Although there are a number of advantages associated with forklift, boom lift and scissor lift hire, there are also a number of things that you need to keep in mind prior to signing on the dotted line to ensure that you’re making the right choice. In this article, we have taken a closer look at the things you need to know before hiring in a bid to help you reach an informed conclusion.

Choice of Machine
Although you might already know what type of lift you need, it’s important to keep in mind that there is more than one type of model under each category. Forklifts, for example, are available in diesel, electric, mini, 10 tonne and container varieties. Scissor lifts are available in standard, wide deck and rough terrain varieties. Boom lifts are available in electric and diesel varieties.

Check the Terrain
It’s important to keep in mind that not every model is equipped over rough terrain. You need to make sure that the machine you have selected is able to cope with the jobsite’s terrain before committing to its hire. Some models are also only designed for indoor use and are not equipped to be driven around outside (and vice versa). Ensure that you know the jobsite’s conditions.

Also remember that each model will differ in terms of the weight they can carry and the height they can reach. Do some quick calculations to determine how much weight you need to move (don’t forget to include any operators) and how high you need to reach.

Safety Comes First
Handling a powerful lift requires skill and experience. It’s important to determine whether your operators are certified to handle the type of machine you wish to hire and, if not, what you’re going to do to solve this problem (get them certified or hire an operator, too). Never let an inexperienced or uncertified operator use the machine, as the results could be disastrous.

Finally, you need to have a second person to act as a spotter should the operator’s vision be obstructed at any time. This will help to ensure that everyone on the jobsite remains safe and that there aren’t any nasty surprises for the operator or other workers.

By keeping all of the above information in mind, you can rest assured that you’re making the right decision when it comes to boom lift, scissor lift and forklift hire. Remember that making the wrong decision can be costly, so it’s important to ensure that you’ve got all your bases covered from the get-go. Please contact the team at Liftech if you have any questions about our hire equipment.