Elevating work platforms, whether they’re scissor or boom lifts, are huge time savers and offer big increases in worker safety and efficiency. These two from Zoomlion are great examples.
It’s amazing how often a landscaping job calls for one or two people to work on a ladder of scaff. When it happens it’s a timeconsuming WH&S nightmare, especially if there’s lifting to be done.
For the property-maintenance brigade, pruning and maintaining foliage has the same challenges, except the workers are often operating chainsaws, trimmers or brushcutters, which ramps up the risk in a big way.
A ladder is sketchy proposition at the best of times, and scaffolding is great for stability – until it has to be moved. Then, suddenly, a huge amount of valuable work time is lost.
The answer could well be an elevating work platform – an EWP.
Harnessed to a stable platform and not dividing concentration between balance, grip and getting the job done, work can be carried out far more safely and efficiently.
Not all EWPs a truck-mounted behemoths.
Zoomlion ZA14NJE-LI
The Zoomlion EWP range is fairly new to Australia, and our first impressions were of them being eye-catching outfits. We had two to put through their paces, and the first was the ZA14NJE-LI, an articulating boom lift.
Both machines comply with the CE/ANSI/CSA Standards and being lithium-ion powered means both machines look very tidy. There are no protruding fuel fillers or exhausts, and all the cabling and hydraulics are routed to be out of sight and put of harm’s way.
The main features of the ZA14NJE-LI include:
• Centre layout, unparalleled structural rigidity, and minimal boom deflection
• Advanced dual control system combining valve control and pump control delivers energy-saving, smooth and precise performance
• Independent auxiliary power system providing an extra layer of assurance for applications
• A high-capacity, lithium-ion battery with five-year warranty and eight-year lifespan guarantees maintenance-free for its whole life cycle
• A standard charger providing for a short charging time of just seven hours • An accurate and efficient traveling AC drive system delivering robust power and stable control and maintenance-free experience.
Good job
The 16-metre platform work height is probably more than most landscaping jobs would call for, but for those times it’s needed, that big extension length will be a boon. As will the 230kg platform capacity, which will allow a pair of typically bronzed and burly Aussie landscapers to climb on board and guarantee the safety and productivity even further.
Operation was smooth and the lift felt stable and solid, and we thought it a nice piece of gear at a very sharp price, backed up with a two-year warranty on parts and fiveyear warranty on the battery.
Zoomlion ZA14NJE-LI
Work Height: 16m
Platform height: 14m
Horizontal outreach: 8.14m
Up-and-over height: 7.74m
Stowed length: 6.6m
Stowed width: 1.75m
Stowed height: 2m
Platform width: 0.76m
Wheelbase: 2.05m
Ground clearance: 0.20m
Platform capacity: 230kg
Drive speed: 5.4kph
Gradeability: 30 per cent (17°)
Turning radius (inside): 0.79m
Turning radius (outside): 3.15m
Turntable swing: 360° non-continuous
Platform rotation: ±90°
H-tail Swing: 0.2m
Maximum working slope: 3/4°
Maximum wind speed: 83db
Battery: 48V/315Ah Li-ion battery
Charger: 48V/60A
Drive motor: AC 32V/4hp
Lift motor: AC 32V/7kw
Auxiliary power: 12V DC electrical pump
Hydraulic tank capacity: 30L
Tyres: 250-15
Solid tyre. 240/55D17.5 foamfilled tyre
Gross weight: 6700kg
ZS1012AC-LI electric scissor lift
A lot of the things we found with the boom lift applied to the scissor lift. It’s a good-looking outfit, no pipes, tubes or cables hanging out anywhere, and it complies with the CE/ANSI/ CSA Standards.
The main features of the scissor lift include:
• A 10m platform height • An 11.8m work height
• 230Ah li-ion battery, 24v/3.3kw
• An AC system offering higher working efficiency
• IP67-rated waterproof protection on AC wheel motors, and
• Lithium-ion batteries giving a long service life and increasing running time by 30 per cent.
The ZS1012AC-LI is a better indoor or hard-surface option than the boom lift, but its narrow footprint and very compact size mean it’s easy to transport and it gives great access to confined areas. And the stability of the platform, even at full height, is very reassuring.
Zoomlion ZS1012AC-LI
Work Height(Indoor/ Outdoor): 11.80m
Platform height elevated (indoor/outdoor): 9.80m
Platform height-Stowed: 1.39m
Platform length: 2.30m
Platform width: 1.12m
Stowed width: 1.75m
Platform extension: 0.91m
Overall height (rails up): 2.0m
Overall length: 2.49m
Overall width: 0.20m
Wheelbase: 1.85m
Ground clearance (stowed): 0.11m
Ground clearance (raised): 0.02m
Platform capacity: 350kg
Capacity on deck extension: 113kg
Maximum number of workers: Two indoor. One outdoor
Drive speed (stowed): 4kph
Drive speed (raised): 0.8kph
Turning radius (inside): 0.1m
Turning radius (outside): 2.2m
Lifting motor: 24V/3.3KW
Drive motor: 24V/2 x 0.75KW
Up/down time: 60s/35s
Gradeability: 25% (14°)
Maximum working slope (lateral/vertical): 1.5°/3°
Control: Proportional
Drive: Front wheels
Brake: Front wheels
Tyres: Ø381mm x 127mm
Battery: 230Ah
Li-ion Charger: 24V/30A
Charger (option): 24V/60A Gross: 2930kg
Choose to suit
Both Zoomlion lifts were good options to tackled the situations for which they were designed. It’s really up to the user to decide which will best suited to their needs.
The Zoomlion range is available from the folks at UHI, and there’s plenty more information on the range, prices and accessories at unitedheavyindustries.com.au.
