Project managers will always have to worry about their project’s bottom line. Yet, many of them still hesitate whenever they consider renting pieces of equipment. Traditional industry wisdom says that people should always purchase their equipment.
However, in recent years, more people have begun to rent spider lifts than ever. Thanks to their reach and lightweight design, they’ve become incredibly popular. Spider lifts provide equipment operators with an easy way to reach indoors heights up to 60+ ft. They’re a lot faster than scaffolding, and they tend to cost much less too. Spider lifts rentals make a lot of sense from a cost-benefit perspective.
Renting equipment can save you in the long run as well. Anyone who doesn’t need to use something like this all of the time should consider it. Why waste hard-earned capital on one-time-use hardware?
Renting a spider left gives you full access to the equipment, and you can even hire someone who can operate it. Most of the time, simple projects can be knocked out in just a few hours.
What Is A Spider Lift?
Spider lifts, also known as atrium lifts, have been popular for a long time in this industry. Cherry-picking has a much longer history than most would assume. It seems people have been figuring out how to reach things in out-of-the-way places for a long time. The first spider lift was developed by the Falck Schmidt Brothers in the 1970s. Before they came on to the scene, cherry-picking used much heavier equipment to get the job done. The Falck Schmidt Brothers innovated on previous designs in the industry. By reducing its weight and adding 4 outriggers, they made one of the most maneuverable pieces of equipment that ever hit the market.
They Are Easily Identified, Thanks to Their Four Iconic Outriggers.
Easily their most identifiable trait, the spider lift’s 4 outriggers enhance their stability. They distribute the lift’s weight by transforming some of the vertical force horizontally. In other words, they push into the ground outwardly across. Most modern outriggers have been designed to adjust to different terrains easily. You can safely work at heights of up to 60 ft or more thanks to spider lift’s outriggers.
2 Major Spider Lift Benefits
Lightweight and Nimble
Everyone in the cherry-picking industry understands how important equipment weight is on the job. Lightweight equipment doesn’t pose as much of a threat to its surroundings. So, for people who need to work in delicate settings, these might be a better option. Lightweight equipment is also easier to move around. That means you won’t have to worry about how you’ll get it where it needs to be nearly as much. Spider lifts rental services have begun renting these lifts at an astonishing pace.
Maximum Lifts Heights of as Much as 60+ ft.
Very few indoor spaces have ceilings taller than 60 feet. So, with the spider lift, you’ll have more than enough capability for the job. When you’ve got a job with ceilings higher than 60 ft, you’ll have to search around a little more to find an adequate lift. However, you might still find them if you ask for specialty options. Spider lifts rarely measure up short when you’re working indoors.
Spider Lift Adoption Is Growing
How popular is the spider lift after more than 50 years on the market? Well, spider lift popularity is at an all-time high, and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down soon. New users have been flocking to the spider lift for a few key reasons. Its lightweight design got rid of a lot of the problems associated with older lifts.
Not only that, but the spider lift even extended the working range of your average lift. People could get into more places with them. Plus, they wouldn't have to worry as much about causing any damage to their work areas.
The enhanced maneuverability of the spider lift makes it possible to climb grades of up to 37%. Back in the day, lift operators worried about how they’d get their stuff through the door. Today, spider lifts walk themselves up and down the stairs. Now, that’s an example of industry innovation.
Most industry-standard spider lifts are small enough to fit through your door. If your door measures at least 7 ft x 4 ft, you’ll never run into any problems.
Large Interior Lift Jobs
Atrium lifts didn’t get their name without doing something to earn it. These machines can maneuver through inclines with a grade of up to 37%. By displacing the lift’s outriggers, it can use them almost as if they’re a makeshift set of legs. Climbing its way, foot by foot, the spider lift can get inside most auditoriums without any assistance. Other lifts used to take an entire team of men to move into position. With a spider lift, you can get everything done with just one a lot of the time.
Controllable Outriggers
Some of them have controls inside of an interior cabin. People can operate the lift from inside of the cabin. Deciphering where to place the next foot seems to be a little easier whenever you’re sitting on top of the lift. Such a vantage point makes the visualizing of the spider lift center of gravity simple. Some modern lifts even have a built-in computer that automatically detects any disturbances.
There are also remote-controlled options available. These tend to work with smaller lifts. Using a remote control, the lift’s operator can effortlessly direct the equipment. Standing outside of the lift lets you easily spot things that might’ve tipped it off balance.
Spider Lifts Have Become More and More Popular
Spider lifts utilize a hydraulic system to provide power. Hydraulics are great at generating force rapidly. That means you’ll have a much more responsive experience. Hydraulics let you deftly maneuver in spaces that would’ve been far too narrow in the past. Reaching those out of reach spaces doesn’t pose much of a challenge when confronted by a spider lift. In the hands of a deft operator, spider lifts make short work of nearly all indoor cherry-picking jobs.
Why Do People Like Using Spider Lifts?
Spider Lifts Offer Better Indoor Maneuverability
Cherrypicking was a much more exclusive industry, years ago. Back then, the equipment that people used was not user-friendly.
Spider lifts differ in 2 ways from other types of lifts. They reach up to 170 ft. Plus, spider lifts even reduced the average weight of equipment in the industry.
They Rarely Damage Their Surroundings
Low-weight hardware poses much less of a threat to its surroundings. They’ll be far less likely to lose balance. Plus, since it’s not too heavy, the outriggers won’t scratch the floor.
Anyone who is working with delicate flooring should think about using a spider lift. They’ll minimize any possibilities that your work causes any damage to the job site. Thus, saving you a ton potentially.
Renting Them Tends to Be Inexpensive
Spider lifts are great at what they do, but that doesn’t mean they’ll have a positive ROI for everyone.
Unless you have the need for them regularly, purchasing a spider might not make much sense. Renting it would be a better option in a lot of instances. If you’ve got a one=time need, renting one of them would be a much smarter investment.
Spider Lifts are Lightweight
Spider lifts improved upon previous lift technology by minimizing their weight. Older lifts would weigh as much as several thousand pounds back in the day. Thus, making them almost unusable in many indoor settings. Spider lifts circumvent the issue. By reducing their weight to being nearly negligible, outriggers rarely scratch anything. Even the most delicate interior spaces seem to handle them well.
How Does Lightweight Equipment Benefit the User?
Manufacturers spend a lot of time hyping up how lightweight their equipment is. However, at the end of the day, what does that mean for the person who is using it?
When Working Indoors, Spider Lifts Reduce Collateral Damage
Collateral damage has always been something project managers worry about whenever working indoors. It’s tough to do anything without at least stretching the wallpaper. Modern spider lifts combine low weight with great maneuverability. This combination makes it easier for people to use them indoors safely. Hydraulics can provide as much as 20 ft worth of telescopic range.
Taking Them With You Isn't Difficult
Have you ever thought about how easy it is to toe something? It’s a thought that might not have crossed your mind. However, anyone who works with heavy equipment regularly understands The importance of weight. Simply getting a heavy piece of equipment somewhere can be a challenge by itself. Spider lifts offer a much more intuitive solution.
Licensing Isn't Challenging
Even if you aren’t the operator, licensing costs can inflate the overall price of any project. Contractors will always pass down high licensing fees to their customers. Licensing requirements tend to be stricter as the weight of your equipment increases. Something lightweight such as the spider lift tends to be a lot less of a licensing burden.
Renting a Spider Lift Could Be a Cost-Effective Solution for Your Upcomming Project
Have you been thinking about getting an atrium lift for an upcoming project? Let us know and we’ll be happy to help. Innovative Reach provides premier man lift rentals. Whether you’ve got an indoor or outdoor job, we’ve got equipment that’ll meet your needs.
Our team can even give you some advice on what would be best for your situation. Our fleet includes two ReachMaster spider lifts, reaching up to 66 feet. We’ve also got a ReachMaster Falcon lift that allows up to 95 feet.
Each lift comes with an OSHA-trained ground operator. Yearly calibrations by ReachMaster technicians ensure our machines always meet safety standards. Our man lifts rental service is meant to simplify your next project.
