We have organized all aerial work platforms by the various types of lifting mechanism: You will find Articulating Boom Lifts, Mast Lifts, Scissor Lifts, Rough Terrain Scissor Lifts,and Telescopic Boom Lifts.

There is also a distinction by the means of transport for the lift: Bucket Trucks are aerial work platforms permanently mounted to a truck or full-size van. Towable Lifts are simply lifts on wheels, but are not self-propelled lifts.

Spider Lifts are a category of their own: Spider lifts are self-propelled lifts, employing either a set of wheels or tracks. What distinguishes Spider lifts from all other types of aerial work platforms is a set of outriggers looking like spider legs. The spider legs provide a large footprint that guarantees stability for the lift without the need for a heavy base weight. For the same working height, side reach and capacity, spider lifts weigh a quarter of other comparable self-propelled aerial lifts.

A particular aerial lift may fit into multiple categories, like the Genie TZ-34, which is both, a telescopic boom lift, and a towable lift.

Everybody knows Genie and JLG, but who has ever heard of Teupen? Who are they and what can their lifts do that others can't? How do their lifts compare to others? You may say: I did not know there were so many players in the aerial lift market! Well, that is the purpose of our Web site: To make you aware of the choices you have! No manufacturer, not even the big players, cover the whole spectrum of aerial lifts. Every lift manufacturer cherishes their own specialty.

In the bucket truck field, Versalift focuses on utility work trucks and vans, but also offers tree work bucket trucks. Aerial Lifts of Connecticut makes bucket trucks for tree work only, and at that, they are the best. Altec offers all kinds of bucket trucks, but their star is the HiLine Series offering working heights of up to 150 ft!

ReachMaster invented the spider lift concept, but Teupen improved on the original with the Leo 50GT's truely impressive 166 ft working height.

Now that I know I have so many choices, which aerial lift should I buy? Can I see the lifts side by side before I make a decision? Absolutely! In our Lifts Compared section we provide side by side views of aerial lifts of comparable working height. We picked the working height as the most obvious parameter of an aerial lift. You will find that even if two aerial lifts have the same working height, other parameters may be very different. It does pay to take a closer look before you make a decision.

The Genie TZ-34 and Teupen Leo 12G articulating boom lifts sport the same working height, but offer distinct advantages in their particular areas of strength. Please take a look.