Pros and Cons of Used Articulating Boom Lifts

Regardless of the industry you work in, if you’re regularly being lifted to heights to perform your work, an aerial work platform will help you get there safely. Articulating boom lifts are an ideal choice when you need to scale to heights to repair a power line or wash windows on a high building, for example. 

Curious whether this heavy-duty equipment is the right choice for you and your team? Here’s everything you need to know about articulating boom lifts, including their advantages and drawbacks, and which models are the safest and most reliable ones on the market today.

Articulating Boom Lifts

Articulating booms—also known as as “knuckle booms”—are a type of aerial work platform (AWP) with multiple boom sections that hinge, or “articulate.” These hinged sections enable an operator to reach and access tough-to-reach work areas where barriers or obstacles create a challenge. The jointed boom sleeves are designed for reaching up and around structures to reach things that straigh-stick equipment is incapable of accessing. This makes articulating boom lifts ideal to use in narrow spaces and for indoor work. Click here to watch a great example of our UK partner working on a cathedral.

Here are some pros of articulating boom lifts to help you decide if this is the right choice of equipment for your work site.

• Maneuverability. An articulating boom can move its various sections independently. That means that operators can move the basket around obstacles and get to the exact spot they need to be, especially in spots that would normally be hard to reach. 
• Good for working indoors. Not all AWPs are made to work indoors. However, because articulating boom lifts offer so much control, they’re ideal for using indoors, especially in tight working spaces, like the inside of a sports stadium or airplane hanger.
• Capable of reaching maximum heights. Some AWPs can reach higher than others. With heights at up to 295 feet, the Bronto Skylifts from Kardie Equipment lift workers to some of the greatest heights on the market.

When it comes to choosing an articulating boom lift for your worksite, safety should be the number-one feature you look for—and that’s why you can’t go wrong with a Bronto Skylift. Based in Finland, Bronto has been manufacturing their AWPs for more than 50 years, featuring inventive technology that has broken world records as the safest AWP on the market. 

Bronto Skylifts are specifically designed to meet all North American DOT regulations, ANSI standards, and OSHA requirements. These boom lifts have passed elite safety standards and are time-tested in rigorous conditions to ensure your safety and protection—even in winds up to 31 mph! Here are just some of their many superior safety features:

• Smooth boom movements and automatic leveling
• Multiple backup operating systems 
• Dual emergency descent systems
• Rigid work platforms permanently attached to the telescopic boom
• Bronto baskets that can withstand winds up to 31 mph
• Intercom between the work platform and ground
• Cage load sensor and overload alarm
• Wind speed indicator and alarm
• Emergency stop functions from the work platform, ground control, and outrigger control center

Looking for a Used Articulating Boom Lift for Sale?

Here at Kardie Equipment, safety is the cornerstone of our business. That’s why the boom lifts we rent, lease, sell, maintain, and offer training for are exclusively manufactured by Bronto Skylift. Whether you’re in the market to buy or rent a used articulating boom lift, or simply need repair or training, we’re here to help. Contact us for more information—we’ll make sure that you and your workers have peace of mind on the work site.