Skyjack finds treasures in oldest AWP search

Skyjack continues its search to find the world’s oldest aerial work platform still in use through its Quest2013 competition, with a number of interesting discoveries.

The Canadian manfacturer has encouraged its customers to submit details of their oldest machines as it prepares to celebrate its 30 anniversary. The winner will be presented with a new Skyjack platform.

In the running for the top prize are a number of equipment operators, including Gautam Infrastructure and Construction Equipment, from Mumbai, India. The construction company uses its veteran Skyjack SJ9250 RT scissor lift for a variety of projects. The company purchased the machine second-hand in 2006 from AJ Access Platform Equipment in Caldicot, UK, although its date of manufacture stretches back into the 1990s.

The scissor lift has been used for a range of maintenance and installation jobs, but one of its more unusual applications included deploying the lift as a watch tower close to a public area where authorities wanted tighter security. The mobility of the SJ9250 RT allowed it to manoeuvre through crowds and over difficult terrain to a perfect observation spot for security personnel.

Power lift

In Canada, Power Lift Equipment has one of the earliest Skyjack machines working in its fleet.

Power Lift Equipment purchased its Skyjack SJ 6.5-10 more than 20 years ago. The unit is still going strong today and its combination of endurance and reliability over nearly a quarter of a century has earned it the nickname 'The Survivor'. The SJ 6.5-10 has been working consistently as a general rental unit for electricians, plumbers, contractors and others.

Another Skyjack machine that can trace its working life back over 20 years is currently working for Böstroms Maskinuthyrning, a construction equipment rental company in Lidköping, Sweden.

The SJ006.8-13 has been on a long-term rental to Böstroms Maskinuthyrning since the end of last century. The machine is used for a variety of tasks and is particularly popular among local farms in the Lidköping area.

Skyjack has been producing scissor lifts for 29 years. The company was originally called Haessler & Deway, an engineering company that repaired machines. In 1984, it took its in-depth knowledge of scissor lifts and began creating its own lift machines. Now Skyjack lifts are working around the world.