Normally, it takes about one month for a scissor lift to travel from the port of departure in China to your destination port.
If you are an impatient buyer, the whole process from placing the order to finally receiving the machine will still take at least around six weeks.
In a way, this is a full training course in delayed gratification.
Finally, after several long weeks, you see that marshmallow in front of you: your machine.
But before you actually taste it, the first question appears: How do I start operating it?
Your first instinct is usually to look for the operation manual that came with the machine. That is a wise choice.
If your luck is more average, the manual may be written in English with a certain mechanical beauty: technical, cold, and not exactly the kind of language human beings use in daily life.
So when that problem really happens, I hope this simple guide can help you take the first step.
1. First, find the control joystick packed separately
After receiving the machine, the first thing to do is not to start pressing buttons.
First, look for the platform control joystick that came with the machine.
During transportation, to avoid damage, the joystick on the upper platform is usually removed and packed separately.
It is often placed in a carton, possibly together with the keys, manual, charger, or other small accessories.
First, make sure these accessories are complete.
2. Connect the platform control joystick
After finding the joystick, connect it to the corresponding connector on the upper platform.
This step is usually not complicated. It is almost as simple as plugging in a refrigerator. But it is very important.
On many models, only after the platform control joystick is properly connected does the control circuit become basically ready for operation.
If the joystick is not connected correctly, the machine may have power but not respond properly; the buttons may seem to work, but the platform does not lift or lower.
3. Make sure both emergency stop buttons are released
A scissor lift usually has two emergency stop buttons: one on the platform control joystick and the other on the ground control panel.
The emergency stop button is not a regular power switch. Its purpose is to stop machine movement quickly in an emergency.
Before operating the machine, make sure both emergency stop buttons are in the released position.
During operation, also make sure the emergency stop button is always accessible and ready to be pressed if needed.
4. Find and turn on the main power switch
Next, look for the machine’s main power switch.
It is usually located in the lower part of the machine, near the battery, electrical box, or ground control area, and it is normally clearly marked.
If you want the machine to work, you must turn it on. If you want the machine to rest and save battery power, you should turn it off.
If the main power switch is not turned on, then no matter how you turn the key, press the buttons, or move the joystick, the machine will probably ignore you.
It is not being difficult. It simply has not woken up yet.
5. Insert the key and select the control position
Find the key that came with the machine and insert it into the key switch on the ground control panel.
Then, according to the icons on the panel, turn the key to select the current control position.
- Ground control: controls platform lifting and lowering from the lower control panel.
- Platform control: the operator stands on the platform and controls lifting, lowering, forward movement, reverse movement, and steering through the joystick.
The key is not only used to turn on the machine. It also decides where the machine is controlled from.
6. If the machine still has no power, consider battery discharge
If you have already confirmed that the joystick is connected, the emergency stop buttons are released, the main power switch is on, and the key position is correct, consider a very realistic issue: the battery may be discharged.
After all, the machine has been at sea for about a month.
- Confirm whether the charger arrived with the machine.
- Confirm whether the local voltage matches the charger.
- Confirm whether a plug adapter is needed.
- Confirm whether there is an available power source on site.
7. How to operate the machine from the ground control panel
If you want to operate the machine from the ground control panel, first turn the key to ground control mode.
The ground control panel is usually used mainly to lift and lower the platform.
- Hold the safety enable button and press the lift-up button to raise the platform.
- Hold the safety enable button and press the lowering button to lower the platform.
The ground control panel usually cannot move the machine from one place to another.
8. How to operate the machine from the platform
If you want to operate the machine from the platform, first turn the key to platform control mode.
Then enter the platform, close the safety gate, and confirm that the guardrails, gate, and standing area are all in normal condition.
Before moving the joystick, check the function buttons on the platform control panel.
- Lift / lower.
- Drive forward / reverse.
- Steering.
- Slow speed mode.
Do not push the joystick aggressively at the beginning. The first time you operate the machine, it is better to let it move like a cautious old man, not like a horse just released from the stable.
9. Why is the machine moving so slowly?
If you notice that the machine is moving very slowly and you have not selected slow speed mode, check whether the platform is already raised.
Many scissor lifts automatically enter low-speed drive mode once the platform is raised, even slightly, for safety reasons.
10. How to extend the platform
If your scissor lift is equipped with an extension deck, it can usually be pushed forward mechanically.
- Step on the foot pedal release.
- Push the extension deck forward with your foot or body force.
- After extending it to the proper position, confirm that the locking mechanism is secured again.
11. Before real operation, do a low-height test first
Before putting the machine into actual work, it is recommended to complete a basic test at low height.
- Check whether the platform lifts and lowers normally.
- Check whether platform control and ground control work properly.
- Check whether the emergency stop buttons work.
- Check driving, steering, braking, and charger function.
12. Final note
This guide should be understood only as a simple introduction to basic operation.
Different brands, models, and configurations of scissor lifts may have differences in operation.
If the supplier’s manual is not clear, or if you are not sure what a button, connector, valve, or operating step means, do not operate the machine blindly.
You can learn the machine step by step. But safety should not be learned by trial and error.