Scissor Lift Dump Mini Trucks
Mini trucks that can both dump and raise their beds horizontally? These are the ultra-rare Daihatsu and Suzuki kei trucks with an answer to almost any off-road application you can imagine.
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Introduction
While other pages here at Mini Truck Depot focus on mini trucks from a particular manufacturer (like the Hijet HD Dump or the Hijet Deckvan), on this page we’re going to be focusing on Japanese mini trucks that have a particular functionality — the ability to use their beds both for regular dumping work, and also to raise them horizontally as a scissor lift.
Essentially, whatever you need to do, these mini trucks can do it: Farming peaches in Georgia? These mini trucks easily fit between the rows of trees in your orchard, while the scissor lift bed helps you reach parts of the trees you would otherwise need your orchard ladder to get to. Or let’s say you’re a small municipality and you need to fix street lights, or hang up Christmas decorations. Again, that raised bed means your workers can get these jobs done without ladders and other equipment.
Beyond the scissor lift function, these mini trucks can still do all the other things that make dump mini trucks so attractive as off-road work UTV alternatives: They retain all the normal dump functionality, and can even be kitted out with a plow to keep those township sidewalks and college campuses clear of snow in the winter.
So let’s take a look at your two options for a Japanese mini truck that combines both regular dumping and scissor lift capabilities, starting with the Suzuki Carry Lift Dump.
Suzuki Carry Lift Dump
The Suzuki Carry Lift Dump models are based on the Suzuki Carry Regular Cab cab and chassis, which means that they have the same engine and 4WD system as these ‘normal’ kei trucks, although these lift dumps only come with the 5-speed manual transmission. You’re out of luck if you’re wanting a CVT automatic Carry Lift Dump, but read on to learn about the wider choices you have with Daihatsu’s equivalent model if this is important to you.
When raising the bed as a platform as you can see in the photo below, it will reach a maximum height of 6 ft 5 inches. And, as you can also see if you look closely at the picture, that raising and lowering can be done from outside the vehicle — either while standing next to it or (as you can see in this picture) from the bed itself — using the remote control with its 9 ft 6 in wire.
In addition to that signature scissor lift move, this Lift Dump Carry model also has the same dumping functionality as the Carry Kintaro Dump: The bed can take up to 1,000 lbs and be raised to dump out the load to around 50 degrees in 15 seconds or so. In this respect, it has very similar functionality to the Hijet LD Dump model, so its perfect for light dumping work around your property, but won’t be ideal if you’re going to be doing some serious dumping of heavy gravel or soil day in and day out. If that’s you, then a purpose built dumper like the Hijet HD Dump is going to be a better fit because, as much as the multifunctionality of this Lift Dump expands the range of jobs it can do, it doesn’t have the focus needed for a pure dumping specialist.
Daihatsu Hijet Jumbo Lift Dumps
The Suzuki Lift Dump is rare, but the Hijet Jumbo Scissor Lift Dump is even more unusual, and yet is perhaps an even better option for anyone looking for a scissor lift off-road UTV workhorse in the USA. After all, it’s based on the best-selling Hijet in the US market, the Hijet Jumbo, so it has all the benefits of that model, including creature comforts like AC & heat, power windows, power steering, window defroster, wipers, and more as standard equipment.
So how does this Daihatsu Hijet model outshine its Suzuki Carry equivalent? Well, it’s ahead in three important areas — transmission options, cab size, and color options.
1. Transmission Options
While the Suzuki Carry Lift Dump comes with the single transmission option of manual transmission with hi-lo range selection, the Hijet Jumbo model has both that manual transmission option as well as a CVT automatic one as well. The manual option will work for those users who want to do serious off-road work and need that extra hi-lo range, but for many people the 4×4 + CVT + rear diff lock combination will be more than sufficient to get them where they need to go off-road, while also providing the best fuel economy and ease of use.
2. Cab Size
The next advantage the Daihatsu model has over its Suzuki rival is the size of the cab. The Suzuki makes do with the regular cab that has the backs of the seats attached to the back wall of the cab. The Daihatsu Hijet Jumbo Scissor Lift Dump, on the other hand, takes full advantage of the base vehicle Jumbo variant’s larger cab with its extra headroom and additional space behind the seats. What this means in practice is that you get a roomier cab with reclining seats that make it easier for you to find a comfortable driving position. On top of that, you also get extra storage space with a handy shelf just above the top of the windshield, as well as that additional area behind the seats that you’ll find perfect for storing tools and other gear that you don’t want left at the mercy of the elements in the open rear bed.
3. Color Options
Unlike the Suzuki Lift Dump that only comes in white, Daihatsu’s equivalent can be built in any color the Jumbo model is available in. Popular colors, such as khaki green, black, and silver are all available options on the Hijet Lift Dump as well. Of course, if you’re sourcing a Hijet Lift Dump for business, you may well just want to stick with white and maybe add some business name decals. But even if color isn’t an option, the larger cab and CVT transmission option may well still make this Hijet Lift Dump model a more attractive option.
Use Case Scenarios
Nurseries and Greenhouses
Running a nursery means having to constantly move stuff around. You’ve got deliveries of soil mix and mulch one hour, containerized plants the next. That’s why it’s so useful to have a vehicle that handles both.
Switch to dump mode and unload a full load of substrate into a pile or bin right where you need it. But then when you need to raise a flat of containerized plants to the height of the floor of a waiting box truck, switch to scissor lift mode and slide everything across without straining your back or hunting down a forklift.
Equestrian Facilities and Horse Farms
Stalls need mucking out, compost needs moving, and hay doesn’t carry itself. Activate dump mode and take care of the soiled bedding and manure, moving it efficiently to the compost pile without multiple trips or manual pitching into a static cart.
Then, when it’s time to restock, switch to lift mode to bring hay bales, feed bags, or equipment up to an elevated storage loft or high bay area, right to working height, without needing a ladder. When you’re doing these jobs day in and day out, these timesavers quickly add up, and with the engine being so much quieter than any equivalent work UTV, you’re not concerned about getting close to the animals that might otherwise be easily spooked.
Equestrian Facilities and Horse Farms
When you’re running a vineyard or orchards everything is tight. There’s row spacing that rules out full-size equipment. Then there are receiving setups where fruit needs to be transferred cleanly to a fixed-height intake or dock without anything getting dropped or bruised. So how well does one of these mini trucks rise to this occasion?
First of all, these are small, agile vehicles, darting down rows that would stop a truck or tractor, getting closer to the work without any timewasting detours. Then, once you have a full load and your bin of picked fruit reaches the receiving end, lift mode raises the bed level to match the height of a processing intake or delivery truck floor, so you can just slide the load across. No risk of dropping or bruising, and much easier on your back as well. Finally, out of season, dump mode handles the support work, hauling compost, pruning debris and the like around your property.
Buying A Scissor Lift Dump Mini Truck
Unlike our regular Japanese mini truck / kei truck models you can find for sale here, these scissor lift dumps are much rarer, specialist off-road vehicles that we often have to order specially. So, if you’re interested in either the Suzuki Carry Lift Dump or the Daihatsu Hijet Jumbo Scissor Lift Dump, please contact us through the form here.