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What is a Towable Boom Lift and Do I Need One?
Lifts are like the microwave of the construction world. Once, we had only ladders and scaffolding. While these elements are still useful, lifts have slowly but surely provided a safer and more portable alternative to both. There are flat-platform scissor lifts, vertical mast lifts, and articulating boom lifts. There are lifts for flat indoor use and rough terrain lifts for outdoor work up in the air. But perhaps the most interesting type of lift is the towable boom lift, the most flexible of them all.
The Articulating Towable Boom Lift
A boom lift is an angled-arm lift that holds a basket-platform. An articulating arm, or “knuckle” lift has joint in the middle for added flexibility. And a towable boom lift is an articulating boom on wheels that can be towed by a vehicle. This is the single most portable and flexible design available, and it’s needed for only a few types of project.f
The articulating boom lift was already the best way to reach over, around, and through obstacles to reach precariously lofted locations. With the towable quality, the base of the lift is much easier to move and far more dynamic in where it can be parked.
Uses for a Towable Boom Lift
The towable boom lift is a flexible design made for mobility. If you need to be up-high but constantly changing your position, the towability of this lift is ideal. There are dozens of obscure or one-time-project reasons to rent a towable boom-lift but there are a few common purposes where a towable boom lift is the best tool for the job.
Tree Trimming
Teams that need to trim or shape the branches of high-growing trees can often benefit from a towable boom-lift. They are also sometimes used in the place of cherry-picker lifts in order to actually pick fruit from trees.
Extensive Holiday Decorations
If you (or your business) love to put up extensive decorations around the roof and treetops of your property, the towable boom lift is the ideal tool for both reach and safety. When parked correctly, the lift will provide a stable basket from which you can decorate once-impossible areas of the roof or upper-reaches of your trees.
Elevated Restoration Projects
Urban restoration is a constant project in many cities. There is some beautiful artwork done in metal, stone, and concrete in some pretty hard-to-believe places. Frescoes thirty-feet above the entrance, metal sculptures build into the architecture of buildings, and gargoyles decorating the corners of old rooftop real estate are all examples. You’ll need flexibility and mobility to work over each element without removing them from the architecture, and a towable boom lift is often the best solution.
When to Use a Different Lift
Of course, it’s also important to know when you have your eye on the wrong lift. Towable boom lifts are fun and flexible, but their best uses are very specific. If you have a stable project and need a rolling platform, choose a scissor-lift instead. Or if you need to extend in a straight-diagonal line upward from your starting point. choose a telescoping lift. If you need to raise one person vertically several feet in the air, choose a mast lift.
The right lift for your project is waiting to be rented. Call ahead or contact us online to pre-schedule your lift and other equipment rental needs. Here at Vandalia Rental, we are always happy to work with new customers and talk out your project to determine the best equipment for the job. Whether you have your mind made up or want to go over the logistics, we’re here to help.
