Questions to Ask When Buying a Scissor Lift
For whoever will sign for the machine: a contractor, a warehouse or facility manager, or a shop owner tired of renting, whether the lift is new from a dealer or used from a rental fleet or a private seller. The questions follow the order the decision goes in: fitting the lift to the job, the machine's history, its condition on the day, safety equipment and records, then price and support. The last group includes the math on whether renting would cost you less.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
The job
What working height do I need, and is the figure you are quoting platform height or working height?
Why ask it
On most spec sheets the two numbers sit about six feet, or two meters, apart, because working height adds the reach of a person standing on the platform. Measure the highest thing you have to touch, then ask which figure the model name refers to. A lift that only just gets there leaves the operator stretching, and that is when people start climbing the rails.
What is the platform capacity, and how many people does that allow?
Why ask it
Add up the operators, their tools and whatever goes up with them, such as sheets of drywall or lengths of duct. The data plate gives the limit as a weight and as a number of occupants, and the extension deck often has a lower figure of its own. If your normal load sits close to the limit, look at the next size up.
Is this an electric slab lift or a rough-terrain machine, and which does my site call for?
Why ask it
Electric slab lifts are built for level concrete and quiet indoor work, while rough-terrain models have bigger tires, more ground clearance and usually an engine. Describe the worst surface it will ever drive on. Notice whether the seller points you to what suits that ground or to what happens to be in the yard.
Will it fit through my doors and into my elevator, and what is the stowed height with the rails folded?
Why ask it
Bring the measurements of the narrowest door, the lowest header and the elevator car. Narrow models are made to pass a single doorway, but the guardrails often have to fold to clear the frame, so have that done in front of you and time it.
How much does the machine weigh, and what load does each wheel put on the floor?
Why ask it
This decides things on mezzanines, raised access floors, suspended slabs and in freight elevators. The manual lists the wheel and floor loadings. Take those numbers to whoever knows what your floor is rated for, since neither you nor the seller should be guessing.
Is it rated for outdoor use, and at what wind speed?
Why ask it
Many slab lifts are rated for indoor use only, or allow fewer people on the platform outdoors. The rating is printed on the data plate, so read it yourself. If any of your work is outside, this one answer can rule a machine out.
What slope can it climb when lowered, and how level does the ground have to be before it will lift?
Why ask it
The first figure tells you whether it will get up your loading ramp or onto a trailer. The tilt limit is a separate and much smaller number, and it decides whether the lift is any use on a sloped parking deck or an unfinished site. Rough-terrain buyers should ask about outriggers or leveling jacks at the same time.
How big is the platform, and does it have a roll-out extension deck?
Why ask it
Get the length and width with the extension in and out, then picture your real load on it: two people, a tool bag and a full sheet of drywall do not fit on every deck. The extension is what gets the operator over a bench, a machine or a stair edge that the chassis cannot park under. Slide it out and back at the viewing, since one that binds or will not lock has usually been bent.
What tires are on it, and will they mark or damage my floors?
Why ask it
Non-marking solid tires are the usual choice for finished floors, and lugged foam-filled or air-filled tires belong outdoors. Even the right tires carry mud and grit in from the last site, so ask where the lift last worked and whether it will be washed before delivery.
Will it get through a working day like mine on one charge or one tank?
Why ask it
Give the seller your real day: how many times up and down, and how much driving between positions. Lifting and driving draw far more power than holding at height. For an electric lift, ask as well how long a full recharge takes and what kind of outlet the charger needs.
Is there a power outlet at the platform, and what other options are fitted?
Why ask it
An outlet on the platform saves trailing an extension cord up the stack, where it can snag as the lift moves. Pipe racks, panel carriers and a swing gate in place of a chain are the other common ones. Find out which can be added later and which have to be ordered with the machine.
History
What are the make, model, year and serial number?
Why ask it
With those you can download the right manual, look up the specifications and phone a parts counter before you travel. At the viewing, match the serial number on the data plate to the paperwork. If the plate is missing or unreadable, treat that as a serious problem: it is also where the capacity ratings are printed.
How many hours are on it, and what does the hour meter actually count?
Why ask it
On some electric lifts the meter runs only while the machine is driving or lifting, and on others whenever the key is on, so two machines with the same reading can have had very different lives. Ask whether the meter or the control module has ever been replaced. Then compare the figure with the wear on the platform floor and the joystick.
Who owned it before you, and was it ever in a rental fleet?
Why ask it
Ex-rental lifts are common on the used market. They tend to have been serviced on a schedule and inspected often, and they have also been driven by a long line of people who did not own them. A fleet can usually print the maintenance history by serial number, so request it.
What kind of work did it do, and where was it kept?
Why ask it
A lift a painter used indoors has aged differently from one that stood beside concrete pours or sat outside through several winters. If the answer is vague, the machine will tell you: overspray, cement splatter and rust at the base of the stack.
Can I see the maintenance records for the whole time you have had it?
Why ask it
Look for dated entries that name the work done, with hour readings that climb steadily from one to the next. Gaps are worth a question each. With no paper at all, price the lift as one that needs a full inspection before anyone goes up on it.
Has it ever tipped, been struck, been dropped in transit or had structural repairs?
Why ask it
Ask it straight, then look for fresh paint on one section of the stack, weld beads that do not match the factory ones and a platform that sits out of square. A welded repair to a scissor arm or the chassis is a question for the manufacturer or a qualified inspector, not something to judge by eye.
Has anything been modified, bypassed or added that the manufacturer did not approve?
Why ask it
Jumpered limit switches, a disconnected tilt alarm and homemade racks all turn up on used machines. Manufacturers generally want modifications approved in writing, so ask for that letter if anything looks non-standard. Anything bypassed is also a fair hint at how the rest of the lift was looked after.
Why is the lift for sale, and what is replacing it?
Why ask it
A fleet rotating out older units, a finished contract and a business closing are all ordinary reasons. 'It needs a little work' deserves a follow-up: exactly what work, and who quoted it.
Do you own it outright, or is there a loan or lien against it?
Why ask it
Equipment is often financed, and a lender's claim can follow a machine to its next owner. Ask the seller for proof of ownership or a payoff letter. How liens on equipment are recorded and searched depends on where you are, so ask a local lender or attorney how it is done there.
Condition
When was the battery pack last replaced, and can I see it with the tray open?
Why ask it
Deep-cycle batteries usually carry a date stamp or sticker, and the pack should be one age and one brand. Look for corroded terminals, bulging cases and low water in flooded cells. Tired batteries are no reason to pass on a good lift, but get a quote for a new set and take it off the price.
Is the charger the original one, and does it finish a full charge?
Why ask it
Plug it in while you are there and watch the indicator come on. Then ask how long it takes to reach full and whether it shuts itself off, because a charger that never stops is hard on a pack. Burn marks on the cord or plug mean a replacement.
Can I watch it lift to full height with weight on the platform and hold there for ten minutes?
Why ask it
Put a strip of tape on the cylinder rod or measure the platform height at the start. Any settling means oil is getting past a seal or a holding valve, and that repair should be quoted before you agree on a figure. Stay clear of the stack the whole time it is up.
Are there any hydraulic leaks, and when was the oil last changed?
Why ask it
Look under the chassis, around the cylinder seals and along each hose where it flexes at a pivot. A damp fitting is common on an older machine, but a steady drip or a cracked hose needs repairing before use. Milky oil in the tank suggests water has gotten in.
What condition are the scissor arms, pivot pins and wear pads in?
Why ask it
Have the seller raise the platform and set the maintenance prop before anyone looks into the stack. Check each pivot for a pin that has walked out, a missing retainer or a hole worn oval. Every stack has some sway at height, so ask a technician how much is acceptable on that model.
Do all the functions work from both the platform controls and the ground controls?
Why ask it
Drive, steer, lift, lower, horn and both emergency stop buttons, tried at each station. The ground panel has to be able to take over from the platform, since that is how a stranded operator gets down. If the joystick needs wiggling before anything happens, budget for a new one.
Is the controller showing any fault codes, or holding any in memory?
Why ask it
Many newer lifts show codes on a display at the ground panel, and the service manual lists what each one means. Photograph whatever comes up and look it up before you negotiate. A code cleared the morning of a viewing tends to come back within a few cycles, which is one more reason to run the machine for a while.
Do the brakes hold on a ramp, and does it drive and steer straight?
Why ask it
With the platform fully lowered, drive it up a ramp that is within the grade the manual allows, stop halfway and let go of the controls: it should stay put. Listen for grinding from the drive motors. If one wheel lags behind the others, suspect a motor on its way out or a brake that is not releasing.
If it has an engine, what fuel does it run on, and can I hear it start from cold?
Why ask it
Ask the seller not to warm it up before you arrive. A hard start, smoke that does not clear or an engine streaked with oil each changes what you should offer. Fuel also decides where you can work, so find out what your sites allow indoors before you buy a diesel or dual-fuel machine.
What does it need right now, and what would you fix if you were keeping it?
Why ask it
The second half often gets a franker answer than the first. Write the list down and get a parts price for each item. Anything that touches the lift structure, the hydraulics or a safety system is work to finish before first use, not a job for later.
May I bring a lift technician, or pay for an independent inspection, before I commit?
Why ask it
A mechanic who works on aerial lifts every week checks things a buyer cannot, including structural wear and whether each safety device really operates. Ask for the findings in writing. A seller who refuses an inspection that you are paying for has answered a different question.
Safety
When was its last thorough inspection, who carried it out, and can I have the report?
Why ask it
Workplace rules in many places call for periodic inspections of aerial lifts by a qualified person, with written records, and the interval and the wording differ by country and state. Ask your regulator or insurer what an owner has to hold. Then compare that with what the seller hands you, remembering that a sticker on the chassis is not the report.
Do the pothole guards, the tilt alarm and the descent alarm all work?
Why ask it
Pothole guards are a slab lift feature: the bars should drop and lock as the platform rises. The tilt sensor should sound and stop the lift going higher when the chassis is off level. Have each one demonstrated, and be wary of a lift whose alarms have been silenced.
How does the emergency lowering work, and will you show me?
Why ask it
Scissor lifts have a way to bring the platform down from the ground when the power fails, often a pull cable or a manual valve at the base. See it used once. Whoever will stand at the bottom on your jobs should be able to find it without opening the manual.
Are the guardrails, toe boards and entry gate complete and undamaged?
Why ask it
Bent rails get straightened in the yard and cracked welds get painted over, so run a hand along each post and joint. The gate should swing shut or latch firmly without help. Ask whether the rails are original to the machine, because rails from another model may not fit its sockets properly.
Are the operator's manual and all the safety decals on the machine?
Why ask it
The manual normally lives in a weatherproof box on the platform, and missing or painted-over decals are among the first things an inspector writes up. Replacement manuals and decal kits can usually be ordered by serial number. The cost is small, so ask the seller to cover it.
Does it have platform load sensing, and which safety standard was it built to?
Why ask it
Design standards have changed over the years, and newer machines commonly weigh the platform load and refuse to lift when overloaded. Whether an older machine may be used on your sites depends on your country's rules and sometimes on the general contractor. Check both before buying one built to an earlier standard.
Are there any open safety bulletins or recalls for this serial number?
Why ask it
Manufacturers issue bulletins that call for an inspection or a retrofit, and a dealer for the brand can look them up. Ask for proof that the work was done. A private seller may never have heard of them, so make that call yourself.
What training and fall protection do my operators need on this machine, and do you provide any of it?
Why ask it
Rules on operator training, familiarization with the specific model and harness use on scissor lifts vary by country, state and employer. Find out what the dealer includes at handover and where the lanyard anchor points are. Then confirm with your own safety contact or regulator what you must have in place before anyone goes up.
Price and support
What is the total price delivered, with tax, fees and any work you have promised?
Why ask it
Have it itemized on one sheet: the machine, the batteries or repairs agreed, the inspection, delivery and tax. A low sticker with a long list of extras is a different offer from a higher one that arrives ready to work.
What would the same model cost new, and when could a new one be delivered?
Why ask it
Once batteries, repairs and an inspection are added to a used price, the gap to a new machine with a warranty can be narrower than the two stickers suggest. New lifts are sometimes on order for weeks or months, so if a job depends on it, get the delivery date in writing. A private seller cannot answer this one, but a dealer's parts or sales desk can in a five-minute call.
What warranty comes with it, and what does it leave out?
Why ask it
On a new machine the terms often differ for the structure, the hydraulics, the electrics and the batteries, so ask about each. For a used lift, find out whether the seller gives any period at all or sells as-is. Either way the wording belongs on the invoice.
Are parts still available for this model, and how quickly do they arrive?
Why ask it
Call a parts counter with the serial number and ask for a price and lead time on a joystick, a charger and a seal kit for the lift cylinder. An obscure brand or a discontinued model looks like a bargain until it spends a month waiting for a controller.
Who will service it near me, and will they come to my site?
Why ask it
A scissor lift is awkward to haul to a workshop, so a mobile technician is worth a lot. Get the call-out fee and the hourly rate. Ask too whether the same people can carry out the periodic inspections your local rules call for.
How will it get to me, and what do I need to move it between jobs?
Why ask it
Even a compact electric lift is heavy, often more than a ton, so check the rating of the trailer, the ramps and the tow vehicle against the weight on the data plate. Ask where the tie-down points are and how the brakes are released to winch it with a dead battery. Delivery on the seller's truck is worth pricing even if you own a trailer.
What will it cost me to own each year?
Why ask it
Count batteries spread over their life, inspections, tires, hydraulic service, insurance, storage and transport. A dealer that runs a rental fleet knows what it spends per machine and may tell you. Put the question to your insurer as well, since owned equipment is not always covered until you add it.
For the number of days I would use it, would renting cost less than buying?
Why ask it
Take the local daily, weekly and monthly rental rates and work out a year of the jobs you actually expect. Set that against the purchase price plus the yearly cost of owning. A rented lift also arrives inspected and gets swapped when it breaks, which the arithmetic tends to leave out.
Do you offer financing, a lease or a rental-purchase plan?
Why ask it
Rental-purchase lets you find out whether the size is right before you are committed, and some dealers credit part of the rent toward the price. Have the total paid under each route written out. The tax side depends on where you are and how the business is set up, so take it to your accountant.
Would you buy it back or take it in trade if my work changes?
Why ask it
Dealers that also rent equipment often will, and the figure they name shows what they think the machine will be worth in a few years. A private sale has no such way out, which is part of what its lower price reflects.
How to shop for a scissor lift
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before you contact a seller
Measure the work first
Write down the highest point you need to reach, the narrowest door, the lowest header, the floor the lift will stand on and whether any of the work is outdoors. Those five facts cut a catalog of models down to two or three, and they stop a seller from fitting your job to the machine in stock.
Count your lift days
Go back through last year's jobs and count the days a lift was on site, including the days it sat idle while you paid for it. That number settles most of the rent-or-buy question, and it is easier to find before a salesperson is waiting for an answer.
Learn what an owner has to do where you work
Owning a lift usually brings duties a renter never sees: periodic inspections, records, operator training. The details depend on your country, state and insurer, so call your workplace safety regulator and your insurer before you shop and write down what each tells you.
Ask for the serial number by email
With it you can read the manual, confirm the height and capacity, check for safety bulletins and price a set of batteries, all before driving anywhere. A seller who will not send it is saving you a trip.
At the machine
Read the data plate before anything else
Model, serial number, capacity, occupants, wind rating and machine weight are all on it. Where the plate and the listing disagree, go by the plate.
Work from the ground up
Tires and chassis, then the battery tray or engine bay, then the hydraulic tank and hoses, then the stack, then the platform and rails. A fixed order keeps a talkative seller from walking you past the part they would prefer you skipped.
Run it longer than feels polite
Ten full cycles and a drive around the yard show things one lift to half height never will: a pack that sags, a valve that sticks when warm, a fault code that returns. Bring enough weight for the platform to make the test honest, staying inside the rated capacity.
Stay out of the stack
Never reach or lean between the scissor arms of a raised platform unless the maintenance prop is set, and let the seller do the raising and propping. If the prop is missing, that is a finding in itself.
Where the lift comes from
New from a dealer
You pay the most and get a warranty, a known history of zero and someone to call. Spend the questions on fit, options, lead time, handover training and what the first years of service will cost.
Used from a rental fleet or dealer
The paperwork is usually the strongest here: maintenance by serial number and regular inspections. The machine has also had many operators, so the condition questions carry the weight, and a short written warranty is a fair thing to ask for.
Used from a private seller or an auction
Prices are lowest and so is the information. Lean on the History group, insist on a full running test where one is allowed, and budget for an independent inspection, a set of batteries and transport on top of the price.
Before you pay
Put every promise on the invoice
New batteries, a repaired hose, a fresh inspection, delivery by Friday: each one written down with a date. Include the serial number and the hour reading on the day of sale.
Price the repairs, then make the offer
Turn the list of faults into quotes from a parts counter or a technician. An offer that says 'your price less these three quotes' is hard to argue with and easy for the seller to accept.
Plan its first week
Decide where it will be stored and charged, who inspects it before first use, who is trained to run it and how it gets to the first job. A lift that arrives with none of that settled tends to sit, and a sitting battery pack does not improve.