Comparison · · Range
Scissor lift, cherry picker, mast lift or order picker: which MEWP to buy?
For warehouse racking, maintenance and shopfitting between 6 m and 14 m, an electric scissor lift is the right buy for most sites: a 300 to 500 kg platform, lift heights from 6 m to 13.8 m, from £1,275 ex VAT. A single mast lift from £955 ex VAT suits one person with hand tools at 6 m, and an order picker from £2,870 ex VAT is the choice when the job is picking stock in narrow aisles. A cherry picker only earns its size and cost when you must reach up and over something.
Scissor lift, cherry picker, mast lift or order picker: what is the difference?
A scissor lift, a cherry picker, a mast lift and an order picker are all mobile elevating work platforms, MEWPs for short, and all four get sold as access platforms or aerial work platforms. The difference is how they lift and what they are built to carry.
- Scissor lift. A wide deck rises straight up on a folding scissor frame. It has the highest platform capacity of the four, 300 to 500 kg on our range, room for two people and materials, and lift heights from 6 m to 13.8 m. The workhorse for racking, lighting, sprinkler and ceiling work.
- Mast lift. A small platform on a telescoping aluminium mast. One person, hand tools and a box of fittings, around 150 kg, at 6 m to 12 m. Light enough to push through a shop and into a goods lift.
- Order picker. An operator platform that rises with the forks, so the driver picks cases from racking by hand. Built for stock picking in narrow aisles, not for maintenance.
- Cherry picker. A boom that swings out as well as up, so you can reach over an obstruction. Bigger footprint, heavier, dearer, and rarely needed inside a warehouse where you can drive straight to the spot.
Our work platform range is built around the first three. If your job genuinely needs a boom, contact us and we will advise before you spend.
How much working height do you need for warehouse racking?
Start with the top beam of your racking, or the ceiling fitting you need to reach, and work back. A standing operator can reach roughly 2 m above the platform floor, so working height is normally quoted as platform height plus 2 m. A 6 m lift height gives around 8 m of working height, enough for most single-storey retail units and cash and carry racking. A 10 m platform covers most 3PL sheds, and 11.8 m and 13.8 m cover high-bay racking and roof-level services.
Do not buy more height than the building needs. A taller scissor lift is heavier, needs a stronger floor and costs more, and its stowed height can stop it passing under a roller shutter.
Our fully electric scissor lift is built in five lift heights, 6 m, 8 m, 10 m, 11.8 m and 13.8 m, so it can be specified to the building.
Scissor lift vs mast lift vs order picker: capacity, height and price
These are the four machines we would put in front of a buyer for indoor racking, maintenance and shopfitting. Prices are guide prices ex VAT, factory-direct, with freight, duty, VAT, minimum order and lead time confirmed on your written quote.
| Type | Model | Lift height | Platform capacity | Power | Guide price | Minimum order |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scissor lift | 300 to 500 kg fully electric scissor lift | 6 m, 8 m, 10 m, 11.8 m, 13.8 m | 300 to 500 kg | Electric | from £1,275 ex VAT | 5 units |
| Scissor lift | Hydraulic scissor lift 500 kg | 6 m, 8 m, 10 m, 12 m | 500 kg | Electric | from £1,945 ex VAT | 1 unit |
| Mast lift | Electric vertical mast lift 6 m | 6 m | 150 kg | Electric | from £955 ex VAT | 1 unit |
| Order picker | Electric order picker 136 kg, narrow aisle | 6 m working height | 136 kg | Lithium-ion | from £2,870 ex VAT | 1 unit |
The mast lift, from £955 ex VAT, is the entry point for one person at 6 m. A scissor lift with real deck space and 300 to 500 kg capacity starts from £1,275 ex VAT with a minimum order of five units, which suits a multi-site retailer or a 3PL fitting out a shed; the 500 kg hydraulic scissor lift, sold singly, is from £1,945 ex VAT. The order picker, from £2,870 ex VAT, costs more because it is a driven truck with a lithium-ion battery and a rising operator platform, not a static deck.
Which platform is right for maintenance and shopfitting on a finished floor?
Shopfitters and maintenance teams work on tiled, vinyl and polished concrete floors that the client expects to find unmarked at the end of the job. Ask for non-marking tyres on any platform going indoors, and have it written on the quote.
Check three more things for indoor work. First, the stowed footprint: a 6 m mast lift will pass through a standard single doorway, while a 500 kg scissor deck needs a double door or a shutter. Second, floor loading: the machine's own weight plus 500 kg on the deck lands on four small wheels, so ask the landlord about mezzanines and suspended floors. Third, power: electric drive means no fumes, so the platform can work while the shop trades or the warehouse picks.
For shopfitting, the 6 m electric mast lift is the one we would point most fitters to: light, narrow, one person and a drill, and from £955 ex VAT a contractor can put one on each van.
Do operators need IPAF training to use a scissor lift?
Yes. Anyone who operates a MEWP must be trained, competent and authorised by their employer, however low the platform goes. IPAF operator training is the recognised route in the UK, and most site managers will ask to see a valid operator card before anyone goes up.
The machine itself falls under two sets of regulations. Under PUWER 1998 it must be suitable for the job, maintained and inspected. Under LOLER 1998, because it lifts people, it must be thoroughly examined by a competent person at least every 6 months, with the report kept on file. Budget for that inspection contract from day one; it is a running cost the guide price does not include.
Every platform we supply is inspected at the partner factory before dispatch, with photos and video sent to you before it ships.
What to check before you buy a scissor lift or access platform
- Height. Platform height needed, plus 2 m of reach, against the top of the racking or the ceiling service. Then check stowed height against every opening on the route.
- Capacity. Two people, tools and a run of cable tray is not 150 kg. Specify 300 kg or more if two operators will ever be on the deck together.
- Floor. Non-marking tyres for finished floors; floor loading checked on mezzanines and suspended slabs.
- Power. Electric or lithium-ion for indoor use. Confirm on the quote that the charger suits a UK 230 V supply.
- Drive. Self-propelled if the platform moves around a large shed all day; push-around is fine for a mast lift that lives in one shop.
- Quantity. Some scissor lift specifications carry a minimum order of 5 units, others are sold singly. Say how many sites you are equipping and we will quote the right model.
- Paperwork. Operator training, a 6-monthly thorough examination contract, and a written quote that confirms price, freight, duty, VAT, minimum order and lead time, valid for 30 days.
Send us the racking height, the floor type and the door sizes and we will come back with a written quote. Trade buyers can open a trade account for repeat orders across several sites.
The work platforms discussed in this guide
Questions people ask
Is a scissor lift the same as a cherry picker?
No. A scissor lift raises a flat deck straight up on a folding frame. A cherry picker is a boom lift with a small basket on an arm that reaches out as well as up. Inside a warehouse, where you can drive straight beneath the work, a scissor lift is usually the better and lower-cost choice.
What does MEWP stand for?
Mobile elevating work platform. It is the term used in UK regulations and training for scissor lifts, mast lifts, cherry pickers and similar access platforms.
How high can a scissor lift reach?
Our fully electric scissor lift is built in lift heights of 6 m, 8 m, 10 m, 11.8 m and 13.8 m. Add roughly 2 m for the operator's reach to get the working height.
Can I use a scissor lift indoors on a tiled or vinyl floor?
Yes, provided it has non-marking tyres and the floor can take the point loading of the machine plus its rated capacity. Electric drive means no exhaust, so it can be used while the building is occupied.
Do I need a licence to drive a scissor lift?
There is no licence in the driving-licence sense, but the law requires every operator to be trained and competent, and most sites will insist on a recognised operator card such as IPAF.
What is the minimum order for a scissor lift?
It depends on the model. The 300 to 500 kg fully electric scissor lift from £1,275 ex VAT has a minimum order of 5 units. The 500 kg hydraulic scissor lift from £1,945 ex VAT and the 6 m mast lift from £955 ex VAT are sold singly. Minimum order is confirmed on your written quote.
Sources: HSE, Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), HSE, Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)
