A telescoping boom lift, called a stick boom on the yard floor, pushes a straight boom out and up instead of folding it, trading the ability to reach over an obstacle for far more horizontal reach at height. Yards stock them from about 40 ft to well past 130 ft, and the rate steps up hard at each jump in reach.
Straight stick against a knuckle boom
A telescoping unit puts the platform wherever a straight line will reach, which covers most facade, steel and signage work. An articulating boom bends at an elbow and gets over a roof edge or around ductwork. Where nothing sits in the way, the stick boom is the cheaper and faster machine for the same height.
What the reach numbers on the decal mean
A 60 ft machine is sold on platform height, and working height adds roughly six feet for the person standing on the deck. The figure that catches people out is horizontal outreach: near full elevation it shrinks sharply, and the load chart in the platform shows where the machine will refuse to boom further.
Day, week and month pricing on a stick boom
A 45 to 60 ft diesel unit commonly runs about $325 to $550 a day and $700 to $1,300 a week, with a month priced near three weeks. Past 80 ft the machine, the truck and the site preparation all step up together, and yards ask for a longer minimum because those units are rarely idle.
The surface it stands on picks the model
Nearly every telescoping boom is a four wheel drive rough terrain machine on foam filled tires, wanting compacted fill rather than fresh landscaping or a slab it will crack. Tell the counter the surface, the slope and anything overhead when you book, because those three answers decide which unit gets loaded.
Questions people ask about telescoping boom lift
Is a telescoping boom lift the same thing as a cherry picker?
Loosely, yes. Cherry picker is the everyday word for any boom mounted platform. On a rental contract the machine will be written as a telescopic or articulating boom lift with a platform height, and that is the description to quote when you compare two quotes.
How much room does one need to set up?
More than people expect. The chassis is long, it swings a counterweight through a full circle, and it has to be driven into position with the boom down. Allow a clear lane to the work area and a turning space at the end of it, and check for overhead lines along the whole route.
Can I move a telescoping boom lift myself?
No. These machines are heavy, wide and low geared, and they travel on the yard's lowbed. Transport is quoted out and back on distance, so it is worth asking two yards on different sides of the metro rather than only the nearest one.