Scissor Lift Platform Capacities by Brand

Determining Platform Capacity

Unlike floor load, platform capacity is a simple, straightforward metric. How much can a given scissor lift safely bring up? But to properly compare these lifts, they must first be divided into categories. Rough-terrain and slab scissors are used in different applications and should be considered separately. In the same way, low-level access lifts with platform heights at or below 19 ft are separate from towering 50 ft slab scissors. The Hy-Brid Lifts Pro Series offers platform heights at 10, 14, and 19 ft, so this blog will focus on lifts in the 10–19 ft platform height range.

Entering this challenge are lifts from JLG, Genie, Skyjack, Haulotte, Snorkel, MEC, Sinoboom, JCB, ZoomLion, GMG, LGMG, and, of course, Hy-Brid Lifts. All self-propelled slab scissor lifts with platform heights within the specified range were included. Results are shown in the adjacent table, with columns for maximum platform height, maximum platform capacity, and machine weight.

The table is a lot to look at, with 29 lifts represented in total, so let's run through some of the highlights. The industry standard platform capacity for lifts in this range is 500 lb. 16 of the entries to this list have capacities between 500 and 510 lbs, and none fall below the 500 lb threshold. On the opposite end of the spectrum, very few lifts manage to eclipse 600 lbs. Two lifts, the SJ3215 from Skyjack and the S3215E from Snorkel, get to 600 lbs exactly, but only four manage to break past that barrier. Those lifts are the Snorkel S3215L, at 670 lbs, and all three Hy-Brid Lifts Pro Series models. The PS-1030 takes the overall crown for lift capacity at 800 lbs, while the PS-1430 and PS-1930 come in at 700 and 650 lbs, respectively. 

Platform Capacity vs. Weight

Those numbers sound impressive, but what use is extra platform capacity, really? If you’re only sending one person up and down with minimal tools, then perhaps 500 lbs is plenty. But efficiency is the name of the game in construction, and lifts with larger capacities allow you to get more done with less. The PS-1030 can lift up to 800 lbs, easily taking two workers plus tools and materials to working heights up to 16 ft. More room on the platform also means fewer trips up and down when transporting materials, saving valuable time across the duration of the project.

Perhaps the most valuable benefit of lifts with high platform capacities is their per-pound lifting ability, offering maximum jobsite efficiency. With that in mind, how do the 29 lifts we studied compare? We plotted them by overall weight and lifting capacity. Dots in the upper left corner of the graph combine lightweight design with high lifting capacities. Those in the bottom right are both heavy and have a smaller platform capacity.