A scissor lift raises its platform straight up on a folding set of arms. It is one of the most common mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) on the used market, and it carries people, so a used one should be checked carefully before it is bought or used.
Before you view
- Working height and capacity. The data plate shows the maximum platform height and the safe working load. The working height is higher than the platform height, so decide which figure matters for your job.
- Electric or diesel. Electric scissor lifts are quiet and suit indoor work on smooth floors. Diesel or dual-fuel rough-terrain machines suit sites and uneven ground, and usually have outriggers.
- Hours and history. Ask where the machine has worked. A hire fleet machine may have many hours but regular servicing, while a machine with no records is harder to judge.
- Paperwork. Ask for the latest LOLER thorough examination report, the service history, the manual and the serial number.
Platform and structure
- Check the platform floor, guardrails, mid-rail, toe boards and entry gate for damage, and that the gate closes and latches.
- If there is a slide-out deck extension, extend and retract it. It should lock firmly in both positions.
- Look at the scissor arms for cracks, weld repairs, bent members and wear at the pins and rollers. The arms should be straight and move evenly.
- Check the lift cylinders and hoses for oil leaks and chafing.
Safety systems
- Raise the platform to its full height and lower it. The movement should be smooth, without jerking, and the platform should stay where it is stopped rather than creeping down.
- Test the ground controls as well as the platform controls, and the emergency stop buttons. The emergency lowering must work from the ground.
- Check the pothole protection. These guards drop down as the platform rises and prevent the machine tipping into a hole or drain.
- Check the tilt alarm, the overload or load-sensing system and the horn. Check that the drive speed slows, or the drive stops, when the platform is raised, as the manufacturer designed it to.
- Check the safety decals are present and readable.
Chassis, tyres and drive
- Look for cracks and impact damage on the chassis, and for leaks.
- Check the tyres for cuts and wear. Non-marking tyres on an indoor machine should be clean and intact.
- Test the drive, steering and brakes, including driving with the platform slightly raised, as the machine allows.
Batteries and charger
On an electric machine the batteries are often the most expensive part to replace. Ask how old they are, check that the machine completes a full raising and lowering cycle without the voltage dropping sharply, and check that the charger works on your supply.
The law: examination and training
HSE guidance is that a MEWP should be thoroughly examined by a competent person at least every six months, or in accordance with an examination scheme. If the examination is out of date, the machine should not be used until it has been examined. PUWER requires operators to be adequately trained. In practice this means a recognised operator training course, and familiarisation on the make and model they will use. Read the guide to PUWER and second-hand machinery for more on the duties that come with buying used equipment.
Paperwork and payment
- Check that the serial number on the machine matches the invoice and the examination report.
- Get proof of ownership and written confirmation that no finance is outstanding.
- Pay by bank transfer once you have seen the machine working.
- Plan the transport. Read the guide to transporting used machinery.
Summary: buying a used scissor lift
Check the scissor arms and cylinders, the emergency lowering and pothole protection, the tyres and batteries, and the paperwork, including the latest six-monthly examination report. Then browse used scissor lifts for sale, or read the general guide to what to check when buying used machinery.
Used mobile elevating work platforms (mewps) for sale
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