How an electric scissor lift works

An electric scissor lift drives and lifts on battery power, without a combustion engine. The operator drives and raises it from the platform, so the lift can follow the work with the platform up, at low speed.

The scissor arms under the platform extend straight up, so the platform stays above the chassis. Working height is the platform height plus about 2 m, the reach of a person standing on the platform: 7.8 m on the AS-X6 and 12 m on the AS-X1012.

The platform control box lets you drive, steer and raise the lift from the platform itself, so you position the machine and adjust the height without leaving the platform. The ground control station on the chassis raises and lowers the platform from below and is used for the checks at the start of each shift.

Because the platform rises straight up, you must drive the chassis directly under the work before raising it. If you need to work along a row of lights or shelves, position the machine at one end, raise the platform and move from one work point to the next without lowering in between. With the platform raised the lift drives at 0.8 km/h at most. Work stops while the lift moves, and it moves only on a firm, level floor that has been checked.

The extension deck slides out at the end of the platform, giving you an extra 0.9 m on the AS-X6 and 1.0 m on the AS-X1012. This is useful for reaching over obstacles such as conveyor belts or fixed equipment.

Battery drive produces no exhaust fumes and little noise, so the lift can be used in busy halls and warehouses while other work continues nearby.

AS-X6 or AS-X1012: choosing an aerial work platform

If you are looking for an 8m scissor lift, the AS-X6 comes closest: working height 7.8 m, rated capacity 230 kg, two people on the platform, indoor use only. The AS-X1012 is the 12m scissor lift for indoor and outdoor work, with a rated capacity of 320 kg, two people indoors and one outdoors.

Choose the aerial work platform by the working height you need, the load you must lift and the space it has to pass through. The length counts in goods elevators and tight corners: the AS-X6 is 1.84 m long, the AS-X1012 2.40 m.

The main difference between the two models is the height they reach. The AS-X6 platform rises to 5.8 m, so people can work up to about 7.8 m, for example installing lights or maintaining shelving in a hall with a lower ceiling. The AS-X1012 platform rises to 10 m, for work up to about 12 m in high warehouses or on building facades.

Platform size also matters in daily use. The AS-X6 gives you a platform of 1.65 × 0.76 m, which fits two people and their tools for most indoor tasks. The AS-X1012 has a larger platform at 2.25 × 1.15 m, so two people can work side by side with more material at hand. This extra space helps when you install long pipes or handle bulky items, because fewer trips up and down are needed.

The width of the machine decides where it can go. The AS-X6 is 0.76 m wide, so it fits through most doors and narrow aisles, which makes it practical in older buildings and tight storage areas; measure the clear opening of a door, not the door leaf. The AS-X1012 is 1.15 m wide and needs wider passages. Only the AS-X1012 is rated for outdoor use. Stowed, it drives at up to 3.2 km/h against 4.0 km/h for the AS-X6, which matters when the lift crosses a large hall several times a day.

AS-X6 and AS-X1012: comparison table

The table below compares the main technical features of the AS-X6 and AS-X1012 scissor lifts. You can see working height, platform size, rated capacity, drive speeds and where each model can be used.

To use the comparison table, start with the working height you need. Next, check whether you need to work outdoors, because only the AS-X1012 may be used outside. Then compare the width and length of each machine with your doors, aisles and goods elevators. Finally, compare the rated capacity with the combined weight of people, tools and material you plan to take on the platform.

Indoor scissor lift or outdoor use: the limits

The AS-X6 is for indoor use only, with room for two people on the platform. The AS-X1012 can also be used outdoors, with one person on the platform. Both models need firm, level ground: work slope at most 3 degrees forward and back and 1.5 degrees sideways, so a yard or car park that looks level may still be too steep sideways.

When using the AS-X1012 outdoors, check the wind before raising the platform: it must not be raised when the wind may exceed 12.5 m/s, the wind speed up to which the maker rates the lift as stable. Wind at height is usually stronger than at ground level and gusts arrive suddenly, so read the forecast with a margin and lower the platform as soon as the wind picks up.

Firm ground is essential for safe operation outdoors. Surfaces like soft soil, loose gravel or grass can give way under a wheel, risking a tip-over. On any ground, the tilt alarm is the signal to lower the platform and move to level ground.

Indoors, check for drains, cable ducts and open pits along the route and at the working place before you raise the platform. Keep people and forklifts out of the area under the raised platform, with barriers where there is traffic.

Outdoors, the sideways force the people on the platform may apply is half the indoor limit, so pulling or pushing with tools at height is more restricted outside. The AS-X6 is built for indoor use only, so even a short job outside on a calm day is not allowed.

Scissor lift or another aerial platform type

A scissor lift raises a large platform straight up, for work on ceilings, lighting, shelving, installations or facades where the lift can stand under the work. The platform takes two people and their tools, something a ladder or a one-person mast lift cannot offer.

For indoor or outdoor work where you need a stable, spacious platform and the lift can stand under the work, a scissor lift is the practical choice.

A boom lift is designed to reach up and over obstacles, such as machinery or shelving, but its basket is smaller and usually carries less weight than a scissor lift platform. To reach a light above machines that the lift cannot drive under, a boom lift reaches over them with its basket. A scissor lift carries two people with their material on a large platform, which suits tasks that need more space or two people working together.

A mast lift is intended for very tight spaces where only one person needs to work. Its footprint is smaller than that of a scissor lift, so it fits between racks or in narrow corridors. However, the platform is small and takes only one person with light tools. If your job requires more than one worker or heavier material, a scissor lift or another type of platform is needed.

Scaffolding is used for long jobs in one place, such as painting or repairs that last several days. It takes time to assemble and disassemble, which is worthwhile if the work stays in one area. A scissor lift is much faster to move: when you finish one section, you can drive to the next spot in minutes without dismantling anything. For example, in a warehouse where lights are replaced along a row, a scissor lift saves a lot of time compared to moving scaffolding.

A ladder is suitable for short tasks at low height, but for work that takes longer or involves tools and material, a platform with guardrails is safer and more practical. Standing on a scissor lift platform, you have a stable surface and can keep both hands free for the job. For example, installing a cable tray overhead is much easier and safer from a platform than from a ladder.

Working height, platform and load limits

Start from the highest point you must reach: the platform has to rise to about 2 m below it, and a margin on top makes the work easier. Indoors, check the headroom as well: the people on the raised platform must clear beams, pipes and lights, and the platform is never raised into anything above it.

The rated capacity is the most the platform may carry: people, tools and material together. Outdoors, fewer people may stand on the platform than indoors, and the platform is not raised when the wind may exceed the rated wind speed.

For example, if you need to replace lights at 7 m, you need a platform height of about 5 m. The AS-X6, with its 5.8 m platform, reaches this height with margin for safe and comfortable work. If your lights are at 11 m, you need a platform height of about 9 m, which only the AS-X1012, with its 10 m platform, can provide.

The total load on the platform adds up quickly. Two people weighing about 90 kg each, plus 40 kg of tools, already total 220 kg. This fits within the 230 kg capacity of the AS-X6, but leaves almost no room for material. If you need to bring extra material up for installation, the AS-X1012 with its 320 kg capacity is the right choice.

The extension deck on both lifts is rated for a maximum of 120 kg. This means that heavy material or equipment must stay on the main platform, not on the extension. For example, if you need to reach over a conveyor to install a light fixture, only lighter tools and material should be placed on the extension deck to avoid overloading it.

Batteries and driving performance

The AS-X6 runs on six 4 V batteries and the AS-X1012 on four 6 V batteries, both 24 V and 200 Ah. The AS-X6 drives at up to 4.0 km/h when stowed and 0.8 km/h with the platform raised. The AS-X1012 drives at up to 3.2 km/h stowed and 0.8 km/h raised.

Stowed, both climb slopes of up to 25 %. The batteries are charged from a socket between shifts.

Charge the batteries after each shift and let the charging cycle finish before using the lift again. Batteries that are left standing empty lose capacity over time, which shortens their service life. Plan to charge in a dry, ventilated place near a socket, away from traffic and other equipment. This keeps the charging process safe and prevents cables from becoming a trip hazard.

Drive between work areas with the platform lowered; the raised speed is for short moves along a row, on a firm and level floor. A ramp that the lift climbs stowed is still no place to raise the platform. Before the first drive, check the slope of ramps and the surface along the route, including thresholds and cable covers.

Building access and site requirements

Before ordering a scissor lift, check the width of the doors and aisles on the way to the work. The floor must carry the lift and its load, especially on mezzanines, ramps or old floors.

Check the route for thresholds, ramps and uneven ground, and the height of doors and passages: with the rails folded, both lifts are 1.84 m high.

The weight of the lift and its load is carried on four wheels. On a mezzanine or an older floor, ask the person responsible for the building what the floor can support, and compare it with the weight of the lift and its full load before moving the lift onto it. If the lift needs to use a goods elevator, check both the elevator’s capacity and the size of its doors.

Plan how the lift comes off the truck and into the building: it cannot climb steps, and any ramp on the way must stay within its slope rating, driven with the platform lowered. Decide where the lift will stand between jobs, out of the way of regular traffic.

What decides the price of a scissor lift

The price of a scissor lift depends on working height, rated capacity, platform size and whether it is rated for indoor or outdoor use. The AS-X1012 reaches higher and carries more than the AS-X6, and its price reflects that. For indoor work up to about 7.8 m, the AS-X6 does the same job in less space; for work above that height or outdoors, the AS-X1012 is the only one of the two that fits.

The current price of each scissor lift for sale here is on its product card above. Before you buy a scissor lift, compare the working height and the load you need with the table above. Both come with a 12-month warranty.

The main running costs are the electricity used for charging and, over the years, the batteries themselves. Batteries are the largest wear part of an electric lift and will need replacement after a period of use, depending on how often the lift is charged and discharged.

Lifts that raise people must be inspected regularly by a competent person, as required by national rules. These inspections are a necessary part of keeping the lift in service and safe to use. The cost and scheduling of these inspections should be counted in when you plan to add a lift to your site.

To request a quote, use the Get offer button on the product card. If you want a quote for several products, the Add to inquiry button collects them into one request.

Operator training and inspection

Anyone operating a scissor lift must be trained on the machine and must have read the manual before using it. A pre-operation inspection is done at the start of each work shift to check all functions and safety systems.

The check at the start of each shift covers both control stations and their emergency stops, the tires, the guardrails and the gate, the battery charge, leaks, the alarms and the pothole guards. A low battery is charged and a faulty alarm repaired before the lift is used.

Training covers how to use the controls, the limits of load, wind and slope, and how to lower the platform from the ground in an emergency. Having a second person on the ground who knows how to use the emergency lowering function is good practice. Keep a short log of the daily checks and any faults found, so that repairs are not forgotten and the lift stays in safe working order.

Checklist before you order a scissor lift

Before you order, measure the highest point you must reach, the height of beams, pipes and lights around it, the width and height of all doors on the route, the width of aisles and the slope and type of the floor, and decide whether you will use the lift indoors or outdoors. For example, a door with a clear opening of 0.9 m lets the AS-X6 through with room to spare, while the AS-X1012 needs a clear opening well over 1.15 m.

The comparison table above then shows which of the two lifts fits the height, the load and the place of work.

Describe the work in your inquiry: how many people will be on the platform, which tools and how much material they need to bring, how long they will stay at height and how often the lift will move to a new place. For instance, if two people need to install cable trays along a long run, a larger platform saves time. Say also whether the lift stays in one building or moves between sites, because then it has to be transported by truck.

If you plan to use the lift outdoors, note how exposed the area is to wind. Plan where the charging socket will be and where the lift will stand overnight, out of the way of other equipment. Decide in advance who will be trained to operate the lift and handle the daily checks.

Safety systems and operation rules

Both scissor lifts have safety systems: pothole guards that drop when the platform rises, a tilt alarm, a descent alarm, emergency lowering from the ground, and a safety arm that holds the scissors before anyone works under the raised platform.

The machine is not a crane. Ladders or scaffolds must not stand on the platform. The maximum sideways manual force from the platform is 400 N indoors, and 200 N outdoors for the AS-X1012.

The pothole guards drop when the platform rises and close most of the gap under the chassis. If a wheel runs into a shallow hole or off a small step, the guard meets the floor and limits how far the machine can tilt. They limit the damage from a hole that was missed; they are not a reason to drive over one.

The tilt alarm sounds if the chassis is on too steep a slope. When you hear the alarm, lower the platform and move the lift to level ground before continuing work. The descent alarm warns people below that the platform is coming down, so they can stay clear of the area.

Emergency lowering works from the ground if the operator cannot lower the platform from above. People on the ground should know where the emergency lowering controls are and how to use them. Always keep the platform gate closed, stand only on the platform floor and never climb on the guardrails.

Questions about scissor lifts

How many people can be on the scissor lift platform?

The AS-X6, which is for indoor use only, takes up to two people. The AS-X1012 takes two people indoors and one outdoors. The total load must stay within the rated capacity of 230 kg or 320 kg.

Can the scissor lift be used outdoors?

The AS-X6 is for indoor use only. The AS-X1012 can be used outdoors with one person on the platform, but must not be raised if the wind may exceed 12.5 m/s.

Will the scissor lift fit through a door?

The AS-X6 is 0.76 m wide and 1.84 m high with the rails folded. The AS-X1012 is 1.15 m wide and 1.84 m high with the rails folded. Measure the doors and aisles on the way.

What does working height mean on a scissor lift?

Working height is the platform height plus about 2 m, which is the reach of a person standing on the platform. For example, a platform height of 10 m gives a working height of 12 m.