From the Tallest to the Smallest
November 1, 2006 • Major players in the aerial work platform industry aim to manufacture equipment that competes in every market imaginable. While equipment trends in recent years have focused on the high-reaching markets • the Genie Z-135/70, the JLG 1350SJP, and the Haulotte HA 130 JRT to name a few • smaller aerial lifts certainly have their place in the construction and rental industries.
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Image 1: Sharing virtually every component with the electric scissor line, the JLG 1230ES has been grouped with the Pro-Fit scissor family.
McConnellsburg, Pa.-based JLG Industries' latest aerial lift introduction • the micro 1230ES self-propelled vertical lift • adds a new niche dimension to JLG's product offerings. From its tallest self-propelled aerial work platform • the 150HAX articulating boom lift • to the new micro 1230ES self-propelled vertical lift, JLG is intent on covering both the high- and low-reach needs of the construction market.
Reflecting on the Past
In the 1980s, Economy Engineering ventured into the market of “micro” self-propelled vertical lifts for use inside high-rise buildings with the introduction of the Pole Cat. A leading supplier of scissor lifts in the 1970s and 1980s, Economy was ultimately bought out and consolidated with Snorkel. Although a great product, the Pole Cat had limited success because the market had not yet totally embraced the need for a piece of equipment that was compact enough to fit into an elevator and work in multi-story applications. Because working heights in high rises were often less than 12 feet, ladders and scaffolding ruled. In most areas, the cost of labor had yet to reach a point that made it economically feasible to utilize a self-propelled machine.
In the years that followed, other attempts to penetrate this market included a one-person self-propelled lift from Get Smart Scaffold Co. and UpRight's TM12 mast lift, which was introduced in 1994. These products shared a common design • a cantilevered platform elevated by a mast or telescoping tube assembly. UpRight quietly sold thousands of the TM12s and would likely be the market leader today had it not been for the financial and ownership difficulties the company had labored with until recently.
In 2004, Custom Equipment, West Bend, Wis., recognized the relative void in the market and introduced its own machine, the Hybrid micro-scissor lift, to penetrate this market. Unlike the TM12, the Hybrid utilizes a true scissor design and features a larger platform • features that Custom Equipment markets as advantages.
Today high-rise construction is at a record pace worldwide. More high-rise condos and hotels are being built or planned than at any other time in history. Couple the construction of literally hundreds of these projects with the ever-growing shortage of skilled labor, and the opportunities and applications for this kind of equipment is incredibly ripe.
Now enter JLG with its all new 1230ES aerial lift. Dave Baxter, director of marketing for JLG, was involved with marketing the TM12 when he worked at UpRight. He knows first-hand the potential for this product and is quite excited about its prospects.
Although JLG has weighed the possibility of getting into this market for some time, a micro machine was not on the top of the list of priorities • until now. “As specific product opportunities become more scarce, we have to look at more specialized or niche products to grow our product line,” Baxter said, signaling that JLG will be looking at more specialized products to back fill its already comprehensive product line.
The 1230ES
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The 1230ES's nomenclature stands for its 12 feet of platform height and 30-inch width, and it is designated as an electric scissor lift (ES). I know what you are thinking, and no, this machine does not have a scissor-style lifting mechanism. As you can see in the Image 2, this is a mast machine.
Image 2: Branded by JLG as a scissor lift, the 1230ES's lifting mechanism is actually an all-hydraulic mast.
Since it shares virtually every component with the electric scissor line and works alongside them in similar applications and markets, the 1230ES has been grouped with the Pro-Fit scissor family. If you are familiar with the UpRight TM12, you will not be surprised at the look of the newest JLG. Very similar in concept, the difference lies in the execution of the product.
The unit I had a chance to see and operate was one of several produced for validation. Although there could always be some changes with the way it is put together, this unit operates and looks exactly like the final product will look and feel.
The biggest difference between the JLG 1230ES and the UpRight TM12 has to be the lifting mechanism. While both are mast machines, the JLG differs in that it uses an all-hydraulic lift assembly in lieu of a combination cylinder and chain assembly. Shown in Image 2, a three-stage hydraulic cylinder is located inside the inverted telescoping tube. The tube is inverted to prevent debris from gathering and filtering down the outside. Short of any leaks, you should never have to pull this assembly apart for service or repair.
As previously stated, the ES designation was given to this unit because it shares so many components and applications with the electric scissor lift line. For example, the very efficient and quiet-running direct-drive
The platform is all steel and you enter it via a set of “saloon-style” doors, which are spring-loaded and allow very easy ingress and egress (see Image 3). Capacity on the 27X 49 inch platform is a full 500 pounds. Other standard features include 110 VAC wiring to the platform and a handy little tool tray in the top
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Image 3: Spring-loaded “saloon-style” doors make access very easy.
corner at guardrail height. Although the one shown in Image 4 may not be exactly the way the final product comes out, you get the idea • coffee anyone?
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Image 4. A tool/cup tray is standard equipment.
As is the case with all JLG products, the operator's comfort and safety are top priorities. I will discuss the operation of this machine and give you my first-hand impressions, as well as go into the way the 1230ES is put together in the next issue of Lift and Access 360.
