Scissor Lifts

A scissor lift is a type of hydraulic or electric vehicle lift found in garages, MOT Bays, workshops and body shops, and is a machine made to move vehicles and equipment in a vertical direction. These lifts can handle most jobs that would normally require a two-post car lift or a 4-post vehicle lift.

Scissor lifts, which are typically self-propelled machines, get their name from the design of the beams underneath the platform which do the work to raise and lower the platform.  When viewed from the side, the mechanism appears as a stack of crossed tubes or metal rods that work in a scissor-like fashion when the platform is raised and lowered.

Vehicle Scissor lifts are usually powered by a hydraulic system and operate by raising and lowering the platform.

These kinds of vehicle lifts are a great option for those who have limited space or are unable to use a traditional vehicle 2-post or 4-post lift.

Scissor Lifts work by lifting the weight on the two sets of scissor-shaped arms and pivoting the arms toward the centre to lift the weight. The two sets of scissor arms are connected by a hinge at the centre, allowing the arms to rotate and lift the weight. This hinge makes it possible for the lift to lift both heavy and light vehicles.

Read our Blog article on How Does a Car Scissor Lift Work

There are three main types of garage scissor lifts:

• Recessed scissor lifts
• Surface-mounted scissor lifts
• Mobile Scissor lifts

A scissor lift is a popular model of aerial platform lift which is often used in garages in place of a 2-post or 4-post lift, where the space is limited, however, the scissor lift, depending on the design and weight capacity will often need to be recessed into the floor so this is an additional consideration before choosing this as your garage or MOT Bay lifting solution, some with less lifting capacity can, however, be surface mounted, and yet others can be mobile, but again the weight these types of scissor lifts can support tends to be lower than recessed scissor lifts or surface mounted scissor lifts.

When operated correctly, they are perfectly safe. However, like any other machinery, there is always the potential for accidents to happen. That being said, there are a few things that you can do in order to help prevent any accidents from happening. Here are a few tips:

First and foremost, you should always ensure the lift has been installed correctly and that any cables, cords or hoses are properly routed.

When using the lift, ensure you have had the correct training and are familiar with the controls. Make sure that you are following the manufacturer’s instructions and do not operate the lift in a way that could potentially cause it to malfunction.

When using the vehicle scissor lift ensure that you lower the lift down to the stops, this will help prevent any drops whilst the vehicle is on the lift and when you are potentially underneath it. You don’t want the lift dropping, even a few inches, while you are working under it.

Always be sure that the car is properly supported, that it is balanced on the lift and that everything is clear before lowering it.