May 28, 2026 · VIP Equipments
Equipment Buyer's Guide
Buying heavy machinery is a major investment, and opting for a used scissor lift can save your business thousands of dollars up front. In Canada, where weather extremes can cause extra wear and tear, picking the right unit requires a sharp eye.
To avoid buying someone else’s mechanical headache, you must consider your specific job site environment, check the machine's mechanical condition, and ensure it fully complies with provincial regulations.
Before looking at service logs or hours, you need to know exactly where the lift will live. Scissor lifts generally fall into two main categories:
Miscalculating height limitations is a common—and expensive—mistake made during procurement.
When buying used industrial equipment, stick to brands with robust supply chains within Canada. If a part breaks down in the middle of a major project, you want to ensure replacement components are locally available.
Brand | Known For | Best Fit |
|---|---|---|
Skyjack | Headquartered in Ontario. Famously reliable and uses simple mechanical systems with minimal complex electronics. | Teams looking for minimal downtime and straightforward, cost-effective maintenance. |
Genie | Incredibly smooth, precise proportional controls driven by highly specialized onboard computer logic. | High-precision tasks or all-day operation where precise control feel matters. |
JLG | Rugged build quality with a highly versatile mix of electric and heavy rough-terrain configurations. | Demanding multi-use job environments and heavy-duty industrial applications. |
When inspecting a used scissor lift in person, treat it with the same scrutiny you would a commercial truck. Do not buy sight unseen.
Do not judge a lift purely by its calendar age. An older machine that spent its life sitting in a dry warehouse might have only 300 hours on it, while a two-year-old rental return might have well over 1,200 hours of grueling, multi-shift labor.
Batteries are the single most expensive wear-and-tear item on an electric lift. Ask when they were last replaced. Look for signs of neglect, such as heavy white corrosion around terminals or heavily neglected water levels in the cells.
Small damp spots on hydraulic hoses can be typical for older machinery, but pooling or active dripping is an immediate red flag. Check lift cylinders, control valves, and hydraulic tank fittings carefully.
Operate the machine yourself. Elevate the platform to its absolute maximum height. Does it rise smoothly, or does it jerk and shudder? Listen for unusual squealing from the scissor stack and ensure the platform extension deck slides and locks securely.
In Canada, you cannot legally put an aerial machine to work without verifying its regulatory and safety history.
Taking the time to check maintenance history, structural integrity, and Canadian safety compliance ensures you purchase a dependable machine that protects your crew and your bottom line.