Spider lifts — also called spider boom lifts, tracked EWPs, crawler boom lifts, crawler EWPs, compact crawler lifts, tracked cherry pickers and narrow access boom lifts — are a specialist category of mobile elevating work platform that uses rubber tracks instead of wheels, combined with extendable outrigger legs that can be positioned independently to stabilise the machine on uneven ground, slopes and soft terrain. They are named for the spider-like spread of their outrigger legs when deployed. In Australia, spider lifts are the access solution of choice for sites where conventional wheeled EWPs — scissor lifts, self-propelled boom lifts and truck-mounted cherry pickers — cannot physically reach the work point.
How spider lifts work
A spider lift uses a tracked undercarriage — similar to a mini excavator — to travel across uneven ground, soft terrain and slopes that would immobilise a wheeled machine. The tracks spread the machine's weight over a larger footprint, reducing ground pressure and allowing operation on grass, gravel, earth, and sloped surfaces.
When the machine reaches its working position, four extendable outrigger legs are deployed and the pads are set on the ground. Each outrigger can be positioned independently, allowing the machine to level itself even when the ground is uneven or when each outrigger is at a different height. Once levelled and stabilised on its outriggers, the articulating boom extends and lifts the basket to the working position.
Narrow access capability
Spider lifts are designed to be compact in their stowed configuration. Many models are narrow enough to pass through a standard single doorway — some as narrow as 700mm to 800mm wide — which makes them the only access equipment capable of entering indoor spaces through existing door openings without structural modification. This narrow access capability makes spider lifts essential for heritage building restoration, large indoor spaces with restricted entry points, indoor sports venues, atria (they are sometimes called atrium lifts), and industrial facilities.
Once inside, the machine deploys its outriggers to stabilise for elevated work. The operator can work at heights up to 30m or more depending on the model, from a machine that entered through a doorway less than a metre wide.
Where spider lifts are used in Australia
In Australia, spider lifts and tracked EWPs are used across a growing range of applications as contractors discover their capabilities for difficult access jobs that previously required scaffolding or rope access. Key applications include:
- Heritage building and restoration work: narrow doorways, soft interior floors, and height requirements that rule out wheeled machines.
- Indoor high-bay construction and maintenance: factories, warehouses, and large indoor venues where the entry point is a standard doorway but internal heights can be 15m or more.
- Steep outdoor sites: vineyards, orchards, hillside construction, embankments and terraced sites where slope limits rule out wheeled boom lifts.
- Soft ground outdoor access: parks, ovals, landscaped areas and construction sites where ground bearing pressure is too low for a wheeled machine.
- Urban tree work: tight suburban sites where a cherry picker truck cannot park within reach of the tree.
- Atrium and internal façade work: hotels, shopping centres, airports and commercial buildings with large internal voids.
Spider lift brands in Australia
The leading spider lift brands available in the Australian market include Hinowa (Italian manufacturer with a comprehensive range of tracked boom lifts), Palazzani (another Italian specialist with a strong industry reputation), Teupen (German manufacturer with machines up to 43m working height), Platform Basket (Italian, popular in hire fleets), Omme Lift (Danish, known for high working heights), and CTE (Italian, also covering trailer-mounted EWPs).
Spider lifts are available through specialist access equipment distributors in Australia. Hire and purchase options are available; hire is often the practical choice for one-off difficult-access jobs where the capital cost of ownership cannot be spread across sufficient utilisation.
Spider lift vs self-propelled boom lift
- Ground conditions: spider lifts handle slopes, soft ground and uneven terrain that wheeled boom lifts cannot. Wheeled boom lifts are faster on flat, firm surfaces.
- Access width: spider lifts can fit through standard doorways; most wheeled boom lifts cannot.
- Working height: both types cover commercial heights up to 30m+; some specialist spider lifts reach 43m+.
- Cost: spider lifts carry a higher hire rate than equivalent-height wheeled boom lifts because of their specialist capability.
- Travel speed: wheeled machines travel faster around large sites; tracked machines are slower but access more ground types.
This guide is general information prepared by EWP Australia and is grounded in publicly available Australian Standards and Safe Work Australia material. It is not a substitute for the current published edition of the relevant standard or for site-specific engineering advice. Always work from the current standard and consult a competent person for your specific equipment and application.