Getting The Job Done With A Lift Platform
In most cases, it's pointless to have a boom lift, aerial lift or other kind of heavy duty lift if you don't have a lift platform. The platform is what makes it possible, once you and your supplies have been carried to their intended destination, to complete the job that you're there for.
To understand what we mean by a lift platform, let's describe some of the most commonly used ones. Perhaps one of the most commonly known ones is one that most adult drivers have experienced first-hand. We're talking about the garage lit that holds your car up in the air so that the mechanics can work on it. While we don't normally think of this in the same context as we would other lifts, it's the same thing, just in a scaled-down version.
Another example is the scissor lift platform. This is a method of raising loads up 20, 50, even 100 feet, on top of a standard scissors table. There's a standard scissor lift platform, a rough terrain scissor lift, an electric scissor lift, etc. There's also the underground lift platform, attached to a rigid truck. It might be equipped, for instance, with a boom and basket, with a scissors platform, etc.
One type of lift platform left out of the discussion--ironically so, given its name--is the platform lift. The platform lift, rather than lifting heavy equipment, lifts people who are otherwise unable to lift themselves from one height to another. Mostly we're talking about the disabled here. More and more, businesses are being required to provide total access to the disabled, and sometimes a platform lift is a solution that helps with this goal. In other situations, private homes or vehicles make use of the technology to make life easier for the handicapped person. The platform lift will help someone in a wheelchair, for instance, make it easily into a van or onto an elevated porch on the house as a wheel chair lift.
Shopping for your lift is similar regardless of what kind of equipment you need--although there are some differences, depending on the specific application. There are two primary options for shopping: Either you can search through direct order catalogs or, more likely, you'll search on the Internet through a standard Google or Yahoo search. Catalogs are available mostly for business purposes, so even with those, you might find yourself needing to use the Internet just to find an address for the catalog.
As you're planning the lift purchase, a couple of considerations should be foremost in your mind:
1) What is your budget? You should expect to pay more than a few dollars for a lift, although lifts for the disabled are obviously more affordable than a vehicle lift. Regardless, you obviously need to know what kind of funds you have available before you plan your purchase.
2) Which one is made by a trusted manufacturer. There's lots that could go wrong with heavy equipment like this, so it's best to buy only from a manufacturer with a solid reputation.
3) What is the safety record of each model. It's a cliche, but when dealing with heavy equipment: "Safety First."
Remember that your lift platform should do its job--and it's main job is to help you do your job more quickly and efficiently. But most of all, it must be safe.
