As arborists, your daily work involves maintaining the health of green spaces within cities and in the outskirts. Far from being an easy job, you often have to climb, frequently using ropes, to trim the branches of trees and shrubs that are in varying states of health.
A strenuous job with constant demand, where the risks of injuries and falls are ever-present. It is therefore essential that you equip yourself with the right tools, for your personal safety, the safety of your colleagues or other road users, and for your efficiency at work
Current equipment such as ropes and spiked boots expose you to many risks, even though the techniques used in their manufacturing have modernized and do provide you with more stability than 20 years ago. However, you can further ensure your safety when working at heights by using an aerial lift.
There are various types of aerial lifts that can help you improve your working conditions. We will present them here and give our opinion on which ones might suit you best. Each one of them has its own purpose, benefits and pitfalls.
Vehicle mounted aerial work platform for arborists
Vehicle mounted aerial platforms allow great flexibility for tree trimming. They allow you to reach high work areas much more quickly and easily. Even the most inaccessible ones.
Due to their weight and the materials used in the design of the arm and the basket, you can reach working heights while maintaining great stability, which inevitably reduces the risks of losing balance and fatal falls.
Aerial lifts mounted on vehicles also offer a wide range of storage options, and the dimensions of the baskets allow you to bring your equipment with you without it hindering your movements or balance (which is the case when you climb a tree using ropes).
You also spend less time getting equipped since only a harness, helmet, and gloves are necessary to protect you in the basket.
Boom lift for tree trimming
Boom lifts can also be a relevant solution for you to reach height areas. They are lighter lifts than vehicles mounted ones which improves their mobility on-site . However, their limitations lie in their lack of storage and their light weight, which increases the risk of the lift tipping over if it is used on a slope or during even mild inclement weather.
Scissor lifts for tree care
Scissor lifts can also be a good solution for daily work as an arborist because these machines ensure good stability even on sloped terrains. The working platform is typically wide, allowing for easy transportation of equipment. Their limitation lies in their maneuverability; it will be much more challenging to navigate around an object without having to move the entire lift. The working heights are also more limited than on boom lifts or vehicle-mounted lifts
Our requirements
If we were to recommend only one type of aerial platform, it would undoubtedly be vehicle-mounted lifts. They offer the largest payload, can be moved very easily, and allow you to navigate around obstacles without repositioning the vehicle. If you need to trim trees close to high-tension lines, the lift’s basket can be insulated. And these machines can enable you to reach working heights of several tens of meters, depending on the associated vehicle type.
