Why Manufacturing is Cool

Robust, reliable lifting equipment is vital to any warehousing and storage business, and machinery capable of safely elevating your employees is just as vital as the forklifts and winches you use to load cargoes and containers on high shelves. Consequently, scissor lifts are a common sight in the warehousing industry, and these versatile machines are just as useful for lifting people as they are packages. 

However, not every scissor lift is suited to the unique requirements of warehouse work, and any warehouse operator looking to hire or purchase one should choose their lift carefully. To help you decide, keep the following desirable attributes in mind when shopping around for a new scissor lift:

Electric motors

Unless your warehouse is particularly capacious and well-ventilated, you should not use petrol or diesel-driven scissor lifts inside it, as the toxic fumes they pump out can be very hazardous to you and your employees. Scissor lifts driven by emission-free electric motors are far more suitable, and modern electric scissor lifts are capable of lifting weights just as heavy as the most powerful petrol and diesel models.

However, you should take care not to choose an electric scissor lift that is too powerful for your needs, as more powerful motors will drain batteries more quickly and leave our scissor lift useless while you wait for it to recharge. If you don't deal in especially heavy items and packages, try to strike a balance between lifting power and endurance.

Sturdy outriggers

As a general rule, the wider the base of a scissor lift is, the more stable and safe it is to use. Wide scissor lifts are much less likely to topple over when dealing with oversized or imbalanced loads; however, wide lifts are also more difficult to navigate between the densely packed shelving units seen in most warehouses, and may become stuck when taking tight bends.

Choosing a scissor lift fitted with strong, sturdy outriggers is a neat way to avoid this problem. These stabilising legs can be extended during lifting operations to increase the stability of the lift, and are easy to fold away when driving your lift from place to place.

Spacious platforms

The demands of warehouse work mean that, more often than not, your scissor lift will be lifting packages and people simultaneously. Keeping your order pickers and shelf stackers safe while they are lifted is essential, so you should choose a scissor lift with a platform large enough to accommodate most items while leaving enough room for your employees.

Modest weight

If the scissor lift you choose is too heavy, it may stress the concrete floors and floor coverings found in most warehouses, which can be difficult and expensive to repair (and even more expensive to replace). Try to choose the lightest available scissor lift that provides the power and endurance you require, and do not forget to add the weight of the items your lifts generally handle to your weight calculations.