An electric scissor lift is the machine most buildings actually need: it runs indoors without fumes, it fits through a goods lift, and it puts a person and their tools at the ceiling without scaffolding. The difficulty is not choosing the brand, it is choosing the model, because five numbers have to agree with each other and with the building. Get one of them wrong and the machine either cannot reach the job or cannot get to it.
What decides the model?
Working height, capacity, platform size, floor and route limits, and duty cycle. The first two decide what the machine can do, the middle one decides whether it can get there, and the last two decide how long it can keep doing it.
Factor 1: the working height you actually need
Working height is roughly the platform height plus 1.6 to 2 m, because a person standing on the deck reaches above their feet to work. Our 6 m model gives an 8 m working height, the 10 m model reaches 12 m, and the largest, the 13.8 m model, works at 15.8 m. Buying on working height alone is how people end up with a machine that is 2 m short of the ceiling: measure the height of the work, not the building, and remember that ceiling ducts, pipework and light fittings all sit below the roof.
Factor 2: capacity, and how it falls as the height rises
Scissor lifts carry less as they get taller, and that is not a sales tactic, it is the weight of the machine’s own structure. In our range the 6 m and 8 m models take 450 kg, the 10 m and 12 m models take 320 kg, and the 13.8 m model takes 230 kg. Two people, their tools and a few boxes of cable are usually 250 to 350 kg, so a 10 m machine suits two workers with materials while the tallest model is a two person machine with light equipment.
| Model | Platform height | Working height | Rated load | Platform size | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTJZ4.6 | 4.6 m | 6.6 m | 200 kg | 1370 x 716 mm | 870 kg |
| GTJZ06 | 6 m | 8 m | 450 kg | 2270 x 1120 mm | 2,060 kg |
| GTJZ08 | 8 m | 10 m | 450 kg | 2270 x 1120 mm | 2,208 kg |
| GTJZ08B narrow | 8 m | 10 m | 320 kg | 2273 x 810 mm | 2,208 kg |
| GTJZ10 | 10 m | 12 m | 320 kg | 2270 x 1120 mm | 2,450 kg |
| GTJZ12 | 12 m | 13.8 m | 320 kg | 2270 x 1140 mm | 3,000 kg |
| GTJZ14 | 13.8 m | 15.8 m | 230 kg | 2636 x 1130 mm | 3,570 kg |
Factor 3: platform size and the opening it has to pass
A 2270 x 1120 mm deck is the standard size up to 10 m and takes two people comfortably. The 0.9 m extension deck, rated for about 113 kg, is what lets a fitter reach past a rack or over a wall without moving the machine.
The other half of this factor is the route. The narrow 8 m model is 850 mm wide when stowed, which is what gets a scissor lift through a doorway below 1 m or into a goods lift, where the standard 1.22 m wide machine will not go. Measure the narrowest point on the whole route once, before ordering, not after the machine arrives.
Factor 4: the floor and the site
Electric scissor lifts run on non-marking solid tyres, which is why they are allowed on finished floors in shops and offices. Check three things: the floor loading where the machine will work, the gradient it has to climb, and the turning space at the top of the ramp. Our machines climb 25%, travel at 3.8 km/h stowed but only 0.8 km/h with the platform raised, and turn inside a 2.3 m outer radius, so they are made for aisles rather than yards.
Factor 5: power, duty cycle and charging
All our electric scissor lifts use maintenance-free lead-acid batteries and a 24 V charger (30 A, or 15 A on the smallest model). The 6 m to 10 m models drive a 24 V / 3.3 kW motor and lift at 6 to 9 m/min; the 12 m and 13.8 m models use a 24 V / 4.5 kW motor at 3 to 5 m/min. If the machine works one shift with time to charge between jobs, the standard pack is enough. If it works two shifts or is expected to charge overnight in a bay without a dedicated point, plan the charging arrangement with us before the machine is built, because the charger, the socket and the parking position all have to suit the way your team actually works.
What to check before you order
- The height of the work, not the height of the building.
- The total weight of the people and materials that will be on the deck at once.
- The narrowest doorway, goods lift and corner on the route in.
- Floor loading under the tyres, and whether the floor is finished.
- Where the machine will be charged and by whom.
- Whether the work is indoors, outdoors, or both, because that decides whether an electric machine is the right answer at all.
Frequently asked questions
How high can an electric scissor lift go?
Our range runs from a 4.6 m platform height (6.6 m working height) to a 13.8 m platform height, which works at 15.8 m. Above that, an articulated boom lift is usually the better machine, because it can reach over an obstruction instead of only straight up.
Do operators need a licence?
The machine is designed to be operated by a trained person, and training requirements differ between countries and sites. What we can tell you is what the machine provides: non-marking tyres, a folding guardrail, an emergency stop, an emergency descent system, a limit switch, a buzzer, an hour meter and a charging protection system. Confirm the local training requirement for your site before the first lift.
Can an electric scissor lift work outdoors?
It can work on a firm, level surface outdoors, but it is not a rough terrain machine. The tyres are solid and non-marking, ground clearance is limited, and the 25% gradeability applies to a prepared surface. For yards, gravel and slopes, a diesel or lithium rough terrain boom lift is the correct choice.
Next step
Send us the working height, the load you will put on the deck, the narrowest opening on the route and whether the charging point is fixed. We will come back with the model that fits rather than the nearest one on the shelf. Start from the self-propelled electric scissor lift range, compare it with the mobile scissor lifts and the articulated boom lifts, and read how to measure doorways and access before you buy.
