Every aerial platform question eventually comes down to a doorway. A machine that reaches the right height is useless if it cannot get into the building, and the measurement that decides it is not the width on the specification sheet. This guide explains what to measure, which machines fit which openings, and the three details that catch people out.
What to measure, and where
Machine width is the starting point, but the opening that matters is the narrowest point on the whole route: the door itself, a fire door with a frame and a closer, a service corridor, a goods lift, a ramp entrance, or the gap between a wall and a piece of plant. Measure the clear width with the door open at 90 degrees, and the clear height at the lowest beam or door header, not the nominal size of the door.
Do the same measurement at every point where the route changes direction. A machine that fits the doorway but cannot turn in the corridor behind it will still not get to the job.
Machine widths in our range
The table below lists the actual overall widths, which is the number to compare with your measurement. Note the narrow model at the top: it exists for exactly this problem.
| Machine | Overall width | Stowed height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Narrow scissor lift, 8 m platform | 0.85 m | 1.956 m | 2,208 kg |
| Scissor lift, 4.6 m platform | 0.83 m | 1.740 m | 870 kg |
| Scissor lift, 6 m to 10 m platform | 1.22 m | 1.711 m to 1.974 m | 2,060 kg to 2,450 kg |
| Scissor lift, 12 m platform | 1.21 m | 2.050 m | 3,000 kg |
| Scissor lift, 13.8 m platform | 1.38 m | 1.950 m | 3,570 kg |
| Aluminium mast lift, 9.2 m platform | 1.0 m | 1.99 m | 2,950 kg |
| Double mast aluminium lift, 6 m to 14 m | 0.92 m to 0.97 m | 1.65 m to 2.35 m | 420 kg to 700 kg |
| Articulated boom lift, 16 m to 22 m | 2.32 m to 2.45 m | 2.32 m to 2.53 m | 6,850 kg to 9,000 kg |
What those widths mean in practice
- Standard internal doorways, 900 to 1000 mm clear: the 0.85 m narrow scissor lift and the aluminium mast lift at 0.92 to 0.97 m pass comfortably. The standard scissor at 1.22 m does not.
- Wide factory and warehouse doors, 1500 mm and above: any machine in the standard scissor range passes, including the 1.38 m wide 13.8 m model.
- Goods lifts: check the internal dimensions, the door width and the rated load together. A 2,450 kg scissor lift needs a goods lift rated well above that figure because the point load sits on a small area of floor.
- Boom lifts: at 2.32 m to 2.49 m wide, articulated and telescopic booms are outdoor machines. They enter a building only through a vehicle door or a loading bay.
The three details that catch people out
- Height, not just width. The stowed height of a scissor lift is 1.71 m on the 6 m and 8 m models and 1.97 m on the 10 m model, and the 13.8 m model stows to 1.95 m. A machine that fits the door width can still foul a low lintel or a roller shutter housing.
- Turning circle versus turning radius. The inside turning radius of our standard scissor lift is 0.15 m, but the outside radius is 2.3 m, which means the machine sweeps a 2.3 m arc at its outer corner. A corridor narrower than that will not let it turn, even though the machine itself fits.
- Floor loading on the way in. The route may include a mezzanine deck, a loading dock plate or a suspended floor. A 2,450 kg machine on four wheels is a concentrated load, and the weight matters as much as the width.
When the machine will not fit
There are four ways out, in order of cost. Specify the narrow model if the height allows it, which is usually the cheapest answer. Take the machine in through a larger opening elsewhere in the building and drive it to the work position, if the internal route permits. Use a smaller machine and accept more repositioning. Or change the access itself, which is rarely worth doing for a lift.
What does not work is assuming the doorway will be fine. We have seen projects where the machine was ordered, delivered and then could not enter the building, and the cost of that is far higher than measuring the opening on day one.
A note from our own projects
The narrow 8 m model is one of the most requested machines in the range, and almost always for this reason: factories and warehouses with older doorways of around 900 mm, or buildings where the lift has to pass a goods lift on the way in. It gives up some deck width and rated load to get a 0.85 m chassis, and for the sites that need it, that is the whole point of the machine.
Frequently asked questions
How narrow is the narrowest scissor lift you make?
Our narrow 8 m model is 0.85 m wide with a 2.473 m overall length, a platform of 2.273 x 0.81 m and a rated load of 320 kg. It is built to pass doorways and goods lifts that a standard 1.22 m machine cannot.
Can a scissor lift drive through a standard doorway?
The standard models are 1.22 m wide, so they need a clear opening wider than that, typically a double door or a factory doorway. For a standard 900 mm internal door, specify the narrow model instead.
What height do I need to check as well as width?
The stowed height of the machine, plus the clearance under any beam, roller shutter or pipework on the route. The 10 m model stows to 1.974 m, which is the tallest of the scissor range, so check the lowest obstruction with that figure in hand.
Next step
Measure the clear width and clear height at the narrowest point of the route, and the narrowest point behind it where the machine has to turn, and send those figures with the height you need to reach. We will tell you which model fits and, if the standard machine is too wide, quote the narrow version. See our electric scissor lift range for the full widths, or the aluminium mast lifts for the narrowest option.