When we were reviewing typical scissor lift hire rates (unlike many of the other machines we've researched) we found that day rates for hiring scissor lifts were highly variable from supplier to supplier and city to city. So in this guide we will give you the hire rate brackets of the different scissor lift working heights and machine variants so you can make an informed decision. Your best bet for getting a competitive rate is using the iseekplant rates request tool, which will get you the best real-time quotes from suppliers in your area!
How much does it cost to hire a scissor lift?
For the lamen, a scissor lift can sometimes be called a cherry picker and is often confused for other machines like EWP's (elevated work platforms), telehandlers, boom lifts and man lifts. All of these machines are often also just called cherry pickers. Scissor lifts are machines that move straight up and down in a vertical axis only, and their supporting boom looks like a scissor (crisscrossed struts).
Scissor Lifts aren't very complicated pieces of machinery, they are usually in plentiful supply across major cities and don't have a lot of differing features by make or model. Scissor lifts simply transport you up to a specified working height and they don't really do anything else than that. The electric models work mainly indoors (where there is a reliable AC outlet) and the diesel models are used outdoors - which means they are known as 'all terrain scissor lifts,' and have a better set of wheels on them or can even be tracked. The diesel models can also extend much higher than the electric models. Because of all of the above, in our opinion, you should be able to get a pretty competitive hire rate.
What are Electric Scissor Lift hire rates (by working height)?
- 5m - 6m working height electric scissor lift hire rates: $90 - $270 per day
- 7m working height electric scissor lift hire rates: $110 - $310 per day
- 8m working height electric scissor lift hire rates: $110 - $350 per day
- 9m - 10m working height electric scissor lift hire rates: $120 - $370 per day
- 12m working height electric scissor lift hire rates: $140 - $450 per day
Electric scissor lifts are mostly used indoors, as they need to be plugged into AC power to operate. Because they are predominately used indoors they rarely come in boom heights over 12m. They are very common in warehouses, industrial sheds, event venues, aircraft hangars and other large structures. There are a bunch of common manufacturers, like JLG , Genie & Skyjacks.
What are Diesel All Terrain Scissor Lift hire rates (by working height)?
- 8m working height diesel scissor lift hire rates: $150 - $320 per day
- 10m working height diesel scissor lift hire rates: $165 - $340 per day
- 12m working height diesel scissor lift hire rates: $170 - $395 per day
- 14m working height diesel scissor lift hire rates: $230 - $475 per day
- 15m working height diesel scissor lift hire rates: $240 - $550 per day
- 18m working height diesel scissor lift hire rates: $280 - $600 per day
Diesel all-terrain scissor lifts are the ones you can usually hire in boom heights above around 8m. These are the outdoor scissor lifts you can often see working under bridges on road work jobs. They have meaty wheels which means they can traverse undulating ground and rock. The larger boom heights are harder to find than the shorter ones. You can typically find scissor lifts under 14m in most access equipment supplier fleets. The 18m + heights are few and far between, so an EWP or telehandler could be better suited to your job if you need to get that high.
What are Tracked Scissor Lift hire rates?
- 6m working height tracked scissor lift hire rates: $250 - $370 per day
- 8m working height tracked scissor lift hire rates: $290 - $450 per day
Tracked scissor lifts aren't easy to find, but most specialist access equipment or lift and shift companies will have one in their fleet. They are tracked to be able to traverse difficult, soft or undulated terrain. The tracks provide a really sturdy base to move the machine slowly across different ground.
What are Scissor Lift transport and travel costs (metro areas)?
- Scissor lifts less than 12m: $100 - $120 each way
- Scissor lifts between 12m and 15m: $150 - $180 each way
- Scissor lifts over 18m: $200 - $250 each way
Scissor lifts can easily be driven up via remote onto the back of a tilt tray and transported around town. They are often used on a daily basis and returned to the depot - it is uncommon that they are hired on long-term contracts (as they are relatively cheap to buy). That said, you will always be required to pay transportation, and in the case of diesel scissor lifts there may be a small fuel surcharge or duel charges on an as-used basis. But all-in-all, hiring a scissor lift isn't very complicated and there aren't usually many extra costs or charges outside of the hire rate.
Do I need a license or ticket to operate a Scissor Lift?
The short answer is yes, 'working at heights' using any boom lift, EWP, telehandler, man lift or scissor lift requires a working at heights competency, or ticket, once you are operating a machine over an 11m boom height. Because it is considered high-risk work, we encourage everyone who ires a scissor lift, of any height or size, to understand the risk and be harnessed into the machine. The working at heights law only is applied to heights at over 11m, so you can operate scissor lifts below this height without a ticket. When hiring a scissor lift over 11m the plant hire company will ask to see the ticket of the operator before hiring out the machine.
How do I get the best Scissor Lift hire rates?
iseekplant specialises in getting quotes for people looking for construction gear. So whether you need a scissor lift in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, Darwin, Adelaide or anywhere else. Use iseekplant's Get Rates tool and we will get you the best quote for your job, completely free of charge! Subscribe to the iseekplant's Constructionsht blog below to keep up to date with all the latest industry news and projects!