Snorkel’s Mini success

3 April 2024

Snorkel reports that its new all-electric drive S3013 Mini scissor lift has rapidly proved popular with tool and equipment hirers, not least because it meets a specific need on new-build construction sites.

The compact machine offers a maximum working height of 5.8m and can be used indoors or outdoors. It can be driven at full height, has a basket capacity of 272kg and weighs in at only 815kg.

As mentioned previously on the blog, the unit was launched at the Executive Hire Show in February and Andrew Fishburn, Snorkel’s Vice President Sales for UK & EMEA tells me that hirers placed many orders for it because they appreciated its lightweight characteristics and operational flexibility.

“To achieve greater environmental friendliness and to reduce costs, many new buildings are being designed with shallower concrete slab bases,” Andrew told me recently when I visited the Snorkel Europe manufacturing facility in Washington, Tyne and Wear. “This means the floor has reduced weight-bearing capabilities, requiring machines with a lighter footprint.

“The S3013 Mini sits between a traditional 19ft scissor and a smaller compact scissor like our S3010E. Its low weight means it can be used for first fit-out work associated with installing air conditioning and other services, and kept on site for other tasks.

“You might have several tradespeople working in an area at the same time, installing sprinklers and cabling in ceilings, so the machine’s low weight reduces the loading in a local area.”

The S3013 Mini has a rollout deck that can accommodate two people and it measures 0.76m wide by 1.44m long. Its 1.86m closed height facilitates passage through standard doorways without the need of folding guardrails. A 28mph wind speed rating also means the machine lends itself for working in open, unglazed building shell environments.

Power comes from AGM lithium batteries and there are no hydraulic hoses. It also benefits from Snorkel’s three-stage powder painting process for a durable yet flexible surface finish, as mentioned previously on the blog.

Like many Snorkel machines, the S3013 Mini has a fixed heavy-duty control box mounted on the platform cage, which the company says offers considerable benefits. But more on that in a future blog post...

● Read the earlier Q&A interview with Andrew Fishburn on the blog here.