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 the ground directly below.
2. Signage installation
Shop signs above awnings are the classic: the awning blocks a scissor completely. The knuckle reaches up, over and back in.
3. Awning and canopy maintenance
Working on the obstruction itself — cleaning, repairs, lighting in the canopy. Only an articulating boom gets above it.
4. Gutters and rooflines over obstacles
Single-storey commercial rooflines behind landscaping, fences or parked-car zones.
5. Electrical and lighting around plant
Car park lighting, loading dock services, external switchgear — work points surrounded by equipment on the ground.
6. Tree work (where suitable)
Controlled positioning around a canopy beats climbing for many pruning jobs. Ground conditions and machine rating must be confirmed.
7. Over-parapet access
Reaching work just past a roof edge or parapet from ground level, without roof anchors or scaffold.
8. Precise positioning in congested sites
Platform rotation plus articulation threads the basket into spots nothing else reaches.
The licence note
Boom lifts over 11m boom length require a WP high risk work licence in NSW. Confirm requirements for the LGMG AR11J when booking — or add an operator via the quote form (“Yes, please quote this”).
Straight-up work with clear ground below? Save money with a scissor lift instead — see Boom Lift vs Scissor Lift.
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.