Spider Lifts

A spider lift is a compact, tracked aerial work platform with four outriggers that unfold like the legs of a spider. It travels on narrow rubber tracks, passes through doorways and garden gates, climbs ramps and uneven ground, and then sets up on its outriggers to lift a platform with one or two people to heights that range from about 10 metres to more than 50 metres. It combines the reach of a truck-mounted platform with the access of a much smaller machine.

Spider lifts are used wherever a large boom lift cannot get in or would damage the ground: inside churches, shopping centres and atriums, in gardens and parks, on sports fields and delicate floors, and on hillside sites.

Brief History of Spider Lifts

Tracked aerial platforms with outriggers developed in Europe from the 1980s and 1990s, when manufacturers began to combine articulated or telescopic booms with compact tracked chassis. Italy and Germany became the main centres of the industry, and several Italian companies grew into international specialists.

The spider lift began as a niche machine for arborists and building maintenance. Over time working heights increased, controls became electronic, automatic levelling systems appeared, and electric and lithium battery power made the machines suitable for indoor use. Today spider lifts are a standard category in the fleets of access rental companies.

How a Spider Lift Works

Tracked chassis. A narrow undercarriage with rubber tracks, often with adjustable track width, carries the machine. Non-marking tracks are available for indoor floors.
Outriggers. Four hydraulic legs unfold and lift the machine off the ground. Many models level themselves automatically, even on slopes.
Boom. An articulated, telescopic or combined boom lifts the platform. A jib at the end allows fine positioning.
Platform. The basket carries one or two people and their tools, usually with a capacity of about 200 to 300 kg. It can often rotate and be removed to reduce weight and width during transport.
Controls. The machine is driven by radio remote control or from a control box, and the boom is operated from the platform. Safety systems monitor the outriggers, the load and the working envelope.
Transport. Most spider lifts fit on a trailer or small truck, and many can be towed behind a van.

Types of Spider Lifts

Articulated Spider Lifts

Machines with a multi-section articulated boom that can reach up and over obstacles, such as a roof edge, a balcony or a tree canopy.

Telescopic Spider Lifts

Machines with a telescopic boom that provides long reach and height, often with an articulated jib.

Combined Articulated-Telescopic Models

Machines that combine articulated sections and telescopic extensions to achieve both height and outreach.

Indoor and Narrow Models

Compact models under about 80 to 90 centimetres wide, able to pass through standard doorways, with electric drive for working inside buildings.

Working Height Classes

Class	Typical working height	Typical use
Compact	about 10 to 17 m	Indoor maintenance, gardens, small buildings
Medium	about 17 to 30 m	Tree care, facades, churches, halls
Large	about 30 to 50 m and more	Tall trees, high facades, industrial buildings

Figures are indicative and vary by manufacturer.

Power Options

Petrol or diesel engines, for outdoor work where power is not available.
Electric motors connected to mains power, for indoor work with zero emissions at the point of use.
Lithium battery packs, now common, for quiet work indoors and outdoors.
Bi-energy machines that combine an engine or battery with mains power.

Spider Lift or Another Access Machine?

Truck-mounted platform. Faster to set up at the roadside and often taller, but it needs road access and cannot enter gardens, courtyards or buildings.
Self-propelled boom lift. Can drive with the platform raised, which is useful for long facades or large halls, but it is heavier and wider and needs firm ground.
Scissor lift. Offers a large platform for work directly overhead, but no outreach over obstacles.
Scaffolding. Suits long-duration work on the same facade, but takes time to erect and dismantle.

The spider lift wins when access is tight, the ground is soft or delicate, or the job requires both height and outreach from a single position.

Maintenance and Inspections

Like other aerial platforms, spider lifts require regular inspections by a competent person, usually at least once a year and often more frequently in rental fleets. Daily checks before use should cover the tracks, outriggers, hydraulic hoses, platform controls, emergency lowering system and safety devices. Batteries need correct charging and care, since their condition directly affects the working time of electric and lithium models. Rubber tracks and outrigger pads wear with use and should be replaced when damaged.

Main Manufacturers

Hinowa, CMC, Platform Basket, Easy Lift and Almac from Italy.
Teupen from Germany, a pioneer of tracked platforms with very high models.
Niftylift from the UK and Omme Lift from Denmark.
Several large access manufacturers also offer tracked compact booms in their ranges.

Main Uses

Tree care, pruning and felling.
Building maintenance, cleaning and painting of facades and interiors.
Work inside churches, theatres, museums, shopping centres and atriums.
Installation of lighting, signs, glass and solar panels.
Inspection and repair of roofs, gutters and building services.
Event and film production.

Choosing a Spider Lift

Measure the access. Check the width and height of gates and doors, the weight limits of floors and ramps and the gradient of the ground.
Check the outrigger footprint. The space needed to set up the outriggers can be much larger than the machine’s travelling width.
Look at outreach, not only height. The horizontal distance you can reach from the set-up point often decides whether a model fits the job.
Choose the power. Battery or electric models are required indoors in many buildings.
Consider the ground. On lawns and delicate floors, use ground protection mats under the outriggers and non-marking tracks.

Safety

Spider lifts are safe when used within their limits, but they carry the same risks as other aerial platforms: falls from the platform, overturning, entrapment against structures and contact with power lines. Operators should wear a harness attached to the platform anchor point, set up only on ground that can take the outrigger loads, respect the wind limits and platform capacity, and keep a safe distance from electrical lines. Training specific to mobile elevating work platforms is required in most countries. Moving the machine on tracks over slopes and ramps also requires care, since the machine is narrow and its centre of gravity changes as the boom is stowed or raised.

Trends and Technology

The main trends are lithium battery power, lighter materials to reduce weight on delicate floors and trailers, and more automated set-up with self-levelling outriggers and electronic stability control. Telematics lets rental companies track use and maintenance. Working heights keep increasing, while manufacturers try to keep machines narrow and light enough to pass through gates and doors.

Key Terms

Working height: the platform height plus about two metres, the height a person can work at.
Outreach: the horizontal distance the platform can reach from the machine.
Outriggers: the legs that stabilise the machine before the boom is raised.
Jib: the small end section of the boom that positions the platform precisely.
Non-marking tracks: rubber tracks that do not leave marks on indoor floors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it called a spider lift? Because of its four outriggers, which unfold from the compact chassis like the legs of a spider.

Can a spider lift be driven with the boom raised? Generally no. Spider lifts are set up on their outriggers before the boom is raised. Some models allow limited movements, but the machine is designed to work from a fixed position.

Can a spider lift be used on a lawn or a delicate floor? Yes, that is one of its main advantages. Rubber tracks and ground protection mats under the outriggers spread the load and protect the surface.

How is a spider lift transported? Usually on a trailer or a small truck. Many models are light enough to be towed behind a van on a dedicated trailer.

How long can a battery spider lift work on one charge? It depends on the model, the battery and the work cycle. Many machines are designed to work a full shift, with charging overnight from a standard socket.

Do I need a licence to operate a spider lift? In most countries operators need training and certification for mobile elevating work platforms, covering both the machine category and safe working at height.

What is the maximum platform capacity of a spider lift? Most spider lifts carry about 200 to 300 kg, enough for one or two people and their tools. Some models offer a higher capacity with a reduced working envelope.