Why are Booms Still Called Cherry Pickers Today?

Cherry pickers are also known as boom lifts. Cherry pickers are not only used for fruit picking. Overhead work platforms (EWP) such as boom lifts and scissor lifts provide the necessary reach you need to access the upper floors of buildings or other structures for construction, maintenance, painting, storage, installation of utility lines, and other overhead work.

Often a nickname for boom lifts, all EWPs are sometimes referred to as cherry pickers, so it's important to understand the differences to ensure you get the height and other features you need.

If this piece of equipment is called a boom lift, telescopic boom lift, or articulating boom lift then where did it get the nickname “cherry picker” from?

 Electric Articulating Boom Lift HA14JE

Why are Booms Still Called Cherry Pickers Today?

If you work in the lift rental industry you have definitely heard a boom be called a cherry picker. This nickname is still used today because much like in the past, booms are used to give the user exceptional maneuverability in tight areas. In the 50s booms were used to move around trees where branches did not grow in a set pattern and this is still the case today. 

Sometimes the nickname can be used due to the fact that construction workers love to use nicknames within the industry. It’s not just booms that have nicknames but telehandlers, excavators do too! The simplicity of using a nickname like cherry picker instead of “articulating boom lift” makes it easy for construction workers to describe the equipment they need, making nicknames so prevalent today.

 Diesel Telescopic Boom Lift HT26J

Uses of Boom Lift: Past and Present

In the past, booms were used for picking fruit, putting out fires, and working at heights in areas like power lines. Today, with the various boom lift features, this machine can be used for all these things and more. Painting, placing billboards, moving materials to higher platforms, cutting down trees, and allowing firefighters to access areas in emergencies are all done with the help of a boom lift “cherry picker”.

What's the difference between a scissor lift and a lift boom?

Scissor lifts and boom lifts operate in different ways. Whereas a boom lift or cherry picker uses a hydraulic lift that telescopes upwards, a scissor lift uses a foldable support structure that straightens and folds similar to a spring. This gives scissor lifts a greater load capacity, but limited reach compared to boom lifts.

Learn more about scissor lifts vs boom lifts.

 Rough Terrain Scissor Lift

Cherry Pickers and Boom Lifts

Cherry pickers, boom lifts, aerial work platforms whatever you prefer to call them are one of the most useful pieces of equipment for any project. Working at heights? This is the equipment you need. Cherry pickers and booms allow any type of work to be completed in tight, tough, or rough environments. Originally used for picking fruit, boom lifts are now one of the most versatile machines in the industry. They’re the machine you need to get the job done.