A vertical mast lift is the narrow single mast machine that raises one worker straight up on about the footprint of a hand truck. Day rates commonly run from about $110 for a 12 to 16 ft push around unit to $190 for a 25 to 30 ft self propelled one, with a week priced near three to four day rates.
What it does that a scissor lift cannot
It fits. A mast lift is typically under 32 inches wide, so it goes through a standard doorway, into a service lift and down an aisle no scissor can enter. It carries one person and a modest tool load, straight up, with no offset reach. That is the trade: access in tight buildings, paid for in capacity.
Push around or self propelled
A push around unit is positioned on the ground and raised once you are in place, which is cheaper and fine for lamps, sprinkler heads and signage. A self propelled machine drives at height and repays the difference the moment the job becomes a long run of ceiling work. Yards price the two a clear tier apart.
Floors, weight and getting it upstairs
Most mast lifts land under about 3,000 pounds, which is what lets them onto finished floors and into service lifts, and the branch will give you the figure for the model on the ticket. Check the lift car capacity and the door opening before delivery day. Non marking tyres are usual, but ask, because a marked slab is a real bill.
What the ticket includes
The rate covers the machine and its battery. Charging is on you and takes most of a night from flat, so find a socket the site will let you use. Delivery is quoted each way, though these travel on a small trailer or in a box van, which makes the haul one of the cheapest in the aerial family.
Questions people ask about vertical mast lift rental
What is the difference between a mast lift and a scissor lift?
A mast lift raises one narrow platform on a single mast; a scissor lift raises a wider deck on a folding frame. The mast wins on width and weight, the scissor on deck space and capacity. Indoors on finished floors both are common, and at small heights the rates sit within a tier of each other.
Can a vertical mast lift be used outdoors?
Only on firm, level, paved ground, and only inside the wind rating printed on the machine, which for many indoor rated units is effectively zero. Real outdoor work on uneven ground belongs on a rough terrain scissor or a boom, and the counter will tell you the same thing.
Do I need fall protection in a mast lift?
The platform guardrail system is the primary protection. Many manufacturers and site rules also require a harness with a short lanyard clipped to the anchor inside the basket. Read the decal on the machine and your own site rule, because the yard handover covers the controls rather than site policy.