Quick answer: choose a rough terrain scissor lift for open construction ground where you need more height and platform load, and a tracked scissor lift for uneven or sloping ground at lower heights, tight gates and mixed surfaces. Neither makes weak ground safe: the ground still has to carry the machine’s weight and its outrigger or track loads. Check the levelling limit for the actual machine, not just the class.
Tracks, tyres and setup footprint
A rough terrain scissor lift travels on large 4WD tyres and is built for construction sites: more height, a bigger platform and diesel power for long outdoor days. The trade-offs are weight, width and no indoor use. Our LGMG SR1018D is 1.79 m wide and weighs 4,330 kg.
A tracked scissor lift runs on rubber tracks, which spread its weight over a longer contact length and grip on uneven, unlevel ground, dirt and light mud. Our four tracked machines are 1.0 to 1.5 m wide and 1,600 to 2,520 kg, so they fit many side gates and laneways that a rough terrain machine cannot. If the machine will cross a finished floor or paving, tell us the surface so we can confirm it.
The machines side by side
| Machine | Travel | Levelling and set-up | Working height | Width | Platform load | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoomlion ZS0612C (tracked, battery electric) | Rubber tracks, 30% gradeability stowed | Self-levelling outriggers, set up while stationary. Works on slopes up to 12° side and 7° front to back | 7.8 m | 1.15 m | 230 kg | 1,820 kg |
| LGMG SC0610EL-2 (tracked, battery electric) | Rubber tracks, 30% gradeability stowed | Self-levelling outriggers, set up while stationary. Levelling slope not stated on the maker’s sheet: send us the slope | 8.8 m indoors, 7.5 m outdoors | 0.996 m | 250 kg | 1,600 kg |
| Athena 850BL (tracked, 15 amp mains or diesel) | Rubber tracks, 25° gradeability | Levels on its tracks, no outriggers, and can drive while levelled. Up to 16° front, 20° rear, 15° side | 7.9 m | 1.30 m (1.50 m tracks out) | 250 kg | 2,520 kg |
| Athena 870 BL EVO (tracked, 15 amp mains or diesel) | Rubber tracks, 25° gradeability | As the 850BL, with a larger 1.50 by 1.20 m basket | 7.9 m | 1.30 m (1.50 m tracks out) | 250 kg | 2,460 kg |
| LGMG SR1018D (rough terrain, diesel) | 4WD, foam-filled tyres, 35% gradeability | Auto-levelling outriggers, set up while stationary | 11.7 m | 1.79 m | 454 kg | 4,330 kg |
Figures are from each manufacturer’s specification sheet as held on the machine record. Gradeability is quoted the way each maker states it (per cent or degrees). The Athena machines have no on-board battery: they run plugged in to a 15 amp supply or on their Kubota diesel engine.
Levelling versus travel gradeability
These are different numbers and they are often confused:
- Travel gradeability is the slope the machine can drive up or down while stowed. It does not mean the machine can be raised on that slope.
- Levelling range is the slope on which the machine can level itself and be raised. Outside it, the platform must stay down.
- Outriggers versus tracks. The ZS0612C, SC0610EL-2 and SR1018D level on outriggers while stationary; to move, lower the platform, raise the outriggers, drive, and set up again. The Athena machines level on their tracks and can keep driving while levelled, which suits work along a sloping run.
For more on how each tracked machine levels, see the tracked scissor lift hire guide.
Choose by site, not by name
| Your site | Start with |
|---|---|
| Open construction site, unsealed, needs more than 9 m working height | Rough terrain |
| Uneven or unlevel ground, dirt or light mud, under 9 m working height | Tracked |
| Narrow side gate or laneway | Tracked (check the gate against the widths above) |
| Work along a sloping run without setting up each time | Athena (levels on its tracks) |
| Heavy platform load or a large crew outdoors | Rough terrain |
| Indoor and outdoor on one job | Tracked battery electric (ZS0612C or SC0610EL-2), or an Athena where a 15 amp outlet is within reach indoors |
Ground still decides
Tracks and 4WD help a machine travel; they do not make soft fill, recently dug trenches, pits or saturated ground able to carry it. Outrigger pads concentrate load at each foot. Before booking either type, check the route and set-up position with the ground conditions guide.
The mistake we see most
Hiring a large rough terrain machine for a tight or finished site because it is outdoor work, then finding it will not fit the gate or is too heavy for the surface. Outdoor work does not automatically mean rough terrain. Tell us the ground, the slope and the gate width.
FAQs
Are Equip Hire’s tracked machines diesel?
Two are battery electric (Zoomlion ZS0612C and LGMG SC0610EL-2). The two Athena machines run plugged in to 15 amp mains power or on their separate Kubota diesel engine; they have no on-board battery.
Do tracked scissor lifts level themselves on a slope?
Yes, within each machine’s limit and in two ways. The ZS0612C and SC0610EL-2 level on outriggers while stationary. The Athena 850BL and 870 BL EVO level on their tracks and can keep driving while levelled.
Can a tracked scissor lift go where a rough terrain one cannot?
Often through a narrower gate, yes. It does not reach as high or carry as much, and it still needs ground that can support it.
Need a machine for this job? Get a hire quote and tell us the ground, slope, gate width and suburb, or use Help Me Choose. Call 0472 721 234.