Cherry Picker Hire Guide: Everything You Need to Know
Last Updated: 21 November 2025
Cherry pickers got their name from their excellent height and reach capabilities, helping easily and efficiently pick cherries. In more recent years, cherry pickers have become a staple in many different industries, including construction, manufacturing, warehouses and many more.
Cherry pickers are available for purchase, or more popular these days is hire. Hiring a cherry picker is considered more convenient with the option to hire for as long or as short as you need, hire the exact machinery you need and with quick delivery. Finding the right equipment for the job, quickly and efficiently is vital for getting a job completed on time.
At Star Platforms, many of our machines in our rental fleet are available for next day delivery and all of them are fully serviced and maintained meaning you can get to work straight away.
Choosing the right cherry picker for hire
With different types of cherry pickers on the market, choosing the right one is crucial for getting the job done safely and efficiently. Within our fleet, we have many types of cherry pickers for hire. When hiring a powered access platform, there are a few things to consider, including:
Reach capabilities
Cherry pickers are often chosen due to their outreach capabilities for hard to reach places, check the specific specifications of the machinery you’re looking at to ensure it can reach where you need it to go.
Weight capacity
Different models will have different weight loads for personnel and equipment. If you need to get equipment to height then make sure you choose a cherry picker that has the capabilities.
Working height
How high do you need to move? Check the height capabilities of your machinery to ensure it travels high enough for what you need.
Size & manoeuvrability
Consider the space you plan on working in and whether your cherry picker will be able to manoeuvre easily and safely in the space you’ve got.
Indoor or outdoor use
Will you be using the cherry picker indoors or outdoors? If you’re using it indoors you will need to choose an electric or hybrid machinery. If outdoors only, you may choose a diesel model or if operating on rough terrain then choose a model capable of travelling on rough terrain.
Types of cherry pickers arm capabilities
Alongside the way a cherry picker is powered, it is also important to consider what type of arm you require, there are two main types, a straight arm cherry picker and articulated arm cherry picker.
Straight Arm Cherry Picker / Boom Lift
Telescopic cherry pickers are also known as stick lifts or straight lifts. This type of cherry picker can only move its arm in one direction – vertically. The platform can be moved directly up or down, but due to the straight, rigid arm, there is little possibility of sideways movement. A telescopic cherry picker in our fleet includes the Skyjack SJ 66T.
Articulated Cherry Picker / Boom Lift
Articulated cherry pickers are also known as knuckled, jointed, or Z boom lifts. This is because the extending arm that supports the platform features hinged joints that allow the platform to move in a horizontal direction, left to right, as well as upwards. Some of the articulated cherry pickers in our fleet include the Skyjack SJ 63AJ (Diesel), the Niftylift HR17N (Hybrid) and the Skyjack SJ30 ARJE (Electric).
If you’re having trouble deciding which will work best, our team can give you expert advice
Why choose hiring a cherry picker over purchasing one?
Hiring a cherry picker is often the preferable choice over purchasing one for a number of different reasons. Some of the benefits include:
- Reduced storage and maintenance requirements
Cherry pickers take up a lot of space to store, so if you have limited storage space, hiring a cherry picker is the perfect choice. Alongside, not having to find a safe space to store the cherry picker, when renting the rental company will ensure all machinery is serviced and maintained ready for use, saving you time and money on the upkeep.
- No high upfront cost
Powered access machinery like cherry pickers are costly, renting a cherry picker means you don’t have to pay the full price of the machinery upfront – perfect for a business with limited capital.
- Access to a wide range of machinery
Unlike when purchasing, hiring machinery as and when you need it allows you to choose from a wide range of different models and types of platforms.
- Cost effective
Sometimes you might need to use a cherry picker infrequently, which means that purchasing a cherry picker is not the most wallet friendly option. Hiring one is a much more cost-effective option as you can hire it for as long or as short as you need.
- More flexibility for different project needs
Unlike with purchasing powered access machinery, when you hire you aren’t tied down to just one piece of equipment. You can hire different types of machinery as and when you need it.
How to hire a cherry picker?
Before hiring a cherry picker, it is important to figure out the needs of your project. If you’re unsure then the powered access platform rental company should be able to help.
Below we’ve broken down the steps of hiring a cherry picker:
- Identify your needs, as listed above make sure to specify all the requirements you will need from the cherry picker.
- Research reputable platform suppliers, look for reputable powered access machinery rental companies. Check reviews and/or case studies to ensure you are choosing a reliable, trustworthy supplier.
- Get in touch, enquire about availability, pricing and delivery options.
- Check operator qualifications, before committing to a cherry picker hire contract, make sure the people operating the cherry pickers are adequately trained to ensure safety. We do offer powered access machinery training if required.
- Review rental agreement, make sure to read your rental agreement to be aware of any terms and conditions of the rental.
- Arrange delivery and pick up, once everything else is in order you can arrange for your cherry picker to be delivered and then picked back up.
At Star Platforms, our expert, friendly team can help you find the perfect cherry picker for you and your project. Or, if it’s not quite the right solution we will find the right one. Our aim is to make hiring any powered access machinery easy.
Cherry picker rental FAQs
How long can I hire a cherry picker for?
You can rent a cherry picker for as long as you like, which can range from a day to a couple months. It will depend on the rental company and your project needs. At Star Platforms, we offer short-term and long-term rentals for whatever you need.
Do I need a license to hire a cherry picker?
No, technically you don’t need a license to hire or use a cherry picker. However, it is a legal requirement for an employer to ensure their employees are adequately trained in using MEWP equipment before they use it. We recommend providing IPAF training to anyone operating a cherry picker to ensure safety.
Will I need to service or maintain a rental cherry picker?
Most cherry picker rental providers will ensure the cherry picker is fully maintained and serviced for the duration of your hire. Make sure to double check with the company when hiring the machinery. At Star Platforms, our rental fleet is fully serviced and maintained before hire.
Looking to hire a cherry picker?
If you’re ready to hire a powered access platform, we have diesel, electric and hybrid cherry pickers available for hire. We do also have scissor lifts or low-level platforms to choose from as well. In our fleet, we have over 4,000 powered access machines and access to over 10,000 platforms nationally.
Alternatively, if you’re looking to purchase powered access platforms, then you’re in the right place. At Star Platforms, we have new and used access platforms for purchase.
If you’re in need of a generator for your next project, our sister company, Star Power, has a range of temporary power solutions including generator hire and battery energy storage systems.If you need help choosing the right equipment for your needs and requirements, then our team at Star Platforms can help – get in touch today.
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