Cherry pickers, one of the most popular and efficient Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs), are the aerial work platform that involves a bucket or surface at the end of a solid hydraulic lifting system. The bucket of the cherry picker lift is attached to a telescopic arm, which can raise and position as the work requires.
The cherry picker is named as such because they were initially utilized for picking fruits. However, with so many modifications, these cherry pickers can now use to do many other tasks such as routine maintenance, lifting workers and their equipment, stock picking, and construction jobs.
Know Your Cherry Picker!
The advantages of cherry pickers always include providing more safety and efficiency than any traditional equipment, such as rope swings and ladders.
On the contrary, getting the right cherry picker always takes a lot of understanding and training. So, here are a few tips that will help you to get the perfect Cherry Picker for your work. Let’s check them out:
Knowing the Worksite Height:
The first and most necessary question is, what height do you need to reach using a cherry picker? You will need a machine with a minimum working height for this measurement.
Remember that two phrases generally used when dealing with access equipment are working height and platform height. You should never confuse the two:
- Maximum Working Height – The height that can reach while standing in the basket is usually 2 meters higher than the cherry pickers basket floor. So, this is the evaluation often found in sales brochures.
- Maximum Platform Height – This height is from the ground to the attached basket floor when the cherry picker boom elevates.
Knowing the Capacity:
It is necessary to always think about what weight you need to carry on the platform basket. All platforms have some Safe Working Load limit (SWL). So, the SWL stated by the manufacturer should mark every lifting equipment.
An ordinary SWL on a self-propelled access platform would be 200 to 250 kgs. Also, it is adequate to carry two men with some work tools. Some machines have more weight-carrying capacity, and some have less. You may even see the SWL differ by outreach.
However, always be aware that an access platform is not essential for lifting materials. If heavy loads need lifting, you should source a forklift truck, telehandler, or other equipment designed for lifting. You should never exceed the SWL on any cherry picker, forklift, or other lifting equipment!
Knowing Indoor and Outdoor Suitability:
Figure out if you need an indoor or outside cherry picker. There are access platforms that have unique designs for indoor or outdoor usage.
However, you might consider self-propelled battery-powered booms and cherry pickers while working indoors, as they have low noise levels compared to diesel equivalents. In addition, electric access equipment does not emit the harmful emissions associated with diesel-powered equipment.
If your worksite is on rough ground and does not have access to a mains electricity supply, you will require an outdoor platform.
Choosing the perfect cherry picker is not always as simple as you think. This guide is short to help you consider the prime factors in picking the correct access equipment, but there are various other things to consider about the challenges posed by working at height.
The best advice the Torcan Lift Equipment team can offer is to always call our professionals for a site visit where they can advise on the correct access equipment for the task.
Also, if you ever want to buy or rent a Cherry Picker, contact our team at 1-833-743-2500, and get what is perfectly suitable for your business. Also, for all other further queries, you can visit our official website.
