# Scissor or Boom Lift?



## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

What is the terrain like. Your profile does not have your location in it. A boom lift can only accommodate one person. Scissor lift more people but may not be adaptable to the terrain.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

With new WBC regulations here the boom lift industry has gone mad. Never see a scissor lift. The fill around a house is not firm enough and by far less time driving to put a boom to the right place.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

chandler48 said:


> What is the terrain like. Your profile does not have your location in it. A boom lift can only accommodate one person. Scissor lift more people but may not be adaptable to the terrain.


 Boom lifts come in small big and bigger so two men and material is not usually a problem if he has the right one.


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

I couldn't imagine siding a house with a scissor lift. A boom lift is way more versatile. 

That said siding a house off a boom lift is a pita. You can buy (and resell) a lot of ladders, planks and/or scaffolding with that kind of money. 

If you do buy a lift be sure it's going to work for your specific situation. Terrain plays a big part of it. Be sure you know the 'range of motion' of the machine you're buying.


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## nobbyv (May 30, 2018)

Thanks for the replies guys. Need to update my profile. I’m in NH. The overall grade has a pitch to it from front to back, but the actual material of the terrain is a good gravel base my site guy has compacted the hell out of. Of course, that won’t be quite the same next week when he starts digging foundation footings.


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## Marson (Jan 26, 2018)

If you are talking about lap siding vs. 4x8 sheets, then a boom lift isn't that great for siding. In fact it sucks. Picture yourself in the bucket with a 12' peice of hardie, trying to hold it in place on the wall and nail it, then adjusting to get to more nails, etc. If you have really good flat access you could use a big scissor lift. You can use a boom lift for high gables maybe, but for the most part, you would want pump jacks. 



Pardon me for the unsolicited advice, but if you are really doing this alone, consider switching to LP smartside. It is much more user friendly than Hardie, holds paint as well IMO, doesn't break if you carry it flat, much lighter, comes in 16' lengths.


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## iamrfixit (Jan 30, 2011)

Scissor lifts come in lots of sizes, I used one a few years ago that had a platform about 10' long and 5' wide, it was 4x4 with industrial tires and got around well out in the grass. But it still required pretty level and solid ground, as with most lifts they are very heavy. Large lifts can take a lot of space to navigate into position.

Boom lifts are great for heights, but not for siding. Two people situated closely together in a small basket with a 500 pound limit, not really what you need for long pieces of siding. I wouldn't even consider one of these for this job.

What really works great is a telehandler with a large work platform. Building a friends house and pole barn we used his machine and a 16'x4' platform with handrail on 3 sides. The platform fit right on the forks and works great for any phase of construction. You can load shingles and tools and go right to the roofs edge. You can load up a pile of siding, a couple workers and get busy. Installing large second floor windows, finishing the soffit on a 16' tall pole barn, it makes it all easy. With large, tall tires and 4x4 a machine like this can handle slopes and soft ground that would be impossible for most other lifts. 

The forks and platform can be leveled in every direction no matter how the machine is sitting. The machine itself can be hydraulically rocked to either side and made level before the lift boom is raised. Problem is these are very heavy, 20K plus and require either driving to location or hauling on a semi. They will pretty much destroy the ground so they don't see much use beyond new construction. They can't be operated from the platform so you need an operator or a ladder to access the platform once you get the machine in place. They are very expensive machines but can be rented. Probably $300+ per day around a $1200 per week and probably $2500-3000 by the month. An older machine can be bought, but might take a lot of maintenance. There are lots of hydraulic hoses, cylinders and moving parts so plenty to keep in repair.


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## ron45 (Feb 25, 2014)

There are ones a lot cheaper too.

Pump jacks,


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## craig11152 (Jun 20, 2015)

nobbyv said:


> I plan to purchase (used) either a scissor lift or a boom lift. I've been checking Craigslist, and figure I can get something decent for $10-12k, use it for a month or two during the build, then sell it.


I realize markets are different in different places but in my area used scissor lifts are usually way cheaper than a boom.....like thousands of dollars cheaper. 
your 10-12 K in my area would get you a pretty nice boom but $800 would get you a rather beat up scissor that still goes up and down.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

I went with staging (Lynn I think) and still own it. 2 story and 5,000 ft². Less expensive and very versatile. With the aluminum platforms you can work at any level and be safe. I used 16' 2x6s to create safety rails as well.

Busy time of the year but check used and when done it will sell fast.

Bud


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