How Easy Is It to Set Up an Aerial Lift?

Whether it’s your first time using an aerial work platform (AWP), or you’ve used one to raise to working heights countless times before, you should know that not all AWPs operate and set up the same. Some are known for their incredibly long setup times, which cut into valuable work time and slows down the productivity of a job.

Here at Kardie Equipment, we exclusively rent, lease, maintain, and sell AWPs from Finland-based manufacturer Bronto Skylift. Besides their world-leading engineering and elite safety features, Bronto Skylifts are also known for having one of the quickest and easiest setups on the market. This means your crew can get up to working heights faster than with other equipment, so your team can be more productive overall, completing more work in less time than ever before. 

So how does it all work? Here’s what you need to know about the setup process of a Bronto Skylift. 

Setting up a Bronto Skylift

Unlike scissor lifts, man baskets, or cranes—which are not particularly mobile—a Bronto Skylift is truck mounted. That means you can easily drive it to or from your work site without hauling separate equipment. In fact, many of our Bronto Skylifts boast a six-axle all-terrain all-drive, which means they can easily switch for on-road or off-road drives to accommodate varied work surfaces. 

Once your team arrives at the work site, it’s time to get to work—and a simple push of a few buttons takes care of the whole process, including:

• Setting up the outriggers: With the push of a button, the outriggers all automatically extend outward from the sides of the truck. They tell you exactly how level your truck is—both front-to-back and side-to-side—down to one hundredth of a degree. Once the green light flashes on the screen, you’ll know that you’ve met the requirements for stable ground conditions, which means it’s now safe to continue the process of uncradling the basket.
• Uncradling the booms: Now that the outriggers are set up and have sensed firm, safe ground conditions under the composite outrigger pads, the operator can either enter the basket or sit in the operator chair on the deck of the truck, both locations have the exact same controls in duplication operator stations. In just a couple of minutes, the main boom section extends to the elbow, allowing the final boom to extend to its working position.

The Quickest and Safest Truck-Mounted Man Lift on the Market

Unlike other AWPs, the Bronto Skylift has an incredibly simple setup design. It can be raised to working heights in an impressive 15 minutes! Once the outriggers are set and the unit is uncradled, the Bronto Skylift’s four on-board computers keeping crew members safely contained within the basket and inside of the working envelope at all times. That means workers don’t ever have to worry about being taken to unsafe areas or moved in unsafe conditions. We have removed the human error factor.

In fact, the innovative technology of a Bronto Skylift makes it one of the safest AWPs on the market. Brontos have two built-in emergency descent systems; a battery backup system and a manual hydraulic bleed down system. The engineers in Finland where all Brontos are manufactured have designed a platform auto leveling system—so the whole time you’re in the basket and maneuvering the booms, the platform is constantly moving to keep you level. There’s even a wind speed sensor in the platform—as you’re up in the air working, you’ll get an audible alarm if the wind speeds are higher than 31 mph.

Need a Vehicle Mounted Boom Lift to Raise Your Workers to Heights?

Here at Kardie Equipment, we rent, lease, maintain, and sell Bronto Skylifts. This industry-leading name features elite designs and innovative technology that has earned one of the highest safety ratings in the industry. When you add a Bronto Skylift to your workday, your team will be safer and more productive than ever before—no matter the challenges of a particular job or work site.

In the market to rent a new or used Bronto Skylift? We’re excited to announce our recent  partnership with United Rentals, which makes it easier than ever to rent. Simply contact us here or get in touch with United Rentals, and a representative will take care of renting it for you, even with operators included!