Two machines reach the same ceiling indoors and are bought for completely different reasons. A mast lift is a narrow aluminium tower on castors that you wheel into a corner and stabilise with outriggers; a scissor lift is a self-propelled platform with a deck big enough for two people and their tools. Choosing between them is mostly about the floor area you have, the width of the load and whether the machine has to move itself.
What each machine is
Our double mast aluminium lift is built from a 6.5 mm wall aluminium mast profile, with a 3 mm anti-slip deck, a folding 1100 mm guardrail and four outriggers. The platform rises on 50 mm hydraulic cylinders – two on the 8 m model, three on the 10 m – through an LL0844 leaf chain, at 5 to 6 m per minute. The 8 m model runs on a 0.8 kW 24 V DC motor and rolls on four 6 inch polyurethane wheels; the 10 m model uses a 2.2 kW 220 V motor and four 8 inch iron core wheels.
A self-propelled scissor lift is a different class of machine: a steel chassis on non-marking tyres, a scissor stack, and a platform of 2270 x 1120 mm that travels at 3.8 km/h with the platform stowed.
The comparison that matters
| Double mast aluminium lift | Self-propelled scissor lift | |
|---|---|---|
| Working height | 7.7 m to 15.7 m depending on model | 6.6 m to 15.8 m depending on model |
| Platform | 1120 x 600 mm to 1480 x 600 mm | 2270 x 1120 mm on the 6 m to 10 m models |
| Capacity | 420 kg to 700 kg | 450 kg at 6 m and 8 m, 320 kg at 10 m and 12 m |
| Machine weight | 420 kg at 6 m, 700 kg at 14 m | 2,060 kg at 6 m, 2,450 kg at 10 m |
| Footprint | Outrigger span 1890 x 1830 mm to 2430 x 2200 mm | Chassis 2430 x 1220 mm, no outriggers |
| Drive | Hand pushed, 0.8 kW 24 V DC or 2.2 kW 220 V | Self-propelled, 24 V battery |
When the mast lift is the right answer
The platform on a double mast lift is only 600 mm deep, and the whole machine is 1.3 to 1.7 m long depending on the model. That is what makes it the machine for narrow aisles, plant rooms, stairwells and finished interiors where a scissor lift cannot turn. Its weight is the other advantage: 420 kg at 6 m and 700 kg at 14 m, against 2,060 kg for a 6 m scissor lift, which matters when the lift has to go into a goods lift or onto an upper floor.
When the scissor lift is the right answer
If two people have to work side by side with tools and materials, the 2270 x 1120 mm deck and 450 kg capacity of a 6 m or 8 m scissor lift are simply not comparable with a 1120 x 600 mm mast platform. A self-propelled scissor lift also moves itself between positions and needs no outrigger setup, which is faster wherever the floor is open and level.
What to check before you decide
- The working height you need, not just the platform height.
- The number of people and the weight of tools that will be on the platform.
- The narrowest doorway and the tightest corner on the route.
- Whether the machine has to travel between rooms or floors.
- The floor finish and the floor loading.
- Whether there is a power point at the work, or a charging position for a battery machine.
What if you need reach as well as height?
Neither of the machines above reaches over a machine or a wall; they only go up. If the work is above an obstruction, a self-propelled vertical mast lift with a jib is the third option. Our AMWP92 gives 11.2 m of working height, 9.2 m of platform height and 3 m of horizontal reach, with 7.89 m of up-and-over clearance and a 345 degree turntable, on a 2,950 kg chassis. It is the machine to consider when the ceiling is high and the floor in front of it is occupied.
Frequently asked questions
Can a mast lift reach 14 m indoors?
Yes. Our GTWY14-200 gives a 14 m platform height and a 15.7 m working height, with a 1480 x 600 mm platform and a 700 kg machine weight. It needs its outrigger footprint – 2430 x 2200 mm on that model – and a firm, level floor.
Is a mast lift stable at full height?
It is, provided all four outriggers are extended onto firm ground and the machine is level. The mast is designed to be used with the outriggers, and the outrigger span is part of the specification for that reason.
Which is faster to set up?
The scissor lift: it is driven into position and the platform is raised. The mast lift has to be wheeled into place and its outriggers extended, which takes a few minutes but lets it work in spaces a scissor lift cannot enter.
Next step
Send us the working height, the number of people on the platform, the narrowest access and whether the machine has to move between rooms. We will say which of the two fits your building. Start from the double mast aluminium lift range or the self-propelled scissor lifts, and read the mast lift with jib if you need horizontal reach as well as height.
