Quick answer
A tracked scissor lift runs on non-marking rubber crawler tracks, so it can cross uneven or unlevel ground, dirt and light mud, and suits hard floors that must not be marked. How it levels depends on the machine: the Zoomlion ZS0612C and LGMG SC0610EL-2 set up on self-levelling outriggers and do not drive while levelled, while the Almac Athena 850BL and 870 BL EVO level on their tracks and can keep driving along a slope. Our tracked machines are wider than our narrow wheeled scissor lifts, and none fits a standard personnel doorway.
Tracked scissor lifts get requested for the wrong reason about as often as the right one. The right reason is ground: uneven or unlevel ground, dirt and light mud, or a hard floor that must not be marked. The wrong reason is width, because people assume tracks mean compact, and on our fleet they do not.
We hire four tracked scissor lifts, and they do not all level the same way. That difference decides more jobs than anything else on this page. Figures below are from the manufacturer specification sheets on file; where a value is not recorded, it is left out rather than estimated.
Levelling outriggers: set up and stay
Zoomlion ZS0612C and LGMG SC0610EL-2. The machine tracks to the work position, the outriggers come down and bring the chassis level, then the platform lifts.
To move, lower the platform, raise the outriggers, track, set up again.
Levelling on the tracks: level and keep driving
Almac Athena 850BL and Athena 870 BL EVO. The undercarriage levels itself on its tracks, with no outriggers.
It can keep driving while levelled, which suits work that runs along a slope.
What is a tracked scissor lift?
A scissor platform on two rubber crawler tracks instead of four wheels. The tracks spread the weight along two long contact strips rather than four tyre patches, which is what lets the machine cross uneven or unlevel ground, dirt and light mud. The rubber tracks are made not to mark, so the same machine is also used on hard floors where tyre marks matter; tell us the floor finish and we will check it.
Tracks alone do not make the deck level. Each machine has a levelling system, and on our range there are two kinds, explained below.
Our four tracked machines
| Zoomlion ZS0612C | LGMG SC0610EL-2 | Almac Athena 850BL | Almac Athena 870 BL EVO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Levelling | Self-levelling outriggers | Self-levelling outriggers | Levels on its tracks | Levels on its tracks |
| Drive while levelled | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Working height | 7.8 m | 8.8 m indoor, 7.5 m outdoor | 7.9 m | 7.9 m |
| Platform height | 5.8 m | 6.8 m indoor, 5.5 m outdoor | 5.9 m | 5.9 m |
| Platform capacity | 230 kg | 250 kg (spec sheet) | 250 kg | 250 kg |
| People on the platform | See machine page | 2 indoor, 1 outdoor | See machine page | See machine page |
| Platform size | See machine page | See machine page | 1.50 x 0.78 m | 1.50 x 1.20 m |
| Width | 1.15 m | 0.996 m | 1.30 m (narrow tracks) | 1.30 to 1.50 m by track position |
| Stowed height | 2.27 m (1.88 m rails folded) | 2.192 m | 2.28 m (1.98 m rails folded) | 2.28 m (1.98 m rails folded) |
| Weight | 1,820 kg | 1,600 kg | 2,520 kg | 2,460 kg |
| Power on our unit | Electric | Battery electric | 15 amp mains lead or Kubota diesel, no on-board battery | 15 amp mains lead or Kubota diesel, no on-board battery |
Indoor/outdoor height and load limits
The LGMG SC0610EL-2 carries two ratings on its specification sheet: 8.8 m working height indoors with up to two people, and 7.5 m working height outdoors with one person. Its platform capacity is 250 kg, of which the extension deck takes 120 kg. Plan any outdoor job to the outdoor figure, because wind is what changes the rating. The other three machines show one rating each in the table; the machine page and the manual give their occupancy and wind limits.
When do tracks beat wheels?
When the ground will not suit a wheeled machine: uneven or unlevel ground, dirt, gravel and light mud, or a fall across the standing position. Tracks are also worth considering on a hard floor that must not be marked, because the rubber tracks are made not to mark.
On a firm, level slab with no marking concern, a wheeled electric scissor lift is usually cheaper, narrower and quicker to reposition. Tracks are not automatically the better machine.
Outriggers or levelling on the tracks: which do I need?
Ask one question: once the platform is level, does the machine need to keep moving?
Set up and stay. If the work is at one spot, or a few separate spots, the outrigger machines suit it. The ZS0612C and SC0610EL-2 track into position, the outriggers level the chassis, and the platform lifts. They do not drive with the outriggers down, so each new position means lower, raise the outriggers, move, level again.
Keep driving. If the work runs along a slope, such as a fence line, a long facade on a fall or a row of fixings on a sloping site, the Athena 850BL and 870 BL EVO level themselves on their tracks and can keep driving while levelled. That saves the set-up at every position.
If you are not sure, tell us what the work looks like and how far it runs, or use help me choose, which asks the same question when you tick the slope box.
What slope can a tracked scissor lift work on?
There are two different figures, and mixing them up is the common mistake. Gradeability is the slope a machine can drive up or down while stowed. The working slope is the ground it can level on and lift from. The working figure decides whether the job is possible.
The limits differ by machine and by levelling method. On the ZS0612C the manufacturer states a working slope of 12 degrees side to side and 7 degrees front to back, levelled on the outriggers, and 30 per cent (17 degrees) travel gradeability. The Athena undercarriage levels up to 16 degrees front, 20 degrees rear and 15 degrees side to side, with 25 degrees gradeability and 21 degrees side slope on the Almac sheet. The SC0610EL-2 sheet gives 30 per cent stowed gradeability; for its working slope the manual governs.
Measure or estimate the fall across the standing position, or send a photo, and we will check it against the right machine. Every machine carries a tilt alarm: if it will not lift, the set-up position is wrong, and that is not a fault to work around.
Will the tracks mark a hard floor?
The rubber tracks are made not to mark, which is why tracked machines are also used on finished hard floors. Turning on the spot still scrubs the surface harder than driving straight, so on a floor that is new, coated or sealed, tell us and plan the route.
How wide is a tracked machine, really?
Wider than our narrow wheeled machines. The SC0610EL-2 is 0.996 metres, the ZS0612C 1.15 metres and the Athena machines 1.30 metres or more. By comparison the JLG ES1932 is 0.81 metres and the LGMG S0607E II is 0.79 metres.
None of our tracked machines fits a standard 0.82 metre personnel doorway. If narrow access is the constraint, the answer is a narrow wheeled scissor lift. If it is narrow access and uneven ground together, tell us early, because that combination is worth solving before the truck is booked.
Power on the units we supply
Tracked and electric are separate properties. The ZS0612C and SC0610EL-2 are electric. Both Athenas we supply, the 850BL and the 870 BL EVO, run tethered on a lead from a 15 amp outlet or on their Kubota diesel engine. Neither of our Athena units has an on-board battery, so on electric power the machine works only while it is plugged in and within reach of its lead. Confirm the power before an indoor or enclosed job.
How is it delivered?
Most tracked hires are delivered, because the sites that need tracks are often the sites where getting a trailer in is its own problem. We confirm the entry, the ground and the drop point before booking the run. Customer pickup depends on the machine weight, the trailer, your vehicle rating, licence and load restraint, so ask us first.
Tracked scissor lift or rough terrain scissor lift?
Tracked for uneven or unlevel ground, slopes where the platform must be level, tight rural access and floors that must not be marked. Rough terrain for open unsealed sites, longer travel, more height and more capacity.
Our LGMG SR1018D rough terrain machine reaches 11.7 metres working height and carries 454 kilograms, with four wheel drive, 35 per cent stowed gradeability and auto-levelling outriggers. It weighs 4,330 kilograms and is 1.79 metres wide, so it needs both the ground and the access to take it.
When is a tracked machine the wrong choice?
On a firm indoor floor with no marking concern, where a wheeled electric machine is cheaper and narrower. Through a standard personnel door, which none of our tracked machines fits. On deep mud or saturated ground, which no access machine should be set up on. And on any slope beyond the machine’s rated working figure.
Next step
Send us the surface, the fall across the standing position, whether the work stays in one spot or runs along the slope, and the narrowest point of the route. Use the site access checker, compare machines on the comparison page, or describe the site and we will tell you which machine suits it. Browse tracked scissor lifts and rough terrain scissor lifts.
Our tracked scissor lifts
Each machine page states its own power type and levelling method.
Scissor Lifts
Athena 850BL Tracked Scissor Lift
- Working height
- 7.9 m
- Platform height
- 5.9 m
- Width
- 1.30
- Power
- Bi-energy (15 amp mains electric or onboard diesel)
- Terrain
- Tracked / self-levelling on tracks, drives while level
Why it may suit: 19ft tracked hybrid (bi-energy) self-levelling scissor lift, 7.9m working height, 250kg, bi-levelling crawler undercarriage for slopes and rough ground. Runs plugged in to 15…
Worth checking: Tracked repositioning is slower than wheeled. Electric running is tethered and needs a 15 amp supply on a lead, because there is no on-board battery: if a 15 amp outlet is not within reach of the work area the machine runs on its separate Kubota diesel engine instead, so confirm the power before an indoor or enclosed job. Confirm the surface rating before tracking over finished ground.
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
Athena 870 BL EVO Tracked Scissor Lift
- Working height
- 7.9 m
- Platform height
- 5.9 m
- Width
- 1.30
- Power
- Bi-energy (15 amp mains electric or onboard diesel)
- Terrain
- Tracked / self-levelling on tracks, drives while level
Why it may suit: 19ft tracked hybrid (bi-energy) scissor lift with 7.9 m working height and 250 kg on a full 1.50 by 1.20 m basket. Levels on…
Worth checking: Tracked repositioning is slower than wheeled. Electric running is tethered and needs a 15 amp supply on a lead, because there is no on-board battery: if a 15 amp outlet is not within reach of the work area the machine runs on the Kubota diesel instead, so confirm the power before an indoor or enclosed job. Confirm the surface rating before tracking over finished ground.
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
LGMG SC0610EL-2 Tracked Scissor Lift
- Working height
- 8.8 m
- Platform height
- 6.8 m
- Power
- Electric
- Terrain
- Tracked / self-levelling outriggers
Why it may suit: 22ft tracked electric scissor lift: 8.8 m working height indoors, 7.5 m outdoors. Rubber tracks for uneven or unlevel ground, dirt and light mud,…
Worth checking: Tracked repositioning is slower; confirm exact dimensions and capacity from the spec sheet.
Matched on verified fields: Working height, Platform height, Power, Terrain. Site access, ground conditions and dates still need checking against your job.
Scissor Lifts
Zoomlion ZS0612C Tracked Scissor Lift
- Working height
- 7.8 m
- Platform height
- 5.8 m
- Width
- 1.15 m
- Power
- Electric
- Terrain
- Tracked / self-levelling outriggers
Why it may suit: 19ft tracked electric scissor lift, 7.8m working height, 230kg capacity. Non-marking rubber tracks for uneven or unlevel ground, dirt and light mud, and hard…
Worth checking: Tracked drive is slower to reposition; confirm surface rating. Outdoor use in still conditions.
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.
These are our most requested machines across the Hawkesbury, The Hills District and rural north west Sydney.