About Rough-Terrain Scissor Lifts
Rough-terrain or all-terrain scissor lifts can traverse irregular outdoor surfaces much better than their indoor-oriented slab brethren, which makes them quite versatile. They can be used indoors, but they’re at their best in exterior construction scenarios where there are steeper grades to climb, fewer objections to their noise, and more room to maneuver.

Genie GS-3384 RT
Features & Capabilities
In this class of lifts, it’s important to have a lot of workspace on the platform for building materials, tools, and the workers themselves. Many models have extendable sections that can slide out for additional working area when the platform is deployed.
Diesel-powered rough-terrain scissor lifts are common in the construction industry. That said, there are also dual fuel models with the option to run on either gasoline or propane/liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and a few that can run on battery power either full-time or as an alternative to their noisier internal combustion engines.
High Capacities & All-Terrain Performance
Overall, lifts in this segment generally have high lifting capacities in the 800- to 2,500-pound (360- to 1,130-kilogram) neighborhood.
Rough-terrain lifts must handle well off-pavement, so four-wheel-drive and grippy tires are the order of the day. They have higher ground clearance than slab scissor models, and some have traction control features as well. Once these lifts are in position, they can deploy large, external outriggers to stabilize them for the job ahead.
Find The Right Rough-Terrain Scissor Lifts
LiftsToday.com is typically home to hundreds of listings for new and used rough-terrain scissor lifts. Popular manufacturers with many models to choose from include Genie, Haulotte, JLG, MEC, and Skyjack, but there are many other manufacturers and brands represented on the site as well.