A cherry picker lift is what the rental trade files under boom lift: a basket on an articulating or telescopic arm that lifts one or two people to work at height. Rental machines reach roughly 30 to 60 feet at about $250 to $700 a day, and a week is normally priced close to three days. Which one you want is decided by the ground and the obstruction, not by the height alone.
Articulating or telescopic
An articulating boom folds at a knuckle, so it goes up and then over a roof edge, a canopy or a parked vehicle. A telescopic boom goes out in a straight line and gives you more raw reach for the money. If the work has something in front of it, pay for the knuckle; if it is a clear facade, the straight boom is the cheaper hire.
Towable, electric or rough terrain
A towable boom is trailered behind a pickup, set on outriggers and is the usual answer for a single house or a small commercial frontage. An electric machine is for finished floors indoors. A rough-terrain unit has four-wheel drive and weighs several tons, which is why it arrives on a low-loader and why delivery is a separate line.
Working height and the number that gets missed
Working height already includes about six feet for the person in the basket, so a 40-foot machine puts your hands near 40 feet, not 46. The number that catches people is horizontal outreach, which falls as the boom rises. Measure from where the machine can physically stand, not from the wall.
What sits under the day rate
Delivery and collection each way, a fuel or charge return, and an optional damage waiver. Outdoors on soft ground you may also need mats or plates under the outriggers. A towable can sometimes be collected on your own hitch, which removes both transport lines and is worth asking about.
Questions people ask about cherry picker lift
Is a cherry picker the same as a scissor lift?
No. A boom puts the basket out sideways over an obstacle; a scissor lift only goes straight up on a platform. For a clear indoor ceiling a scissor is cheaper and more stable, and for anything you have to reach over, the boom is the only one that works.
Can I tow one home behind a pickup?
Towable models are built for that, but check the trailer's gross weight against your hitch and vehicle rating, and check whether the yard requires a brake controller. Many yards will deliver for a flat fee that costs less than a wrong-sized tow ends up costing.
How much does a week cost compared with a day?
Rental pricing is usually tiered so a week lands near three day rates and a month near three weeks. If the job is four days or more, ask for the weekly rate before you book days.