Cherry Picker Hire
Cherry picker hire with an operator in Kent
Our own 12.5m van-mounted cherry picker, driven to your site and run by our IPAF-trained operator. You need no IPAF card, no training and no paperwork at your end.
- Free estimates
- Insurance work undertaken
- Domestic & commercial
What operated hire means
Operated hire, sometimes called man and van or man and basket hire, means you hire the machine and the person who runs it together. Our IPAF-trained operator drives the van to your site, sets the platform up and carries out the work at height. You are booking the job done, not a piece of equipment you then have to manage.
It is our main cherry picker service, and the machine that turns up is our own, a 12.5m Versalift built onto a Ford Transit. Everything about the machine itself is on our cherry picker hire page.
Why operated hire is usually the better choice
For a one-off job, operated hire works better than self-drive because there is no paperwork, no operator training to organise and no risk of someone using kit they are not certified for.
The law points the same way. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require work at height to be properly planned and carried out by people who are competent to do it. Operated hire puts the machine in the hands of somebody trained to run it, which takes the hardest part of that off your list.
Self-drive makes sense when somebody on your side already holds a valid IPAF PAL card covering van-mounted booms, which is category 1b, and the work runs long enough to be worth managing yourselves. Both options are set out on the main hire page.
Who it suits
Anybody who needs work done at height and has nobody trained to run a platform, which is most people.
- Homeowners with a gutter, roofline or tree job that needs doing once
- Shops and businesses replacing a sign or fixing lights on the front of the building
- Landlords and managing agents with maintenance or inspections on the upper floors
- Event organisers putting up rigging or banners
- Businesses that need CCTV fitted high on a building, which we install ourselves from the same machine
Before the day
Most of what decides whether a cherry picker job goes smoothly is settled before the van sets off. When you enquire, tell us the job, the address, roughly how high the work is, where the van can park and what is underneath the work, such as a porch, a conservatory or a sloping drive.
If the van has to stand on a public road or pavement, or the platform will reach over one, a highway licence is normally needed first. Across most of Kent that comes from Kent County Council, and in Medway from Medway Council. Telling us where the van will stand means anything like that can be arranged before the day rather than discovered on it.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an IPAF card for operated hire?
No. Our operator is IPAF-trained and runs the machine, so you need no card and no training at your end. A card is only needed if you hire the platform self-drive and operate it yourself.
What does the operator actually do?
Drives the van to your site, sets the platform up, carries out the work at height and packs everything away again afterwards. You are hiring the people and the machine together, so the job is done for you rather than handed over.
How high can it reach?
Ours is a 12.5m Versalift. Tell us how high the work is and what sits underneath it, and we will confirm it reaches before you book. If the job needs more height than that, a van-mounted platform is the wrong machine and we will say so.
How much does operated cherry picker hire cost?
It depends on the job, how long it takes, the site and where it is, so we price each one rather than publish a rate card. Send us the details of your job and we'll put together a tailored quote.
How quickly can you come out?
Short-notice jobs are welcome. We work Monday to Saturday, 9 to 5, from our unit in Aylesford, so jobs around Maidstone, Medway and mid Kent are the quickest for us to reach.
Is operated hire insured?
Yes, operated hire is fully insured, and we work to CSCS and CHAS requirements on site.
Free estimates
Want a free estimate in Kent?
No up-selling, just simple honest advice. Domestic and commercial work across Aylesford, Maidstone, Medway, Sittingbourne, Gravesend, Canterbury, Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks, Dartford, Bromley.