor for the flat runs and a boom for the awkward corners — often cheaper than forcing one machine to do both badly.
When neither is the answer
Tight indoor access with modest height suits a narrow 26ft scissor or a vertical mast lift (comparison here). Lawns, pavers and soft or narrow access paths suit a tracked scissor lift — see the Tracked Scissor Lift Guide.
Selection checklist
- Can the machine park directly under the work? (Yes → scissor; No → boom)
- Work-point height — and does working height cover it?
- Obstacle height and depth — does up-and-over clearance beat it?
- Narrowest access point vs machine width and stowed height
- Floor or ground: slab rating, slope, soft spots, weather exposure
- People + tools + materials vs platform capacity
- Licence and harness requirements for boom-type machines
- Power source: fumes and noise acceptable on this site?
FAQs
Which is better for straight-up work? A scissor lift — bigger, steadier deck and more capacity for the money, provided the machine can sit under the work point.
Which is better for reaching around obstacles? A boom lift. Horizontal outreach and up-and-over clearance are the two numbers a scissor simply doesn’t have.
Can a scissor lift replace a boom lift? Only where the work area is directly above the machine and access allows the footprint. If anything blocks the vertical line, no.
Which fits through a doorway? Our 19ft electrics (0.79–0.81m wide) do. The AR11J boom (1.85m wide, 2.06m high stowed) doesn’t. If access is the constraint, start with the scissor range.
Which is cheaper to hire? Smaller electric scissors are usually the lowest-cost option; booms carry more steel and more complexity. Actual price depends on size, tenure, delivery and site — see scissor lift hire costs.
Which is quieter? Electric scissors — which is why they’re the default in shopping centres, hospitals and after-hours work. The AR11J is diesel and belongs outdoors.
Do both need a licence? No. A WP high risk work licence applies to boom-type EWPs with boom length 11m or more — including our AR11J. Scissors need trained, competent operators (Yellow Card recommended) but no HRWL.
Which is better on grass or uneven ground? Rough-terrain scissors, tracked scissors or the diesel boom — never a slab electric scissor. Ground must still be assessed either way.
Which carries more people and tools? Scissors, comfortably. 230–454kg deck capacities across our scissor fleet vs 270kg in the boom basket.
Which reaches higher? In our fleet, the 40ft scissor out-reaches the 34ft boom vertically (14m vs 12.75m working height, indoors) — but only straight up. The moment anything is in the way, the boom wins.
Specifications quoted are from the current manufacturer spec sheets for our fleet and vary by model — confirm the machine page or ask us before you book.
Sources
- SafeWork NSW — Code of Practice: Elevating work platforms — safe use, inspections, harness use in boom-type EWPs (safework.nsw.gov.au)
- Safe Work Australia — Elevating work platforms guidance and high risk work licences (WP class threshold) (safeworkaustralia.gov.au)
- LGMG AR11J spec sheet — outreach, up-and-over, capacity, wind rating (Equip Hire machinery library, EH-BLD3401)
- JLG ES1932 + LGMG S1212E-2 spec sheets — dimensions, capacities, indoor/outdoor ratings (EH-SCE1932, EH-SCE1212)
- EWPA — Yellow Card operator training (ewpa.com.au)
Need a machine for this job? Get a hire quote — tell us the job and suburb and we’ll quote the right machine and delivery. Or use Help Me Choose. Call 0472 721 234.