Is a reach truck the same as a cherry picker?

What is a reach truck?

A reach truck’s mast or forklift can move forward and backward, extending beyond the front wheels to pick up or drop off loads. The forks retract with the load while traveling, keeping the load’s center of gravity within the support surface. Reach trucks have two outriggers that extend forward for stability. They offer high lift capacity, large payloads, and a compact footprint. Reach trucks are powered by electricity, supplied by batteries.

Reach trucks offer two major advantages: a compact design and a reach height of up to 13,000 mm. A reach truck moves the mast forward until the forks are positioned in front of the truck. This is called “reaching forward.” The load is then “pulled back” between the front and rear axles for subsequent transport. This operating principle shortens the truck’s overall length, making it highly maneuverable. It also improves driving stability and minimizes counterweight.

• Electric reach truck: This is a conventional indoor reach truck. This industrial vehicle only features tilt and tilt, and rack forward movement. Its load center distance is 500 mm, and its turning radius is approximately 1.68 mm, comparable to that of a three-wheeled forklift.

• Three-Way Forklift: This vehicle features forks that rotate 180°, enabling left and right movement. Because it’s equipped with a three-way fork attachment, its load capacity is reduced, with a rated load of approximately 1,000-1,500 kg. This vehicle is an upgraded version of the conventional reach truck and offers greater flexibility.

• Multi-directional reach truck: Rated load capacity is 2.5 tons, with a lifting height of 1,000-2,400 mm and AC drive. This warehouse industrial vehicle features universal wheels that support four-way movement, making it easy to maneuver in narrow aisles.

• Scissors-style reach trucks: available in single and double scissors styles, can reach items from deeper shelves and also alter the warehouse’s shelving layout. Two shelves can be brought together, or larger shelves can be placed, and then accessed with a scissor-style forklift, significantly improving warehouse safety. Electric Order Picker: A picker can be classified as either self-lifting or other-lifting. It’s a reach truck, similar to an aerial work vehicle, capable of carrying people up to work.

What is a cherry picker?

Cherry pickers, also known as boom lifts or order pickers, are fundamentally different from reach trucks. While reach trucks are forklifts designed to handle pallets, cherry pickers are mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) primarily used for accessing elevated work areas.

Aerial work platforms are a type of equipment used for aerial work. Their primary function is vertical or diagonal lifting, primarily to transport people.

Telescopic boom work platforms

Telescopic boom work platforms, also known as telescopic boom lifts, are off-road multi-purpose aerial work vehicles with telescopic booms.

Telescopic boom work platforms are off-road multi-purpose aerial work vehicles with telescopic booms. They feature a lightweight chassis and are suitable for working at height in confined areas. This equipment features a ±360° swivel mechanism, synchronized with a single-stage telescopic hydraulic cylinder and a wire rope pulley mechanism. Safety features include an outrigger interlock and an emergency pump. Typical models include the XCMG GKS series, Dongfeng, and Jiangling brands, and are equipped with an intelligent control system.

Folding Arm Work Platform

A folding arm aerial work platform is a special-purpose vehicle with a folding arm structure, characterized by rapid setup, ease of operation, and a compact design. Its hydraulic support legs automatically level, and it can be powered by a 24V deep-cycle battery, a 220V AC power source, or a gasoline engine, making it suitable for outdoor maintenance and cleaning operations in multiple locations.

The main model features a 680°/700° turntable rotation, a 1.3-meter-long jib, and 90° vertical swing. Non-marking rubber tires are suitable for indoor and outdoor environments. The hydraulic support legs feature automatic leveling and locking devices, and are equipped with a manual emergency lowering valve.

Aerial Work Platform Applications: Outdoor applications primarily in the power, communications, street lighting, traffic police, highway, cable television, shipbuilding, construction, landscape architecture, advertising, photography, and large enterprises sectors.

Vertical Lift Work Platform

The scissor-type mechanical structure of a scissor-type aerial work platform provides high stability during lifting. The wide working platform and high load capacity extend the working range and accommodate multiple people working simultaneously. This increases efficiency and safety.

Boom-type aerial work platforms feature telescopic and luffing capabilities, characterized by high working heights and a wide operating range. Boom-type platforms can be categorized as telescopic, folding (also known as articulated), and hybrid telescopic and folding types. Hybrid telescopic and folding types offer the highest technical requirements and the most powerful features. Boom-type aerial work platforms (non-automobile chassis) are primarily used for installation and maintenance in the shipbuilding industry, construction work, and power installation and maintenance.

Summary

A reach truck is not a cherry picker, although its order picker is in some ways an aerial work vehicle. Their main working scenarios are different. Reach trucks are mainly suitable for indoor use and shelf placement, while aerial work vehicles are mainly used outdoors and in various scenarios. They are also equipped with a standard working platform that can carry people to work.