Genie Scissor Lift for Sale

If you are trying to find a Genie scissor lift for sale, here are some of the most common questions we hear about these popular machines.

Genie first started designing aerial lifts for workers when the company was founded back in 1966. Today, the Redmond, WA-based company is owned by Terex. Genie primarily manufactures electric scissor lifts for indoor and outdoor job sites with flat surfaces, and gas-powered rough terrain (RT) scissor lifts for outdoor construction and other applications.

What is a Genie Lift?

A Genie scissor lift is built to lift workers and materials up above ground more safely than on an unstable ladder. Genie brand scissor lifts all feature electric motors. The difference between the two styles of scissor lifts that Genie manufactures is that some feature an E-drive (electric) lift, while others feature a traditional hydraulic lift system.

Genie scissor lifts are designed for indoor and outdoor use, although the newer models are able to drive a short distance on slopes of up to 25 degrees. Most of the company’s machines are “slab scissor lifts,” meaning they must be parked on a hard, flat, stable surface before raising workers in the lift.

Genie scissor lifts are suitable for working on utility lines, on construction and railroad sites, on landscaping projects, for hanging signage on buildings or billboards, and for warehousing purposes. Genie’s RT scissor lifts are four-wheel drive and are suitable for job sites with uneven surfaces like dirt, sand, gravel or mud.

How Much Does a Genie Scissor Lift Cost?

The cost of a new Genie scissor lift depends on its maximum lift height, weight capacity, and other features. Genie’s smallest scissor lift, the GS-1432m E-Drive, with a 20-foot lift height, retails for around $16,000 as of 2022. Genie’s largest scissor lift, the GS-4655 E-Drive, with a max lift height of 51 feet, 9 inches, can retail for upwards of $50,000. Buying a used model can greatly reduce the purchase price of a Genie scissor lift.

A scissor lift has a sizable up-front cost that may not be convenient for every company. If you only need a scissor lift for occasional work or for a short-term project, it might be a better option to rent a Genie scissor lift. A 19-foot Genie scissor lift can be rented for around $160 per day, $300 to $350 per week, and $600 per month, for example.

Which is Better? Genie vs. JLG

Genie and JLG both make high quality aerial lifts, but there are a few distinct differences between the two. The main advantage that JLG has over Genie is that their scissor lifts have a heavier weight capacity. Genie’s electric scissor lifts have a longer battery charge time, and are considered to be more reliable in the long run (often because of less maintenance and downtime). Genie scissor lifts also come with a five year warranty when purchased new, and the company releases regular safety bulletins to all owners as needed. All of these factors can give Genie a slight edge over JLG’s electric scissor lifts, although JLG also manufactures engine-powered rough terrain scissor lifts.

What Scissor Lifts Does Genie Make?

Genie makes two main types of scissor lift: The E-Drive with newer electric technology, and a traditional hydraulic system. For example, Genie’s 19-foot scissor lift comes in two versions — the GS-1930 and the GS-1930 E-Drive. On the E-Drive version, the lift is electric-powered and has fewer hydraulic hoses. The other one uses a traditional hydraulic system and has a lot more hoses. The E-Drive is more expensive up front, while the hydraulic version will require more maintenance and care in the long run as the additional hoses age and crack.

How Long Does it Take to Charge a Genie Scissor Lift?

Genie has put a lot of work into its batteries and especially the newer E-Drive technology. The company boasts that its batteries now have a 30 percent longer run-time between recharges than the ones it made just a few years ago. But that also means a longer recharge time for the battery. It can take from 12 to 16 hours to recharge a fully drained battery on a Genie scissor lift.
The lifespan of the battery itself depends on how heavily it is used. Batteries can last between six months and four years. Lightly used batteries are expected (although this is speculation at this point) to be able to last up to 15 years.

Can You Use a Scissor Lift on Uneven Ground?

Certain types of scissor lifts are specifically built to be driven on uneven ground. These are called Rough Terrain (RT) scissor lifts and Genie has several of them in their catalog. RT scissor lifts have bigger pneumatic tires, four-wheel drive and other features that allow them to be driven over rough surfaces like sand, mud or gravel on a construction site.
Genie sells many electric scissor lifts known as “slab” scissor lifts. They need to be parked on a flat, level place (preferably a concrete slab) before being used. Also, the type of tires on slab scissor lifts are simply not built to be used on rough surfaces.

How Many Hours Does a Scissor Lift Last?

Scissor lifts have been known to last for decades if they don’t suffer too much wear and tear, and are kept on a regular maintenance schedule. Scissor lifts only count hours on the clock when the machine is in motion. Once it is parked and stabilized and the worker(s) are lifted in the air, the clock stops. It’s not uncommon for scissor lifts to last for 1,000 hours of motion. The image above shows the hour meter on a Genie GS-1330 scissor lift, located in a control panel on the base of the unit.

Can Two People Be on a Genie Scissor Lift?

Most Genie scissor lifts have a high enough weight capacity that they could accommodate two workers at once. Even the smaller Genie scissor lifts have a maximum weight capacity of 500 pounds. Some have a maximum weight capacity of up to 1,200 pounds. That’s plenty of weight for two workers and a load of construction materials. On the smaller Genie scissor lifts (500 pound capacity), you want to watch the weight when it comes to materials PLUS the workers. If a Genie scissor lift is overloaded with too much weight, the Overload alert will go off. The weight you are trying to lift should be reduced if this happens, by removing materials from the lift.

What Kind of Scissor Lifts Does Genie Sell?

Here are all of the scissor lifts that Genie currently manufactures, along with the maximum working height for lifts and the maximum weight capacities: