Boom Lift Rentals

With business operations in all fifty states, Discount Lift Rentals is a leading provider of boom lift rentals. Discount Lift Rentals rents boom lifts for a variety of construction jobs and prides itself on successfully matching customers with the appropriate rental equipment.

Discount Lift Rentals not only supports their customers through the boom lift rental process but also educates them. The staff is here to help you understand the available types of boom lift rentals and which features will help you complete your construction project safely and successfully.

What is a boom lift?

A boom lift uses an extendable hydraulic arm to raise a platform from 30 feet to 185 feet off the ground. The platform lifts workers or materials to hard-to-reach places.

In addition to its height, a boom lift can reach over obstacles and rotate a full 360 degrees. There are few spaces that a boom lift cannot reach. Before renting one, however, it’s beneficial to spend some time considering what type and size of boom lift you’ll need.

Telescopic boom lifts

A telescopic boom lift has a straight arm that rotates from its base. Because the arm is straight, a telescopic boom lift reaches the greatest elevations—up to 185 feet—with the greatest range in terms of distance from the place you need to reach. The telescopic boom lift need not be placed immediately adjacent to your workspace. 

The telescopic boom lift is extremely stable and strong, making it the ideal aerial boom lift for projects on uneven ground. The straight arm of the telescopic boom lift supports a solid amount of weight, allowing you to raise workers, tools and supplies.

Telescopic boom lifts are often used for exterior work. They are also used to work on expansive structures like bridges since these lifts can stretch over a river or highway. 

Articulating boom lifts

The articulating boom lift is a type of aerial boom lift with a knuckle in the arm. This creates a Z shape, allowing an articulating boom lift to reach not only up and out but also over obstacles.

Articulating boom lifts are useful in indoor and outdoor capacities. They are especially helpful in spaces where you must navigate around obstacles such as pipes, lines, or machinery. Articulating boom lifts are handy for exterior jobs requiring only one person.

How do I choose the right boom lift for me?

A successful boom lift rental requires pre-rental planning. There are many factors to consider when determining the appropriate boom lift rental for you. 

Choosing the appropriate type and size of boom rental has several advantages. First, renting the right size boom lift will save you money because rental prices increase with the boom lift’s size. Second, you don’t want to rent a boom lift that does not reach or fit inside a specific space. There are few frustrations greater than renting useless equipment.

Contributing factors in a boom lift rental

So before renting a boom lift, ask yourself these questions:

• Aerial movement: Can a straight telescopic arm reach my desired location, or do I need to navigate obstacles? 
• Vertical height: How high do I need to reach? Although a boom’s height includes the base of the machine, the big difference among lifts is working height versus platform height. When calculating height, boom lift manufacturers use platform height: the height from the ground to the platform you stand on. To calculate working height, you can typically add another six feet to the platform height to account for a worker at least five feet tall with at least one foot of arm reach.  
• Horizontal range: How far out must the boom lift stretch? Total reach: Once you’ve calculated both your vertical height and horizontal range, you can determine your total reach. You can’t just calculate height because the farther lateral distance a boom lift has to reach, the more height is lost. For example, a forty-foot boom lift gives you a total reach of forty feet. If the boom lift must be parked twenty feet away from the structure, then the arm will not be able to reach its maximum forty-foot height. Instead, it will only be able reach about thirty-five feet up, leaving you five feet below your desired height.
• Weight capacity: How much weight will be lifted? How many people will be lifted, and what size are these people? How much space is required to work? How much do the equipment, tools, and supplies weigh? When considering weight, it’s also important to refer to the load chart for each boom lift. Most booms will lift between five hundred and one thousand pounds. However, the farther a boom lift must reach, the less weight it can lift. 
• Space restrictions: Are there any tight or restricted spaces the lift must be able to maneuver through? Are there any obvious space restrictions, such as door openings, entryways, or hallways? Are there any obstacles such as overhead power lines, tall trees, or other unmovable objects to plan for? 
• Terrain: What is the terrain like where the boom lift will be positioned? Is it flat enough? The boom lift’s slope sensor will not let the arm go up unless the boom lift is on a flat, level surface. Will the boom lift be on concrete, grass, dirt, or gravel? How much weight can the terrain withstand? Could the boom lift get stuck? Even a 4×4 can get stuck in mud or wet grass.
• Power source: What are the power requirements for safe operation of the boom lift? Is the work inside, where an electric motor would limit noise and harmful emissions? Is the work outside, where it would be appropriate for a diesel engine to provide a bit more power?

Necessary conversation for a boom lift rental

When you call Discount Lift Rentals to schedule your boom lift rental, give your service rep as many details about your job as possible. Tell them what you want to accomplish. Share any pre-rental calculations you’ve made about height, weight, reach, obstacles, and terrain. 

The details you give your service rep will help them pair you with the boom lift you need. Even if you’re a movie studio using a boom lift to raise cameras or lights, your service rep may think of something you haven’t. This may not only save you time and money but help you safely complete your job.

Discount Lift Rentals is proud that their average customer review score is 4.8 out of 5 stars. With rental equipment from trusted brands such as JLG, Genie, Snorkel, MEC and Sky Jack, internet-based Discount Lift Rentals brings you the equipment you need and the human touch you deserve. Call one of our reps to get your boom lift rental today.