Skyjack Stacks the Deck
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February 2, 2005—The first time I may have operated a Skyjack scissor lift was in the late 1980s when the Canadian manufacturer was making major inroads into the rapidly expanding American scissor lift market. In the recent past, the company has made lots of changes to remain competitive despite poor market conditions and a major consolidation of the rental industry. In June 2001, the company came under the leadership of new owners when Linamar Corporation purchased a 48.5% interest in Skyjack. One year later, Linamar presented Skyjack with a friendly takeover offer that closed in August 2002. Today Skyjack is thriving as part of the Linamar family of companies based in
One thing that hasn't changed is Skyjack's no-nonsense, straightforward robust design, a character trait its products have claimed from the beginning. The same is true of the all-new 8243, the first in a new pair of mid-size rough-terrain scissor lifts. The 8243, featuring an 82-inch wide chassis and 43-foot platform height, is an extension of the product line that includes the highly successful 7127 and 7135 units. Soon to follow is the 8850, which will be the first mid-size RT scissor lift with a 50-foot platform height to hit the market.
In 1986, Skyjack staked its success on the market's ability to identify quality products and buyers that understand the meaning of overall cost of ownership. Skyjack's philosophy is that a robust, low-tech, and simple-to-service scissor lift will experience more up-time and stay in service longer than other machines. When averaged out over the years, the company believes its more expensive products ultimately cost the owner less.
The company appears to be doing a good job marketing this philosophy, because despite the fact that they do not offer a boom lift product, Skyjack stands toe-to-toe with full-line producers JLG and Genie. Skyjack owns about 29% of the worldwide production of scissor lifts. Even more impressive is that one-third of its sales are in
RT innovations
Skyjack leads in scissor lift innovation; the company was the first to successfully introduce a 50-foot RT scissor lift to
In the 50-foot class, Skyjack's 9250 scissor lift out numbers the competition. And as the market for these taller scissor lifts has expanded, Skyjack recognized that not all applications warrant large decks and capacities. The new 8243 and the 8850 feature all the platform height with a trimmer deck size and capacity than similar full-size models. This design combination provides the manufacturer with a product that addresses some price point issues that may have stymied market expansion in the 50-foot class.
The 8243's deck measures 64.5"x115.4", and a 4'6” long extension expands the total deck space to 76 square feet. A relief valve limits the lift function if the platform is loaded beyond its 1,000 pounds rated capacity. An interlock cuts out drive and lift functions if the machine is operated outside of the 2.5° side-to-side and 4.5° fore-and-aft parameters.
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| Enlarge Image Image 2: I saw the 8243 plow through mud even worse than this on the manufacturer's test track. |
Image 3: Skyjack turns to Nissan for its dual fuel engine power.
A new power choice represents the most significant component departure Skyjack has made in some time. With the 8243, Skyjack has turned to Nissan for its dual fuel engine, which has a superb track record in industrial forklift applications. The Nissan H15 fuel-injected 1.5 liter engine replaces the soon-to-be discontinued carbureted 1.3 liter Ford VSG.
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On the 8243, the Nissan engine runs at a maximum 2,800 rpm and provides a peak 40 hp and 65 ft.-lbs. of torque. Operating at this rate, the engine will consume about 2.1 gallons of fuel per hour. Unlike the previous engine, the Nissan is Tier III compliant. The highly regarded Kubota D1105 remains the diesel engine option.
Next issue I'll review key service, safety, and operational features of the new 8243 mid-size RT scissor lift and weigh-in with my final verdict.
