Quick answer: Platform height is the height of the platform floor above the ground. Working height adds an allowance for your reach, usually about 2 metres above the platform floor. A scissor lift listed with a 10 metre working height typically has a platform height of about 8 metres. Always check which figure a listing uses before you compare machines, because mixing the two is the most common reason people hire a machine that comes up short.
Not sure what height you need? Tell us where the work is and what you need to reach.
Help me chooseThe difference in plain English
Every elevating work platform is described with two height figures, and they are about 2 metres apart. Platform height tells you where your feet will be. Working height tells you roughly where your hands can work. Manufacturers publish both, but hire listings, signage and job specs often quote only one, and they do not always say which.
If your job spec says you need to reach 8 metres, a machine with an 8 metre platform height gives you comfortable working room at that level. A machine with an 8 metre working height puts the platform floor at about 6 metres, which may leave you stretching or simply unable to do the work.
How platform height is measured
Platform height is a physical measurement: the vertical distance from the ground to the platform floor at full elevation. It does not change with who is standing on the machine. When you need to know whether you can step off at a mezzanine level, or whether the rails will clear an obstruction, platform height is the figure to use.
How working height is described
Working height is platform height plus an allowance for the operator’s reach, and the industry convention is to add about 2 metres. It is an approximation, not a physical measurement. A shorter operator, overhead work at an awkward angle, or work that needs two steady hands will all reduce your practical reach. Treat working height as a guide to the general zone the machine puts you in, not a guarantee that you can work at exactly that level.
Why the distinction matters when hiring
Two practical problems come from confusing the figures. The first is hiring short: measuring the height of the work, matching it to a working height figure, and finding the platform sits 2 metres below where you expected. The second is hiring long: paying for a bigger machine than the job needs because you compared your required reach against platform height. The bigger machine is often wider and heavier as well, which can create access and floor loading problems that the correct machine would have avoided.
Examples across scissor lifts, boom lifts and mast lifts
| Machine type | How the heights relate | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Scissor lift | Working height is typically platform height plus about 2 m. The platform rises vertically, directly above the chassis. | Platform height against the level you need to work at, plus rail clearance under obstructions |
| Boom lift | The same 2 m convention applies, but the platform can also move horizontally, so height at full outreach may be lower than the headline figure | The manufacturer’s working envelope, not just the headline height |
| Vertical mast lift | Compact machines where the difference matters proportionally more, because total heights are smaller | Platform height for step off or fixed level work |
Other measurements to check before choosing
- Machine width and stowed height, so the machine can actually get to where the work is. Our guide to checking scissor lift width and site access covers what to measure.
- Horizontal reach, if the work is offset from where the machine can sit. Height alone will not get you over an obstacle.
- Platform capacity, covering people plus tools and materials.
- Ground conditions, since the rated heights assume the machine is set up on suitable ground within the manufacturer’s limits.
Recommended equipment by access requirement
Recommended equipment for this type of job
Machines from the current fleet that cover common height ranges. Availability changes, so tell us your dates early.
Scissor Lifts
40ft Electric Scissor Lift Hire – LGMG S1212E-2
- Working height
- 14 m
- Platform height
- 12 m
- Width
- 1.19 m
- Power
- Electric
- Terrain
- Indoor // hard standing
Why it may suit: 40ft LGMG electric scissor lift, up to 14m working height and 320kg capacity — the tall electric machine for racking-height indoor work.
Worth checking: Larger, heavier machine — confirm floor loading. Solid tyres, hard standing only.
Matched on verified fields: Working height, Platform height, Width, Power, Terrain. Site access, ground conditions and dates still need checking against your job.
Narrow Scissor Lifts
Athena 850BL Tracked Scissor Lift
- Working height
- 7.9 m
- Platform height
- 5.9 m
- Power
- Electric
- Terrain
- Tracked / self-levelling
Why it may suit: 19ft tracked self-levelling scissor lift, 7.9m working height, 250kg, bi-levelling crawler undercarriage for slopes and rough ground.
Worth checking: Tracked repositioning is slower than wheeled. Confirm surface rating.
Matched on verified fields: Working height, Platform height, 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
- Power
- Bi-energy (mains electric or diesel)
- Terrain
- Tracked / self-levelling
Why it may suit: 19ft tracked bi-levelling scissor lift with 7.9 m working height and 250 kg on a full 1.50 by 1.20 m basket. Diesel drive for…
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, 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.
What information to include in a quote request
You do not need to name a machine. The most useful quote request tells us:
- The height of the thing you are working on, measured or estimated honestly
- Whether the machine can sit directly under the work or must reach across
- Indoor or outdoor, and the surface it will stand on
- The tightest access point on the way in
- The suburb, so delivery is quoted at the same time
With those five details we can quote a machine and delivery together and flag anything that needs checking before the truck is booked.
Frequently asked questions
Is working height always exactly 2 metres above platform height?
No. It is a convention, and manufacturers publish the exact figures for each model. Check the specification table on the machine page rather than assuming the difference.
Which figure do Equip Hire listings use?
Our machine pages list both figures separately, taken from the manufacturer’s specifications, so you can compare like with like.
What if my required height sits between two machines?
Go up a size if the smaller machine only just reaches. Working at the very top of a machine’s range with no margin makes the job slower and harder. Mention it in your quote request and we will talk it through.