A boom lift, also known as a cherry picker, can be an incredibly useful piece of equipment on job sites ranging from the classic power line repair to construction work to tree surgery and more. When you need a boom lift rental, you've got a choice: Telescopic? Or articulating? Here's what you need to know about each.

Telescopic Vs. Articulating Boom Lifts

The core difference between the two is in the name. A telescopic boom lift has a hydraulically powered arm that fits inside of itself, much like a car antenna or a old-school pointer. Articulating boom lifts, on the other hand, have a "folding" arm that controls the length and location by moving each joint individually up and down. This gives each version pros and cons to consider before choosing one for your job site.

Telescopic Lifts

Telescopic boom lifts excel in two areas, height and stability. The design, where sections of the boom push away or towards each other using hydraulics, means that, overall, a telescoping lift will be more stable as the sections are reinforcing each other inside the boom. That stability also means that it can generally reach higher than an articulating lift.

Note that this doesn't mean that a telescoping lift is safer than an articulating lift, as you're still dealing with dangerous heights. Articulating lifts and telescopic lifts both require common sense from their users. The major downside of telescoping lifts is that they need room to work. They're not good for environments with many overhead obstructions or narrow spaces. They also tend to only be usable indoors as a result.

Articulating

Articulating boom lifts, on the other hand, is perfect for narrower spaces and indoor work. Their ability to move sections of the lift independently means that the operator can easily weave the basket around obstacles and get crew members to exactly the spot they need.

The trade off is that articulating lifts can't reach as far as telescoping ones, and they may be less stable in certain situations. You'll also generally need to protect its more delicate workings.

Which To Use?

The first consideration is space. Before you so much as look at which models are available, you should go to your job site and examine it closely. Do you have power cables overhead? How much space do you have to navigate in. Are you indoors or out?

Next, take a look at the heights you'll have to reach. In some cases, you might need to choose a lift based on the height it can reach -- and that alone. In other cases, you'll have obstacles your lift will need to get around, and an articulating lift will be the only one for the job.

In cases where you can use either -- and there will be quite a few -- ask yourself about the utility. Telescoping lifts are very good at getting people to a certain height and keeping them there, while articulating lifts are more nimble and able to place a member of the crew in a dozen different spots relatively simply and safely. Often that utility will be your best guide. If you're not sure which to use, contact us and run your needs by us. We'll help you find just the lift you need.