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Rental yards stocking their aerial equipment fleets know that boom lifts give customers exceptional lifting versatility with a combination of up, out and over positioning capabilities and extensive outreach. And engineered with high ground clearance, 2- or 4-wheel drive options and rough-terrain features, these booms are built for easy travel over irregular ground, matching customer’s jobsite conditions.

A rental store owner has many features to consider when choosing a boom lift for the company’s fleet. One of the most important considerations is how the boom is powered: IC (engine powered) or hybrid (combination of engine and battery powered). The decision is based on what applications the boom will most often be used in.

Engine-powered IC machines are designed to tackle outdoor construction and industrial jobs, making them the workhorses of the rental industry. These booms come with multiple power options to choose from so rental customers get the machine they need to best complete their projects.  For example, the robust Genie^® Z™-34/22 IC is equipped with 2-speed hydraulic motors for optimum speed and torque, is available with Tier 4-compliant gas or diesel engines and comes with 12 V DC auxiliary power. IC machines do come with certain compromises, though: They are not quiet when operating, and they are not ideal for indoors applications due to engine exhaust. Additionally, the engines are sized for worst-case loading applications so they tend to be oversized for typical machine operations.

Hybrid machines offer quiet, emission-free operation that allows rental customers to work in the most sensitive work environments. Genie hybrid booms can be operated either with or without the engine because they are engineered with an on-board diesel-powered generator acts like a 100-amp battery charger to provide enough electrical power to operate all boom functions, even when the batteries are fully discharged. When the engine is off, electric motors drive pumps and wheel drives allow full functionality indoors or out when the battery is charged. When the engine is running, extra power can be used to charge the battery, or the battery can be used to supplement engine power. This allows the engine to operate more efficiently most of the time, and results in lower fuel consumption.

With Genie hybrid booms in industrial applications where the machine must be driven significant distances, for example, these machines can work all day long, giving rental customers the power to get where they need to go quickly and easily without sacrificing power or productivity.

With IC- or hybrid-powered booms available, rental stores know that they can outfit customers with the right machine to get the job done.