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About Us

Niftylift is a British brand of boom lifts, recognised for their innovative design and robust build.

We offer a number of different <a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/niftylift-diesel-booms/"><strong>diesel</strong></a>, <a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/niftylift-electric-booms/"><strong>electric</strong></a>, and <a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/niftylift-electric-booms/"><strong>bi-energy Niftylift</strong></a> cherry pickers on our hire fleet.

They range from the 12-metre towed <a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/brands/niftylift"><strong>120T boom lift</strong></a>, perfect for working at height in confined space, to the <a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/niftylift-electric-booms/hr21-hybrid-awd/"><strong>Niftylift Height Rider HR21</strong></a>, one of the most popular all terrain boom lifts in the UK.


Niftylift

niftylift-hr12n-articulated-hybrid-boom-2

Niftylift-HR12N-articulated-hybrid-boom

niftylift_hr12_electric_boom

Bi-Energy / Hybrid

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Once in a while, we take Product of the Month off piste to cover stuff that’s not made of metal and would hurt if it ran over your foot.</h2>



<p><strong>We’re doing it now, because our Product of the Month for April is Hird service.</strong></p>



<p>We think it’s important to remember, every now and then, that a product is not just the kit. It is also the smile on the face (seen or sensed over the phone), the helping hand, and the challenge overcome.</p>



<p>It’s a bit of a journey into the intangible. You can see a robotic glass lifter (as long as it is delivered on time). But service can be less easy to define.</p>



<p>So, here we are talking about elements of service that have a direct impact on our customers. That makes sure the kit is delivered on time, and the customer and their client are happy.</p>



<p>The point is, we can all be tempted by a sales pitch. By a bargain. By something new. Here at Hird, we know, in the world of industrial equipment hire, consistency counts.</p>





<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://hird.co.uk/assets/uploads/2024/04/Hird-Service-POTM-1024x942.jpg" alt="Hird Service - POTM" class="wp-image-29739"/></figure>





</br>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Hird service expertise</strong></h2>



<p><strong>For us, that consistency starts with expertise.</strong></p>



<p>Hird has been hiring out <a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/mini-cranes"><strong>mini cranes</strong></a>, <a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/powered-access"><strong>access platforms</strong></a>, <a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/trolleys-and-accessories"><strong>material moving equipment</strong></a>, and <a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/glass-lifting"><strong>glass lifting equipment</strong></a> for a long time (Hird is no fly-by-night).</p>





<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/mini-cranes"><img src="https://hird.co.uk/assets/uploads/2024/04/mini-cranes.jpg" alt="mini cranes" class="wp-image-29733"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><strong><a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/mini-cranes">Mini Cranes</a></strong></figcaption></figure>





<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/powered-access"><img src="https://hird.co.uk/assets/uploads/2024/04/access-platforms.jpg" alt="access platforms" class="wp-image-29731"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/powered-access"><strong>Access Platforms</strong></a></figcaption></figure>





<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/trolleys-and-accessories"><img src="https://hird.co.uk/assets/uploads/2024/04/material-trolley.jpg" alt="material trolley" class="wp-image-29732"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/trolleys-and-accessories"><strong>Material Moving</strong></a></figcaption></figure>





<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/glass-lifting"><img src="https://hird.co.uk/assets/uploads/2024/04/vacuum-lifter.jpg" alt="vacuum lifter" class="wp-image-29734"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/glass-lifting"><strong>Glass Lifting</strong></a></figcaption></figure>





<p><strong>It is a complicated and safety-critical business. Many of our clients value our expertise.</strong> In fact, they rely on it. Expertise from Hird comes from people (not chatbots). Hire desk teams who know what they’re talking about. Technicians who want to help.</p>



<p>Hundreds, probably thousands, of times a year, our advice saves clients time, effort and money by advising them on the best combination of equipment needed for specific projects.</p>



</br>





<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>The curious engineer</strong></h2>



<p><strong>In fact, expertise has always been at the centre of our service. It is epitomised by the development by Peter Hird Snr, who founded the business, of what has become known as the <a href="https://hird.co.uk/service-and-maintenance/the-hird-test-measuring-mewp-battery-endurance">Hird Test</a>.</strong></p>



<p>Back in the 1980s, after a customer complained about the poor battery performance of an access platform, Peter Hird Snr set out to develop a method for checking how long a battery should last for every type and model of MEWP in the fleet.</p>



<p>It was the engineer in him. He wanted to know. That determination, led to a battery endurance test – the Hird Test – that is still used by manufacturers and rental specialists around the world.</p>





<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://hird.co.uk/service-and-maintenance/the-hird-test-measuring-mewp-battery-endurance"><img src="https://hird.co.uk/assets/uploads/2022/10/The-Hird-Test-–-measuring-MEWP-battery-endurance.jpg" alt="The Hird Test – measuring MEWP battery endurance" class="wp-image-26643"/></a></figure>





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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Listening and delivering</strong></h2>



<p><strong>The same practical and evidence-based approach to service is alive and well at Hird today.</strong></p>



<p>It informs how we develop and manage our hire fleets and the type of new equipment we invest in.</p>



<p>We are continuously listening to customers. Working in partnership with them. So we can provide not just what they need now but in a year or two years’ time.</p>







<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/tracked-maeda-mini-crane-hire/maeda-mc285-3-all-electric"><img src="https://hird.co.uk/backend/assets/uploads/2024/04/maeda_mc285cb-3-all-electric_tracked-spider-crane-edited.png" alt="maeda_mc285cb-3-all-electric_tracked-spider-crane" class="wp-image-29723"/></a></figure>





<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/valla-pick-and-carry-cranes/v80r"><img src="https://hird.co.uk/backend/assets/uploads/2024/04/Valla-V80R-pick-and-carry-crane-edited.jpg" alt="Valla-V80R-pick-and-carry-crane" class="wp-image-29724"/></a></figure>







</br>





<p>It is why we are investing in <a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/tracked-maeda-mini-crane-hire"><strong>electric Maeda spider cranes</strong></a>. Why we have the most modern fleet of <a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/valla-pick-and-carry-cranes"><strong>Valla electric pick and carry</strong></a> in the UK, if not Europe.</p>



<p>It is why we work with manufacturers to commission and design bespoke <a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/vacuum-lifters"><strong>vacuum glass lifters</strong></a>, like the <a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/glass-lifting/kappel-adjustable-fin-lifter"><strong>Fin Lifter</strong></a> from <a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/brands/kappel"><strong>Kappel</strong></a>.</p>



<p>It is why, when our customers come to us, they know there is a much greater likelihood we will have precisely the right counterbalance lifting beam they need, and the <a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/vacuum-lifters"><strong>glass vacuum lifter</strong></a> to go with it.</p>



<p>Not just on our website, but in stock, ready to go out to site.</p>





<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/glass-lifting/kappel-adjustable-fin-lifter"><img src="https://hird.co.uk/assets/uploads/2019/11/adjustable_fin_lifter_from_hird.jpg" alt="Product of the Month – Oktopus glass manipulator" class="wp-image-20813"/></a></figure>





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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Find out more about Hird service</strong></h2>



<p><strong>There is more to say about Hird service – look out for another article in the coming weeks.</strong></p>



<p>In the meantime, talk to us about <a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/mini-cranes"><strong>mini crane hire</strong></a>, <a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/powered-access"><strong>access platform hire</strong></a>, <a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/glass-lifting"><strong>glass lifter hire</strong></a> and <a href="https://hird.co.uk/products/trolleys-and-accessories"><strong>materials lifting equipment hire</strong></a>.</p>



<p>Remember, Hird service involves more than just equipment hire. We can supply equipment with operators, or manage projects on your behalf as contract lifts.</p>



<p><strong>We can also deliver training for all equipment across our hire fleets.</strong></p>



<p>Email: <a href="mailto:info@hird.co.uk"><strong>info@hird.co.uk</strong></a></p>





<p><strong>Northern<br><a href="tel:01482227333">01482 227333</a></strong></p>





<p><strong>Central<br><a href="tel:01302341659">01302 341659</a></strong></p>





<p><strong>Southern<br><a href="tel:02031740658">0203 174 0658</a></strong></p>



<p></p>





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Product of the Month – Hird Service

40 years of Hird – the lifting team that won’t let you down

<h2>The bowler hat, braille, boycott, the Ferris wheel – there is an exclusive club for people who have given their names to items and terms that achieve world fame (and, no, it was not Geoffrey).</h2>



<p><strong>Hird joined that club when its founder Peter Hird Snr devised a simple but highly-effective way to test the operational performance of batteries on DC electric articulating booms and scissor lifts.</strong></p>



<p>He invented the test in 1988. Within a few years, it was known around the world as the Hird Test.</p>



<p><strong>Nearly 40 years on, his son, Phil Hird, now Managing Director of Hird, is still receiving enquiries about the Hird Test.</strong></p>



<h3>Factory role for Hird Test</h3>



<p><strong>He said: </strong>“The Hird Test was taken up enthusiastically by manufacturers, especially when electric-powered machines were in their infancy, so they needed a simple way to measure and benchmark the performance of their equipment, and the Hird Test did that for them.</p>



<p>“We heard of a major manufacturer in the USA which had a space at the end of its production line called the Hird Test Area. Very recently we received an enquiry which we understood to be on behalf of a manufacturer in India.”</p>



<p><strong>The Hird Test was invented after Peter Hird &amp; Sons Ltd, as Hird was then called, purchased four new Simon Boxer 120 articulating booms.</strong></p>



<h3>Light project sparks test idea</h3>



<p>One of the first jobs the machine was used for was to replace wall lights at an education establishment in Hull, where Peter Hird &amp; Sons was, and still is, based.</p>



<p><strong>However, it was found that the mobile elevating working platform’s (MEWP) battery discharged after just three hours, which did not impress the customer greatly.</strong></p>



<p>Peter Hird Snr felt the same way. So, he measured the distances between the light units, their height, and the angle the boom had to slew through to reach them and used these to create a practical operational test to measure battery performance in controlled conditions.</p>



<p>Marking out a test area at Peter Hird &amp; Sons HQ, Peter Hird Snr put the Simon Boxer 120 through the range of movements required. He found that a fully charged machine could manage between 7 and 8 circuits before the battery ran down.</p>



<h3>Big MEWP performace boost</h3>



<div class="row">
<div class="halfCol col-md-6">
<p><strong>Simon, the manufacturer, was just as interested as Peter Hird Snr to see the data. The company set about modifying its machines so that, by the end of 1991, the Hird Test demonstrated that the Boxer 120 could achieve 22 to 24 circuits, a marked improvement.</strong></p>
<p>The measurements taken at that educational establishment formed the basis of the standard battery endurance test that Peter Hird Snr then started to apply to all other models of articulating booms the business operated or were considering buying to strengthen the hire fleet.</p>
<p><strong>Phil Hird said:</strong> “Soon, we had a lot of other manufacturers knocking on our door, asking for details of the Hird Test, and we were glad to share them. It’s been a good way to get the Hird name out into the market place.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://hird.co.uk/assets/downloads/Hird_Test-Self_Propelled_Boom_Battery_Test.pdf"><img src="https://hird.co.uk/assets/uploads/2022/09/Hird-Test-Self-Propelled-Boom-Battery-Test.jpg" alt="Self-Propelled-Boom-Battery-Test"></a>
<figcaption>Self Propelled Boom – Battery Test</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
</div>



<div class="clearboth">&nbsp;</div>



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<div class="halfCol col-md-6">
<p>“You could imagine senior executives seeing the Hird Test as a key part of the new product testing programme, putting their MEWPs up against competitor machines.</p>
<p><strong>“Our test has probably caused smiles and scowls around more than a few board room tables in equal measure.</strong></p>
<p>“It’s good, though, that we’ve played a part in driving forward innovation and MEWP performance. The Hird Test will have been a key element of the testing process during both MEWP design and post-production quality checks.</p>
<p><strong>“The Hird Test came about because my father was a stickler for quality, and an innovator, all qualities we’ve worked hard to keep within the business.”</strong></p>
</div>
<div class="halfCol col-md-6">
<figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://hird.co.uk/assets/downloads/Hird_Test-Small_DC_Scissor_Lift_Battery_Test.pdf"><img class="wp-image-9993 lazyload" src="https://hird.co.uk/assets/uploads/2022/09/Hird-Test-Small-DC-Scissor-Lift-Battery-Test.jpg"  alt="Small-DC-Scissor-Lift-Battery-Test" width="496" height="701"></a>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<figcaption>Small DC Scissor Lifts – Battery Test</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
</div>



<div class="clearboth">&nbsp;</div>



<h3>Scissor lift perfomance test</h3>



<p>After the success of the Hird Test for articulating booms, Peter Hird Snr devised another test for scissor lifts. Just as with articulating booms, this test was quickly taken up to simply and consistently measure and compare MEWP battery performance.</p>



<p><strong>The Hird Test is still relevant today, said Phil Hird, but as more electric MEWPs with lithium-ion batteries come on to the market, the process of carry out such tests is going to be a little more daunting.</strong></p>



<p><strong>He added: </strong>“I would reckon that a Hird Test on a modern lithium-ion battery articulating boom could generate circuit figures well into the 100s. Technology has come on in leaps and bounds.</p>



<p>“But if manufactures of these machines really want to find out how they perform, they will need to do a version of the Hird Test. They will not know for sure until then do.”</p>



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<p>Northern 01482 227333</p>
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<div class="thirdCol col-md-4">
<p>Central 01302 341659</p>
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<p>Southern 0203 174 0658</p>
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Standing the test of time – how Hird’s name has been elevated around the world


<p><strong>Telescopic Upper Boom for greater accuracy when positioning platform</strong></p>



<ul><li>Bi-Energy</li><li>Low cost transportation</li><li>Fully Proportional Hydraulic Controls</li><li>Simple, reliable &amp; easy to maintain</li></ul>


Niftylift HR12

Hird’s bi-energy boom lift rental service delivers the flexibility our customers are looking for.
Bi-energy access booms, also known as bi-energy cherry pickers, combine electric power for indoor use and the benefit of a diesel cherry picker for external applications. Select from bi-energy booms with working heights from 12.2 metres to 20.8 metres.

Bi-Energy Boom Lift Hire

Hird’s boom lift rental service has a wide range of options for the best diesel boom lifts, electric boom lifts and hybrid boom lifts in the UK, both for articulating and telescopic platforms.
From zero-emissions electric cherry pickers for internal fit-outs and maintenance work to diesel cherry pickers for external tasks like steel erection, we have the platforms for the job.
All our diesel and electric boom lifts are perfectly maintained and selected for quality, performance and exception safety, with working heights ranging from 11 metres to 26 metres.

Boom Lifts

Our powered access rental fleet has an extensive range of aerial work platforms suitable for many applications.
They include electric and diesel scissor lifts, electric and diesel boom lifts (cherry pickers), track mounted booms, push-around low-level access, and bi-energy MEWPs. We deliver (and collect) to your site.

Make an enquiry

Niftylift HR12

Niftylift - Bi-Energy Boom

Northern (Head Office)

01482 227 333

[email protected]

Central

01302 341 659

[email protected]

Southern

0203 174 0658

[email protected]