Comparison · · Scissor Lifts & Access Platforms
Push around or self propelled access platform: which to buy?
A push around access platform that lifts one person and 125 kg to a 6 m platform height costs from £860 ex VAT, and a self propelled electric scissor lift with a 300 kg deck at 6 m costs from £4,000 ex VAT. The push around machine is the right buy when the work is a handful of fixed points a shift, because the operator lowers it, releases the outriggers and pushes it to the next spot. The self propelled machine earns the difference when one person has to work along a whole run of racking, lighting or ductwork and reposition at every bay.
What is a push around access platform, and when is it enough?
A push around access platform, also called a vertical mast lift or a one man lift, is a mast on a small wheeled chassis with a guarded platform that rises straight up. The lift is electric and runs off an onboard battery, but the machine does not drive itself: the operator lowers the platform, releases the outriggers, pushes the machine to the next position by hand, levels it again and goes back up. A single mast model lifting 125 kg to a 6 m platform height is listed from £860 ex VAT.
That pattern suits work at a few known points: light fittings over a packing bench, a sign at the front of a unit, ducting above a line, stock on the top beam of one or two bays. It also suits buildings where the machine has to go through standard doorways and back into a cupboard at the end of the day.
What it is not is a machine for covering distance. Every move means lowering, unlocking, pushing and re-levelling, so count the repositions in a typical shift before you decide: that number, not the price on the page, separates the two kinds of machine.
Push around or self propelled: what the extra money buys
A self propelled scissor lift is driven and steered from the platform itself. The operator can creep the machine along a rack face, stop, work and move on without coming down. There are no outriggers to set because the chassis carries the load through its own wheels, and the deck is wider, so two people and a box of materials fit on it. A 6 m self propelled electric scissor lift with a 300 kg platform is listed from £4,000 ex VAT.
The gap between that and a mast lift is several thousand pounds, so be honest about the job. Maintenance teams visiting fixed points, retailers changing signage and small units with one high bay are usually better off with the mast machine. Anyone working along a whole building, stocktaking a long run of racking, or installing lighting and cable tray, is paying for the push around machine in lost hours.
Weight changes with the type too. A mast lift is light enough to cross a shop floor or a mezzanine; a self propelled scissor lift is heavier, with point loads under each wheel, so check your floor loading limit before you choose.
Access platform heights, capacities and prices compared
The four machines below cover most of what a UK site actually buys. Platform height is the height of the floor you stand on; working height is roughly 2 m more than that.
| Machine | Platform height | Platform capacity | Moving between positions | Guide price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single mast push around platform | 6 m | 125 kg | Lowered and pushed, outriggers set each time | from £860 ex VAT |
| Dual mast push around platform | 8 m | 300 kg | Lowered and pushed, outriggers set each time | from £1,470 ex VAT |
| Mobile scissor lift | 3.9 m | 300 kg | Lowered and pushed, no mast to clear | from £2,120 ex VAT |
| Self propelled electric scissor lift | 6 m | 300 kg | Driven and steered from the platform | from £4,000 ex VAT |
Taller vertical work is still possible without going to a self propelled machine: a twin mast platform rated 200 kg at 12 m is listed from £2,310 ex VAT and is pushed like the smaller masts. Prices across the work platform range start from £795 ex VAT, and the price guide explains how the guide figures are set.
Mast lift or scissor lift: which deck suits the work?
Mast machines put a small platform, enough for one person and hand tools, on a narrow chassis. They go up straight and take very little floor space, which is why they suit aisles, shop floors and plant rooms. The limit is the deck: 125 kg on the 6 m single mast platform is one person plus a drill, a few fittings and a small box.
Scissor machines give you a working deck rather than a basket. The 300 kg rating on a self propelled scissor lift covers two trained people and their materials, and most decks extend forward to reach over a rack beam or a run of pipework. The cost is footprint and weight: the stowed machine is wider and will not go in a passenger lift.
The middle option is a dual mast platform. The 8 m dual mast machine at £1,470 ex VAT keeps the narrow pushed chassis but doubles the rated load to 300 kg. For sites that need the capacity but cannot give up the aisle width, it is usually the sensible answer.
Where will the machine live, charge and get through?
Three site measurements decide more purchases than the specification sheet does: the narrowest doorway or shutter on the route to the work, the aisle width the machine has to turn in, and the stowed height if it goes under a roller door. Take them before you ask for a quote.
- Charging: every electric platform needs a socket where it is parked overnight, and a battery left flat in a cold yard over winter will lose capacity. Park and charge it inside.
- Wheels: non marking wheels matter on tiled retail floors, painted warehouse floors and food areas.
- Outriggers: a push around machine needs clear floor around the mast when they are down, so check that a racking leg or display stand will not be in the way.
- Surface: these are indoor machines for firm, level floors. Yards, gravel and slopes need a different type of machine.
- Storage: a mast lift stands in a corner; a self propelled scissor lift needs a parking bay and a route to it.
Castors, limit switches and valve coils are the parts that stop a machine, and the spare parts range carries them.
What to check before you buy an access platform
Work through this list with the person who will use the machine, not only the person signing for it.
- Platform height against the real job height, then add about 2 m for working height. Buying one step taller costs less than finding out you are 300 mm short.
- Rated capacity against the people and materials going up together: two people with tools need 300 kg, not 125 kg.
- Footprint with the outriggers deployed, against the floor space at the work position.
- Door widths, aisle widths and floor loading along the whole route.
- Battery type and charger, and where the machine will be charged.
- Guardrails, the gate pattern and the toe board, and whether the harness points suit your method statement.
- Documentation: declaration of conformity, the operator manual in English, and the certificate the machine arrives with.
- Inspection: under LOLER 1998 equipment used to lift people needs a thorough examination at least every 6 months, and under PUWER 1998 the user needs adequate training and pre use checks.
Every machine is made to order at our partner factories and inspected before dispatch, with photographs and video sent to you. Price, freight, VAT and lead time are confirmed on your written quote, and any quantity is welcome. Send the heights, the capacity and your postcode to our sales team for a quote by email.
Access platforms in this comparison
Single Mast Aluminium Work Platform 125 kg, 6 m Platform Heightfrom £860 ex VAT
Dual Mast Aluminium Work Platform 300 kg, 8 m Platform Heightfrom £1,470 ex VAT
Mobile Scissor Lift 300 kg, 3.9 m Platform Heightfrom £2,120 ex VAT
Self-Propelled Electric Scissor Lift 300 kg, 6 m Platform Heightfrom £4,000 ex VATQuestions people ask
Is a push around access platform the same as a scissor lift?
No. A push around platform lifts a small guarded platform up a mast and has to be pushed by hand between positions, from £860 ex VAT. A scissor lift raises a wider deck on folding arms, and a 6 m self propelled version, driven from the platform, is from £4,000 ex VAT.
How high does a 6 m access platform actually reach?
Platform height is 6 m, which is the height of the floor you stand on. Working height is normally taken as about 2 m more, so roughly 8 m, because a person standing on the platform can work above their feet.
Can two people go up on a 125 kg platform?
No. A 125 kg rating is one person plus light tools. If two people have to work at height together, you need a 300 kg platform such as the 8 m dual mast machine from £1,470 ex VAT or a scissor lift deck.
Does an access platform need a LOLER thorough examination?
Yes. LOLER 1998 requires lifting equipment used for lifting people to have a thorough examination by a competent person at least every 6 months. Keep the reports with the machine.
Do operators need training to use one?
Yes. PUWER 1998 requires anyone using work equipment to have adequate training and information. Many UK sites use IPAF categories for powered access and keep a record of who is signed off on each machine.
Can we buy one machine rather than several?
Yes, any quantity is welcome, including a single machine. Your written quote confirms the price for the quantity you ask for, along with freight, duty, VAT and the lead time.
