Nobody in a rental yard sells something called a sky lift. The word covers everything that carries a person up: towable booms from about $200 a day, self propelled boom lifts around $300 to $600 depending on height, and scissor lifts from roughly $95. Say the working height you need and what the machine has to stand on, and the counter will name the right class straight away.
The names the trade actually uses
A boom lift has a jointed or telescopic arm and reaches up and out over obstacles. A towable boom sits on a trailer and is pulled behind a pickup. A scissor lift goes straight up on a large platform. A one man push around lift handles indoor ceiling work. Each is a different price and a different job.
Working height is the number that books it
Machines are sold by platform height, and working height is normally quoted as the platform plus about six feet for a standing person. Measure to the thing you must touch, add reach for tools, and give the yard that figure. Booking on a guess is how a machine arrives that stops four feet short of the gutter.
What the ground under it will take
Electric slab machines want firm level finished surfaces and will not cross grass, gravel or a slope. Rough terrain units with foam filled tires and outriggers handle site ground and cost several times more per day. Tell the counter what the machine is standing on before you talk about height, because that answer changes the whole quote.
Day rates across the four classes
A towable boom runs about $200 to $350 a day. A 30 to 45 ft self propelled articulating boom sits near $300 to $500, and a 60 ft machine well above that. Scissor lifts start around $95 for a 19 ft electric. Every one of them adds a round trip transport charge unless it is small enough to tow yourself.
Questions people ask about sky lift rental
What is the difference between a sky lift and a cherry picker?
They are two informal words for the same family of machines. A cherry picker usually means a boom lift with a bucket at the end, sometimes truck mounted. Use the trade term instead, boom lift or scissor lift, plus the working height, and the yard will quote the right unit first time.
Can I tow a lift home myself?
A towable boom is designed for it, and yards rent them to private customers regularly. Check the hitch and the tongue weight against your vehicle before you commit. Self propelled booms and rough terrain machines are far too heavy and arrive on a truck at a charge each way.
Do I need fall protection in a boom lift?
Yes. A harness with a lanyard attached to the anchor inside the basket is required in a boom type platform, and yards will normally hire or sell you one at the counter. A scissor lift with intact guardrails is treated differently, so ask which machine you are actually getting.