Which aerial work platform for which job? The decision guide in five questions

Which aerial work platform suits your job is decided by five questions in a fixed order: How high? How far to the side? What ground and what access? Indoors or outdoors? How much load on the platform? If you answer them one after the other, each answer rules out types and you will reliably arrive at one of seven platform types — from the mast lift to the telescopic boom lift with 56.90 m working height.

The choice is wider today than ever, and the types overlap considerably in height: a working height of 20 metres is reached by scissor lifts, articulating boom lifts, telescopic boom lifts, spider lifts and truck-mounted platforms alike. Height alone therefore almost never decides. This decision guide takes you through the five questions, presents a deployment matrix for typical tasks at the end and names the three most common wrong decisions.

This refers to the mobile elevating work platform under STN EN 280, not the stationary vehicle lift in a garage. You will find all types you can rent from Luibl Rental on the page Aerial work platform rental.

The working height is the platform or basket height plus around 2 m of reach. Anyone working on a ceiling at a height of 12 m therefore needs a platform with around 12 m working height — not 12 m platform height. Plan in some reserve so that the operator does not have to work overhead and at full extension.

The working heights in the Luibl rental fleet:

Type	Working height	Load capacity
Mast lift	10.00–12.65 m	200 kg
Scissor lift, electric	6.30–33.00 m	227–1,000 kg
Scissor lift, diesel	9.70–34.00 m	363–1,134 kg
High-rack scissor lift	18.50–33.00 m	450–1,000 kg
Articulating boom lift, electric	10.89–28.00 m	150–280 kg
Articulating boom lift, diesel	11.91–48.15 m	227–450 kg
Telescopic boom lift	14.00–56.90 m	227–454 kg
Spider lift	13.00–39.50 m	200–400 kg

This results in three height bands: Up to about 12 m, all types are possible, including the compact mast lift. Between 12 and 34 m, scissor lifts, articulating boom lifts, telescopic boom lifts and spider lifts compete — here questions 2 to 5 decide. Above 34 m, only articulating and telescopic boom lifts, truck-mounted platforms and spider lifts up to 39.50 m remain.

If the work point is directly above the standing area, a platform that lifts vertically is sufficient: a scissor lift or mast lift. As soon as something is in the way between the standing area and the work point — a canopy, a row of machines, a trench, a parapet — outreach is required.

• Articulating boom lift: The articulated arm reaches over obstacles, then the telescopic section extends. It is the choice for work points behind or above obstacles.
• Telescopic boom lift: The straight boom provides the greatest reach in height and to the side, but needs a clear path. It is the choice for great heights without obstacles.
• Truck-mounted platform and spider lift: Both work with a boom and are set up on outriggers before lifting; they combine reach with special access (road or difficult terrain).

Please note: outreach depends on the load. The machine's outreach chart shows how far the basket may extend with which load. How to weigh up scissor lifts and articulating boom lifts in detail is shown in the guide Articulating boom lift or scissor lift.

In practice, machine selection fails more often on the way to the work point than on height. Three check points:

Load-bearing capacity of the ground

Self-propelled platforms place high point loads on the ground. Underground car park and basement ceilings, freshly backfilled areas and paving must demonstrably bear the load. Where this is not certain, the spider lift is the solution: it weighs a fraction of a self-propelled platform of comparable height and distributes the load via outriggers.

Access width and height

Compact electric scissor lifts fit through standard doors. Spider lifts get through narrow gates into courtyards and existing buildings. Articulating boom lifts need slewing space for the upper structure in addition to the passage.

Terrain and slope

Electric scissor lifts need level, paved surfaces. Diesel scissor lifts and diesel articulating boom lifts with all-wheel drive drive on a prepared site formation; for embankments, lawns and soft ground, the spider lift remains the specialist.

• Electric: no local emissions during operation and low noise, therefore the first choice in halls, warehouses, production and occupied buildings. A load-bearing, level floor is a prerequisite.
• Diesel: for outdoor jobs, rough terrain and long working days without charging facilities. In enclosed spaces it is not an option because of the exhaust gases.
• Hybrid or Bi-Energy: combines both — outdoors with the combustion engine, indoors electrically. Useful when a machine moves between hall and yard.

The drive also changes the costs: electric platforms have no fuel costs but need charging time. The detailed comparison is in the guide Diesel or electric aerial work platform. For outdoor jobs, the wind limit of the machine also applies — what you need to know is explained in the guide Wind speed and stability of aerial work platforms.

The load capacity of the platform clearly separates the types. Scissor lifts in the Luibl rental fleet carry up to 1,134 kg, articulating and telescopic boom lifts 150–454 kg depending on the model, mast lifts 200 kg.

Add up everything that goes on the platform: people (usually 80 kg per person for planning purposes), tools and material. Two fitters with board material for drywall construction quickly exceed the basket load of an articulating boom lift; on a large scissor platform they work side by side. With boom lifts, additional load also reduces the usable outreach.

The following matrix summarises the five questions for typical tasks:

Job	Recommended type	Decisive
Ceiling installation, lighting, ventilation in the hall	Scissor lift, electric	load, indoors
Maintenance in a high-bay warehouse	High-rack scissor lift	narrow aisles, height
Shop fitting, offices, narrow corridors	Mast lift	access, low height
Installation above machines in production	Articulating boom lift, electric	obstacle, indoors
Facade above a canopy or extension	Articulating boom lift	obstacle
Steel construction with a lot of material, outdoors	Scissor lift, diesel	load, terrain
Roof, parapet or industrial facade above 30 m	Telescopic boom lift	height, outreach
Several sites per day, street lighting	Truck-mounted platform	road travel
Courtyard, church, lawn or paving	Spider lift	ground, access

For special cases there are in-depth guides, for example on church restoration, on hall refurbishment with low ceiling height or on whether scaffolding or an aerial work platform is the better choice.

1. Confusing building height with working height. The working height already includes the reach. Anyone who orders the building height plus a safety margin often rents a class too large — and pays the daily rate and transport for a machine that is heavier and wider than necessary.
2. Looking only at height. The platform reaches the height, but not the spot behind the canopy, or it does not fit through the yard entrance. Always answer questions 2 and 3 before ordering, ideally with photos of the site.
3. Comparing the daily rate instead of the total costs. An articulating boom lift is more expensive per day than a scissor lift, but saves repositioning on facades with many work points. How to calculate the total costs properly is shown in the guide Rental costs for aerial work platforms.

The choice of type also determines which operator competence is required. Scissor lifts belong to IPAF category 3a, self-propelled articulating and telescopic boom lifts to category 3b, truck-mounted, trailer-mounted platforms and spider lifts to category 1b. Every operator needs a written confirmation of verified expertise issued by a certified inspection technician (Section 17(3) Decree No. 508/2009 Coll.), which the IPAF PAL Card does not replace, written authorisation and a machine-specific operator briefing. Details are explained in the guide IPAF and operator certificate.

The risk assessment for the site is prepared by the user — what it must include is shown in the guide Risk assessment for aerial work platforms. Luibl Rental hands over the machine itself with a valid inspection and test and with an operator briefing.

Send us the answers to the five questions — working height, outreach, ground and access, indoors or outdoors, load on the platform — together with the site and rental period. Photos of the site help. If you need one type almost every day, you should also consider buying — the calculation is shown in the guide Rent or buy an aerial work platform?. You will receive a recommendation for the type and an itemised quote including transport by low-loader directly to your site, with delivery throughout Slovakia.

Aerial work platform rental — all types · Aerial work platforms for rent · Request a quote now →

Which aerial work platform do I need for a working height of 10 metres?

For purely vertical work indoors, an electric scissor lift or mast lift. If there is an obstacle in the way, a compact electric articulating boom lift; on difficult ground, a spider lift.

Which aerial work platform is suitable for work on a facade?

For a clear facade and a lot of material, the scissor lift; for canopies, balconies or extensions, the articulating boom lift. Above 30 m, the telescopic boom lift is an option.

Which aerial work platform may be used in enclosed halls?

Electrically powered platforms, because they produce no local emissions during operation. Hybrid or Bi-Energy machines may be driven indoors in electric mode; pure diesel machines belong outdoors.

Which aerial work platform is suitable for sensitive or soft ground?

The spider lift. It is light, distributes the load via outriggers and can cross lawns, paving and embankments as well as pass through narrow access routes.

What is the difference between a lifting platform and an aerial work platform?

None when it comes to work at height: "lifting platform" is the everyday term for the aerial work platform or mobile elevating work platform under STN EN 280. The vehicle lift in a garage is a different piece of equipment.