Comparisons
Spider lift vs boom lift
Compare tracked spider lifts with self-propelled boom lifts across access, setup, mobility, ground conditions, power and working envelope, with real ranges from our catalogue.
Quick answer
Choose a spider lift when
Access is restricted, narrow or delicate, the site can accommodate outrigger set-up time, and low ground pressure or a stabilised, walk-in footprint matters more than driving between positions quickly.
Choose a boom lift when
You have an open working area, need to reposition repeatedly across a large site, benefit from driving with the platform elevated, or need a well-proven outdoor envelope at scale.
Spider lift vs Boom lift: specification comparison
Chassis
Set-up method
Typical working height range*
Typical max outreach*
Typical machine width*
Drive while elevated
Repositioning
Ground loading
Common power type
Restricted-access suitability
Typical applications
* Ranges observed across machines currently in our catalogue, not a manufacturer specification. Always confirm the exact envelope for the model and configuration you intend to use.
Access and setup
Spider lifts travel on tracks and are usually narrow enough to pass through a standard doorway or garden gate, then deploy outriggers or stabiliser legs before the platform can be raised. Adequate bearing capacity is required beneath each stabiliser, with the machine set up within the manufacturer's permitted levelling and operating limits, not necessarily perfectly flat, level ground; that set-up step still takes real time, which is worth weighing against the access it buys you.
Self-propelled articulating and telescopic boom lifts generally raise directly from the chassis with no separate outriggers, so they can often be driven onto site, positioned and elevated in one continuous move. The trade-off is a wider transport footprint and, on most models, more machine weight for a given working height.
Working with a narrow entrance?See every machine in our catalogue with a stowed width under 800 mm.Explore MEWPs under 800 mmMovement at height and repositioning
Many self-propelled booms can drive while elevated, within whatever limits the manufacturer sets on ground slope, wind and platform load. That's genuinely useful for a task that moves along a facade or across an open area without lowering between every stop.
Spider lifts are typically repositioned the other way: lower the platform, retract the stabilisers, track to the next position, set up again. For work concentrated in one small area that barely matters. For a task that needs to cover a lot of ground, it becomes a real time cost worth weighing against the access advantage.
Ground conditions and stabiliser footprint
A spider lift's outriggers concentrate the machine's full weight through a small number of point loads. On soft ground, paving, decking or any surface with an unknown load rating, that means actually checking ground bearing pressure and using load-spreading mats rather than assuming the machine's relatively light overall weight makes it safe by default.
A self-propelled boom spreads weight across more, larger tyres, which generally lowers the peak pressure at any single point, but it still needs checking against the surface, especially on suspended floors, bridges or basement slabs where the total load matters as much as how it's distributed.
Working out point loads?Our weight and floor loading guide covers wheel loads, outrigger reactions and how to read a manufacturer's ground-bearing figures.Read the weight and floor loading guideReach and working envelope
Across our current catalogue, spider lifts range from roughly 9.6 m to 54.1 m working height with horizontal outreach up to about 23 m, while self-propelled booms (articulating and telescopic combined) range from roughly 10.6 m to 58.8 m working height with outreach up to about 27 m. Both categories overlap heavily in the 10-40 m band most jobs actually need, so the deciding factor is rarely maximum height on its own.
As with any MEWP, published maximum outreach is usually load-dependent and can shrink at full basket capacity, a wider slew angle or a reduced stabiliser spread. Confirm the working envelope at the load you'll actually carry, not the headline figure on the spec sheet.
Need to compare working envelopes?Filter the full catalogue by outreach, or put two specific machines side by side.Explore machine outreach dataPower source and emissions
Spider lifts in our catalogue are predominantly bi-energy, a combined mains or engine drive paired with a battery, which is common on European tracked platforms and suits indoor-to-outdoor transitions and low-emission zones without giving up outdoor range.
Self-propelled booms skew towards diesel, with a growing share of electric and hybrid models. Diesel still dominates where long outdoor duty cycles and rough terrain matter most; electric and hybrid booms are increasingly common for indoor work and emissions-restricted sites.
Typical applications
Spider lifts turn up most often in tree work, roof and atrium access, event rigging, and anywhere the access route is narrow, the ground is delicate, or the machine needs to be tracked through a building rather than driven up to the job. A stowed width as little as under 800 mm on the most compact models opens up routes a boom simply won't fit through.
Self-propelled booms are the default for construction, facilities maintenance, warehousing and outdoor infrastructure work: open sites where speed of repositioning and a well-proven outdoor envelope outweigh the benefit of a smaller footprint.
Which should I choose?
General starting points, not absolute rules. Confirm against the specific site, machine and operator certification before booking.
Narrow doorway or restricted access
Spider lift
A tracked chassis as narrow as under 800 mm on the most compact models can pass through routes a wheeled boom's chassis and turning circle simply can't clear.
Large open construction site
Boom lift
Faster to reposition across open ground, no stabiliser set-up between moves, and a working envelope proven at scale for outdoor site work.
Landscaped or sensitive ground
Spider lift, with ground assessment
A tracked, stabilised footprint suits delicate surfaces, but this still depends on the machine's mass, individual outrigger reactions and a proper ground-bearing check, not the category alone.
Repeated movement along a facade
Self-propelled boom
Driving with the platform elevated, within the manufacturer's limits, avoids the lower-retract-track-reset cycle a spider lift needs between positions.
Indoor work
Depends on access and floor loading
Indoor suitability comes down to doorway and route width, floor loading capacity, and whether the site allows engine-powered machines, not machine category by itself. Electric and bi-energy options exist in both categories.
Frequently asked questions
Is a spider lift better than a boom lift?
Neither is universally better. A spider lift's tracked, stabilised footprint suits restricted or delicate ground; a self-propelled boom is generally faster to reposition across an open site and can often drive while elevated. The right choice depends on the access route, the ground, and how much the work moves around the site.
Can spider lifts work on uneven or soft ground?
Many can, provided each stabiliser has adequate bearing capacity and the machine is set up within the manufacturer's permitted levelling limits, using load-spreading mats where the ground rating is uncertain. This isn't the same as requiring perfectly flat, hard-standing ground; confirm the specific machine's outrigger reaction figures and get a site-specific ground assessment rather than assuming either way.
Can you drive a spider lift while the platform is elevated?
Not typically. Spider lifts are generally designed to be lowered, with the stabilisers retracted, before the machine is repositioned. Some self-propelled booms, by contrast, are rated to drive with the platform elevated within the manufacturer's stated limits, so always confirm the specific machine's rating rather than assuming by category.
Which is better for narrow or restricted access?
Spider lifts generally have the advantage here. Their tracked chassis can be narrower than a wheeled boom's, and the smaller turning circle helps in corridors, gateways and similar tight routes, though the actual clearance needed still depends on the specific model, not the category alone.
Which has greater maximum outreach, a spider lift or a boom lift?
Across our catalogue, the largest self-propelled booms slightly out-reach the largest spider lifts (up to roughly 27 m versus 23 m), but the two categories overlap heavily in the 10-20 m band most jobs actually need. Outreach at your intended basket load matters more than the category's headline maximum.
Are spider lifts suitable for indoor use?
Many are, particularly bi-energy models that can run on battery power indoors and switch to mains or engine power outdoors. Suitability still depends on doorway and route width, floor loading capacity, and the specific machine's indoor rating, not the spider-lift category by itself.
Do spider lifts exert less ground pressure than boom lifts?
Not automatically. A spider lift's outriggers concentrate its weight through a small number of point loads, which can mean higher local pressure at each stabiliser than a boom's weight distributed across more, larger tyres, depending on the specific machine and surface. Always check the manufacturer's outrigger reaction and ground-bearing figures for the model in question.