Fleet Guide
Access work is never one-size-fits-all. A gutter clean on a suburban home and a steel erection on an industrial site both count as "working at height," but they need completely different machines. That's the whole point of running a broad fleet — so the machine matches the job, instead of forcing one compromise unit onto everything.
Here's what SOS keeps in the yard, and what each type is built for.
Scissor lifts raise a large platform straight up on a folding, criss-cross frame. They give you room, height and a generous working load — ideal when several people or a load of materials need to be up at once.
SOS stocks scissor lifts from 6.5m to 18m working height.
Where a scissor lift only goes up, a boom lift goes up and out. The articulating or telescopic arm reaches over obstacles and into positions a straight lift can't — around structures, over machinery, up to awkward roof lines.
SOS stocks boom lifts from 12m to 38m working height, in electric, diesel and hybrid.
Towable platforms that a standard bakkie brings to site, deploys on outriggers, and tows away when the job's done. No site power needed and low hire cost — ideal for building maintenance, vineyards, solar, signage and tree work, especially across multiple remote sites.
As the Niftylift agent for Africa, SOS stocks Niftylift trailer mounts from 12m to 21m working height.
Part forklift, part mini crane — a telehandler is a telescopic materials handler that lifts loads high and forward on a boom, with interchangeable attachments for different tasks. On a construction site it moves materials to height that a standard forklift never could.
SOS stocks telehandlers up to 17m reach and 4 ton lift capacity.
All told, SOS runs a fleet of 200+ machines across these categories, giving you access from a few metres of indoor maintenance height up to 38m of outdoor reach. Because we hire across the whole range, we're not trying to steer you toward the one machine we happen to own — we point you at the one that fits.
Every unit is serviced, load-tested and certified before it leaves the yard.
Not sure which machine you need? Tell us the height you're working at, whether you're indoors or out, what the ground's like and what you're lifting — we'll match you to the right unit.