Boom Lift Size Guide: What Size Do You Need for the Job?

Picking a boom lift by the biggest number gets you a machine that does not fit. The right boom lift size comes from three measurements, and this guide from The Lift Bros walks through each one.

What Should You Measure Before Choosing a Boom Lift Size?

To size a boom lift, start with the job, not the machine. Write down three things first:

1. The highest point a worker has to reach.
2. How far out from the machine's base that point is.
3. What the worker needs to carry up.

What Is the Difference Between Platform Height and Working Height?

A boom lift's working height is the platform height plus an allowance for a worker's reach, often about six feet. Listings usually give working height, and the platform floor sits lower: if a spec says 45 feet, the floor might be around 39.

If you need to stand at 40 feet, a 45-foot machine is borderline. Buy for the platform height you need and leave some margin.

How Much Outreach Do You Need on a Boom Lift?

A boom lift needs enough horizontal outreach to reach the work from wherever the machine can park. Outreach is how far the basket extends away from the base, and it matters when:

• You have to reach over a roof edge, a fence or a piece of equipment.
• The machine cannot park directly beneath the work.
• You need to get past an obstacle.

A straight telescopic boom gives the most horizontal reach for its size. An articulating boom bends, so it can go up and over. Around obstacles, an articulating boom often wins even if its numbers look smaller.

Which Boom Lift Fits Your Type of Work?

Two- or three-story exterior work commonly calls for a mid-size articulating boom lift, and tall structures, steel and industrial sites call for larger telescopic booms. Other rough guides, since every site differs:

• Low interior and maintenance work: smaller booms and scissor lifts may do the job.
• Rough or muddy ground: a rough-terrain machine, often with four-wheel drive.

How Do Weight, Width and Transport Limit a Bigger Boom Lift?

A bigger boom lift is heavier, wider and harder to haul, so check these before sizing up:

• Weight: floors and soft ground can only carry so much.
• Width and turning: will it fit through the gate and around the building?
• Hauling: can your trailer and truck move it?
• Power: electric machines are quiet and good indoors; diesel machines are better on rough ground.

How Much Does a Boom Lift Weigh, and Can You Haul It?

A boom lift's weight decides what trailer and truck you need. Even a smaller boom lift such as the Z30 weighs around 14,000 pounds, and the larger Z40 weighs more. Ask for the exact weight of the machine and check it against your trailer's and tow vehicle's rated capacity.

What Platform Capacity Do You Need?

A boom lift's platform capacity is the most weight the basket is rated to hold (worker, tools and materials combined). Exceeding rated capacity is a safety problem, and a small basket with a big load is a bad match.

Do You Need a Jib on a Boom Lift?

Not every boom lift job needs a jib, but if you work around obstacles, one is worth a look. A jib is a short extra arm at the end of the boom that helps the basket get up and over or position more precisely.

Should You Buy a New or Used Boom Lift?

Once you know your size, used is often the practical way to get it. The Lift Bros is an authorized JLG, Genie and Skyjack dealer in Chouteau, Oklahoma. We sell, repair and refurbish used aerial work platforms, from single machines to bulk lots, and document every refurb. We do not rent.

What Are the Most Common Boom Lift Sizing Mistakes?

The most common boom lift sizing mistakes are these four:

• Buying for the tallest job of the year. If it happens once, a one-day rental elsewhere may make more sense than owning the largest machine.
• Ignoring the ground. A big machine on soft ground is a bigger problem than a small one.
• Forgetting the gate. Measure the narrowest point between the truck and the work.
• Skipping the weight. Check the machine's weight against any floor, deck or trailer it will sit on.

What Should You Check on a Boom Lift Before You Commit?

Before you commit, ask for the capacity plate, the working envelope chart and the inspection history. The envelope chart shows how high and how far the basket can go at once; the two trade off. Any honest seller will show you all three; if they cannot, move on.

What Should You Tell a Dealer Before You Buy a Boom Lift?

Send The Lift Bros the height, the reach and the site conditions, and we can tell you which sizes are worth looking at. The short version: know your height, your outreach and your load, add a margin, check the ground and the transport, then choose a machine that fits, not one that impresses.