What Is A Cherry Picker?

Flexible, versatile and largely safe, cherry pickers (also known as boom lifts) are regularly used across a number of industries. They have a larger range of movement than scissor lifts, moving horizontally as well as vertically. This makes them popular, as well as necessary, pieces of machinery to a lot of companies needing to work on out-of-reach areas. You may be wondering which circumstances would require the use of a cherry picker instead of a scissor lift. Let’s explore some potential situations.

When You Need Horizontal Reach

Cherry pickers can be maneuvered horizontally to avoid obstacles such as fences, vehicles or shrubbery. This can be useful for work in residential areas.

When Working at Extreme Heights

A cherry picker can usually offer a more extended reach than a scissor lift. Some cherry pickers can even reach over 100 feet. While this calls for tougher health and safety measures, it also gives workers more freedom to complete their tasks.

When Working in Tight or Uneven Spaces

Compared to a scissor lift, cherry pickers have smaller and more compact bases. While this means range of movement within the base is more restricted, it also means that it can fit into tighter spaces.

A cherry picker is also safer to use on uneven or unstable ground. They are often kitted out with outriggers or stabilisers that make them more reliable to use in potentially risky situations involving slopes or uneven terrain.

When Precision or Range is Crucial

Scissor lifts are quite simple with their up and down movements. Cherry pickers, on the other hand, are equipped with articulated arms that allow for much finer adjustments. This makes cherry pickers much more desirable for tasks such as tree care or utility and electrical work.

When Accessing Hard-To-Reach Areas

The dexterity of a cherry picker means they can even be maneuvered around corners or awkward architectural features. This may be especially useful to those carrying out work in an architecturally historic and diverse place such as London.

Overall, cherry pickers are required for more complex situations that include multiple variables such as corners, obstacles, large heights or uneven terrain. It is always important to fully understand the risks and required safety measures before operating either a scissor lift or cherry picker.