Quick answer: Choose a scissor lift when the work is directly above where the machine can sit and you want a larger platform for people, tools and materials. Choose a boom lift when the platform has to reach up and across, over an obstacle, or to a point the machine cannot park beneath. If access to the work area is very tight, a vertical mast lift is worth comparing as a third option.
Describe the job and the site and we will tell you which type actually suits.
Help Me Choose the Right MachineQuick comparison
Both machines lift people to height safely, but they solve different problems. A scissor lift is a rising platform: it goes straight up, carries more, and gives you room to work. A boom lift is a positioning tool: it places a smaller basket exactly where you need it, including out and over things.
When a scissor lift may suit
- Ceiling work, services, painting or cladding directly overhead
- Jobs where two people plus tools and materials go up together
- Long runs of work at a consistent height, moving the machine along as you go
- Indoor work on a firm level slab, using an electric model
When a boom lift may suit
- Work above a roof edge, awning, racking or plant that the machine cannot park under
- Reaching over landscaping, ground-floor structures or exclusion zones
- Single work points at height that need precise positioning
- Facade work where the base of the wall is obstructed
Vertical access compared with horizontal outreach
The headline height figures on the two machine types are not comparable on their own. A boom lift’s usable height reduces as the boom extends outward, following the manufacturer’s working envelope. If you need 5 metres of outreach at 10 metres of height, check the envelope diagram, not just the maximum figures. A scissor lift has effectively no outreach: if the machine cannot sit under the work, it is the wrong tool no matter how tall it is. Our guide to working height vs platform height explains how the height figures themselves are measured.
Platform space and capacity
Scissor platforms are typically two to four times the deck area of a boom basket, and many include an extension deck. Boom baskets usually carry one or two people with hand tools. If the job involves sheets, lengths, or a second set of hands, that difference often decides the choice by itself.
Indoor, outdoor and terrain considerations
Electric scissor lifts on non-marking tyres are the default for finished indoor floors. Diesel rough terrain scissors and most boom lifts belong outdoors on suitable ground. Between those clear cases sit tracked machines and bi-energy models, which is where a conversation about your actual surface saves money. See how ground conditions affect equipment selection before assuming any machine suits your surface.
Access width and setup space
Compact electric scissors fit through standard double doorways, and narrow models are built for single doorways and aisles. Boom lifts generally need more room to enter, set up and slew. Measure the tightest point on the machine’s path before requesting either type, using our width and site access guide.
Comparison table
| Scissor lift | Boom lift | |
|---|---|---|
| Reach direction | Straight up | Up and across |
| Platform size | Larger deck, often with extension | Smaller basket, 1 to 2 people |
| Outreach | Effectively none | The defining feature, per the working envelope |
| Typical surface | Firm slab (electric) or compacted ground (RT) | Suitable outdoor ground for most models |
| Access width | From well under a metre on narrow models | Generally wider, model dependent |
| Setup area | Machine footprint plus working room | Footprint plus slew and boom clearance |
| Common applications | Ceilings, services, cladding, warehousing | Facades, roof edges, over-obstacle work |
| Main limitations | Must sit directly under the work | Less deck space and capacity; envelope limits height at outreach |
Recommended equipment
Consider a scissor lift when the work is mainly above the chassis and a larger platform is useful:
Scissor lifts to compare
Scissor Lifts
15ft Electric Scissor Lift Hire – Sinoboom 0407E (1530SE)
- Working height
- 6.5 m
- Platform height
- 4.5 m
- Width
- 0.76 m
- Power
- Electric
- Terrain
- Indoor / hard standing
Why it may suit: 15ft electric scissor lift, 6.5m working height, 240kg, 0.76m wide with non-marking tyres — compact indoor access through standard doors.
Worth checking: Non-marking tyres, low clearance — firm, level surfaces only. 2 persons indoor / 1 outdoor.
Matched on verified fields: Working height, Platform height, Width, Power, Terrain. Site access, ground conditions and dates still need checking against your job.
Scissor Lifts
19ft Electric Scissor Lift Hire – JLG ES1932
- Working height
- 7.8 m
- Platform height
- 5.8 m
- Width
- 0.81 m
- Power
- Electric
- Terrain
- Indoor / hard standing
Why it may suit: 19ft JLG electric scissor lift, 7.8m working height, 230kg capacity, non-marking tyres and zero inside turning radius — the go-to indoor machine.
Worth checking: Solid non-marking tyres and low clearance — smooth, firm surfaces only. Not for outdoor rough ground.
Matched on verified fields: Working height, Platform height, Width, Power, Terrain. Site access, ground conditions and dates still need checking against your job.
Suitability is subject to site access, ground conditions and availability. We confirm the machine against your job before hire.
Consider a boom lift when the work requires horizontal outreach or positioning away from the base:
Boom lifts to compare
Boom Lifts
34ft Articulating Boom Lift Hire – LGMG AR11J
- Working height
- 12.75 m
- Platform height
- 10.75 m
- Width
- 1.85 m
- Power
- Diesel
- Terrain
- Rough terrain / 4WD
Why it may suit: 34ft diesel articulating boom lift with 12.75m working height, 6.78m outreach and 270kg platform capacity — reaches up and over obstacles on rough ground.
Worth checking: Diesel engine — not for enclosed indoor use. Requires firm access for a 5.4t machine.
Matched on verified fields: Working height, Platform height, Width, Power, Terrain. Site access, ground conditions and dates still need checking against your job.
Boom Lifts
45ft Articulating Boom Lift Hire – Skyjack SJ45 AJ+
- Working height
- 15.54 m
- Platform height
- 13.72 m
- Width
- 2.29 m
- Power
- Diesel
- Terrain
- Rough terrain / 4WD
Why it may suit: 45ft diesel articulating boom lift, 15.54m working height, 6.93m outreach, 300kg — reaches up and over on rough ground with 4WD.
Worth checking: Diesel engine — outdoor use only. Needs firm site access for a rough-terrain boom.
Matched on verified fields: Working height, Platform height, Width, Power, Terrain. Site access, ground conditions and dates still need checking against your job.
Suitability is subject to site access, ground conditions and availability. We confirm the machine against your job before hire.
Consider a vertical mast lift where compact access and modest outreach are required:
Fleet availability changes. Tell us the job and we will confirm what suits your site.
What to send Equip Hire for an accurate quote
- What the work is and the height of it
- Whether the machine can park directly under the work point
- The surface it will stand on, and whether it is indoors
- The narrowest access point, measured
- Dates and the suburb
FAQs
Is a boom lift harder to operate?
Boom lifts have more degrees of movement and, in NSW, a high risk work licence applies to boom-type elevating work platforms where the boom length is 11 metres or more. All EWP use requires appropriate training and competency for the task. Tell us who is operating and we will flag what applies to the specific machine.
Can I hire both for the same job?
Yes, and on jobs with mixed work it is often cheaper than forcing one machine to do everything. Quote both in one request.
What if I am still not sure?
Send photos of the work and the access with your quote request. It is usually obvious to us within a minute which type fits.
Get both types quoted against your job in one request.
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