By Healthcare Facilities Today

RICHFIELD, Wis. – Custom Equipment’s Hy-Brid HB-1030 low-level scissor lifts give maintenance crews and contractors 750 pounds of platform capacity, which is greater than competing low-level lifts and 19-foot models. Operators can load the lifts with more tools and supplies, including drywall, lumber, HVAC parts, painting equipment and electrical materials, which reduces the number of trips up and down and saves time. 

The all-purpose, heavy-duty lifts allow users to handle multiple applications up to working heights of 16 feet. With their high capacities, they can accommodate two people at a time and provide a substantial working area. Platforms are 25 inches wide by 60 inches long, and feature 30-inch slide out extensions for even greater working space. The extensions have capacities of 250 pounds.

The Hy-Brid HB-1030’s platform is operated up and down by the unit’s hydraulics, while the electrical drive and steering system is powered by two 12-volt, deep-cycle batteries. Since the system is electrical rather than hydraulic, it draws fewer amps and requires less overall power. While electric drive and steering is standard for the HB-1030, it is not available in other manufacturers’ lifts. This, combined with lightweight construction, allows the units’ battery power to last up to two times longer, or as long as 10-16 hours. In addition, the HB-1030 lifts are heavy-duty, safe and lightweight, with low wheel loads that allow users to maneuver them over delicate floors and get onto green concrete sooner.

Custom Equipment uses state-of-the-art technology to test its designs before building all of its lifts, including the HB-1030. This testing process allows the company to use a high-grade of steel, and because it is stronger, less material is required and the lifts weigh less than competitive machines. In addition, the process identifies stress points, allowing those areas to be reinforced without adding a lot of unnecessary weight.

The design of the HB-1030 lifts features dual front wheels that help distribute the machine’s weight and provide lower wheel loads. Paired with its lightweight design, the units are able to work on delicate flooring, including tile, laminate, raised floors and mezzanines, with much lower potential for damage. Users also can get onto poured concrete several days sooner with the HB-1030 than with heavier competitive models. In addition, counter-rotating wheels reduce friction, which allows users to maneuver over tile or carpeting without marking or causing tears. To ensure a clean system for operating indoors in both finished and unfinished environments, the HB-1030’s hydraulic system is completely self-contained with only two connection points. This reduces the potential for hydraulic fluid leaks, which lead to floor damage and potential safety hazards. 

Custom Equipment designed its lifts to provide safer, easier access to the platform with an entry height of 20 inches, one of the lowest available. This not only reduces the fatigue and knee strain associated with climbing on and off the lift, but also nearly eliminates potential falls, which can occur when operators are loading and unloading heavy tools and supplies. The enhanced safety results in lower Workers’ Compensation claims and a lower negative impact on the bottom line. The HB-1030 also features an access gate that swings completely open to allow users to step up and onto the platform. The full-swing gate eliminates the need to duck under bars or chains, thereby removing the concern of neck or back strain injuries. Users can easily load heavy, awkward materials like drywall and lumber for framing by simply walking up and onto the platform instead of lifting the materials up and over a bar or chain.

In addition to enhanced safety as compared to other lifts, the HB-1030 provides a safer, more efficient alternative to ladders and other manual methods commonly used to perform maintenance and industrial work in low-level-access areas. With the potential for falls from ladders or scaffolding virtually eliminated, operators can confidently maneuver tools and materials. It also reduces the number of trips up and down to secure tools, and the larger platform enhances efficiency by reducing the number of times a user needs to reposition as a project progresses.

Finally, Custom Equipment designed the lifts for easy maintenance. They feature an on board battery charger that self monitors the current and stops it once the battery is fully charged. This provides a distinct advantage over non-monitoring systems that continue to feed the current into the battery after it is fully charged. This can shorten the life of the battery and cause it to burn out. Custom Equipment also offers optional absorbent glass mat (AGM) batteries that make the HB-1030 virtually maintenance free because they never require users to add water. 

Custom Equipment, Inc. engineers and manufactures all-purpose Hy-Brid scissor lifts in electric and push-around models. The all-purpose lifts offer exceptional capabilities in a heavy-duty but lightweight design, are easy to maneuver and reach working heights up to 20 feet. Contractors and maintenance technicians can use them from start to finish for a wide range of applications in industries as diverse as construction, drywall, electrical, HVAC, industrial manufacturing, painting and plumbing. For more information, contact Custom Equipment 2647 Highway 175, Richfield, Wis.  53076, call 262-644-1300, fax 262-644-1320, email the company at sales@customequipmentlifts.com or visit its website at www.hybridlifts.com.