How To Choose The Right Forklift Equipment

September 13, 2022 - Last modified: September 9, 2022 @ 10:22 am

Forklifts come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and each is designed with specific jobs in mind. When it comes to choosing forklift equipment for your business, the main consideration should be how you expect to use the machine you purchase.

Types of Forklift Equipment

There are seven classes of forklifts. Each class contains one or more types of trucks. The first three classes contain forklift styles designed primarily for use in warehouses or loading docks. Class IV and Class V vehicles can be useful both indoors and out, and the remaining two classes include types of forklifts that you would generally put to work in an outdoor setting like a construction site.

1. Class I - Electric Motor Rider Trucks

These forklifts can be either three-wheeled or four-wheeled. As you can gather from the description, they use an electric motor rather than an internal combustion engine. They are generally equipped with cushion tires and can be operated by either a standing or seated driver, depending on the design.

This style of lift truck is ideal for indoor use and is almost universally found in warehouses. The three-wheel designs offer a relatively tight turning radius compared to the four-wheel versions and can maneuver in small spaces. The cushion tires are excellent for operating on smooth surfaces.

Common Uses for Class I Lift Trucks

These forklifts are most useful in traditional warehouse settings, with standard aisle widths. They are generally used for moving pallets of goods around, both on the floor of the facility as well as onto the racks.

2. Class II - Electric Motor Narrow Aisle Trucks

This class of forklift equipment contains lift trucks designed for today's warehouses. These vehicles help you make the most of every square foot of space. They also come in three or four-wheel variations and use cushion tires for operation on even surfaces indoors. They come in both seated and standing configurations.

These trucks are exactly what their name suggests: They're ideally suited to operate in very tight quarters and specifically in narrow aisles. When you reduce aisle width to maximize the use of space as many modern warehouses have done, you need lift trucks that can work without the extra clearance for movement and turning.

Common Styles and Uses for Class II Forklift Equipment

There are many mast types used on these forklifts, allowing you to adapt to the conditions and demands of your specific inventory and facility. Two of the most popular adaptations of narrow aisle vehicles are order pickers and reach trucks. The capabilities of these designs can drastically improve efficiency in handling warehouse inventory.

Order Pickers

An order picker uses a platform that the operator stands or sits on, allowing the user to access inventory directly on the racks, without the need to lower the pallets down to the floor. Order pickers make it very efficient to collect individual items from pallets on the racks and put orders together. This design has added a whole new dimension to packing and shipping, significantly speeding up the process of gathering orders.

Reach Trucks

A reach truck uses a mast type known as a pantograph, which has an arm that extends out from the vertical mast and can reach the racks without moving the bottom of the truck. Reach trucks retrieve or place pallets and can be operated from the ground.

Reach trucks often include side loaders, which come with options to pivot 90 degrees and slide side to side, making it easier to line them up with pallets on the racks. Some reach trucks are capable of working two pallets deep.

Both order pickers and reach trucks require outrigger equipment to stabilize the vehicle when reaching the high racks. However, the mobility of these mast options allows the operator previously unimaginable flexibility to access inventory in very minimal aisle space.

3. Class III - Electric Motor Hand Trucks

This class of forklift equipment contains several styles that are useful in a warehouse setting. They can be outfitted with forks or a platform. Most are operated by a single handle, with the user walking next to or behind the truck.

They come in low-lift versions, which allow the operator to get the load just up off the floor to be moved through the warehouse, and high-lift configurations, which have a mast and allow the forks to raise pallets onto racking. There is also a tractor-style hand/rider truck that the operator can stand on while moving inventory around.

Common Uses for Hand Trucks

Hand trucks are small, powerful, and very maneuverable, making them ideal for working in tight spaces, and ideal for loading trucks or trailers. They are not designed for lifting to great heights.

4. Class IV and Class V  - Internal Combustion Engine Trucks

Class IV and Class V include very similar types of forklifts. They have internal combustion engines and four wheels and are operated from a seated position. The main difference between them is tire type.

Class IV lift trucks are outfitted with cushion tires like the first three classes of forklift equipment, and are suited for use on smooth flooring. Class V vehicles use pneumatic tires and are capable of operating on rough or uneven surfaces.

If you're thinking about a model with a combustion engine, keep in mind that you'll need good ventilation to protect your workers if it will be operated inside a building. Exhaust from all combustion engines is toxic.

For indoor use, you also must consider space and turning radius. These four-wheeled lift trucks are not as nimble as the narrow aisle vehicles or the three-wheeled models. Still, combustion-engine-powered forklifts are commonly used in warehouses and on loading docks where they go in and out of a building.

Common Uses of Class IV and Class V Trucks

These classes contain the general-purpose workhorses of the forklift world. While they are not particularly graceful where space is tight, they can be outfitted to suit a wide variety of needs in an industrial setting.

5. Class VI - Electric and Internal Combustion Engine Tractors

These forklifts are used to tow heavy loads, rather than to lift them. Also known as "tow tractors" or "tugger tractors," they are operated by a seated driver. Some styles are enclosed to protect the driver from the elements. These industrial tow tractors have very little clearance and are not suitable for rough terrain.

Uses for Tuggers

Tow tractors serve one purpose. They are used to tow heavy loads over more or less smooth surfaces, indoors or out. If used outdoors, they are generally operated on the pavement.

6. Class VII - Rough Terrain Forklift Trucks

Forklift equipment for rough terrain is designed for use on a job site, where clearance, stability, and traction are required. There are three types of forklifts in this class.

Truck/Trailer Mounted

The smallest of the three is a truck or trailer-mounted lift truck that is designed to be carried to the job site, where it is then lowered to the ground and used to load or unload materials. There are truck-mounted forklifts for other applications that are not rough terrain vehicles, but the forklifts in this class are made for outdoor use.

Verticle Mast

The verticle mast rough terrain forklift is similar to the traditional style of forklift, with a seated operator and hydraulic lift channels mounted on the front. There are some visible differences, however.

These outdoor forklifts are generally larger than their indoor cousins, they are very powerful, and they are wideset for stability on uneven or broken terrain. They have pneumatic tires with an aggressive tread for traction and much more clearance than the indoor styles. The operator is often seated in a protective enclosure or cab.

Variable Reach/Boom Truck

This style of truck is equipped with an extendable boom that allows the operator to lift loads to varying distances and heights in front of the vehicle. The stability required for reaching up and out with heavy loads is significant. This style of lift truck is designed with four wheels set very wide on the base and tires that have deep treads for traction on outdoor terrain.

Boom trucks can place a load with great accuracy in an almost endless variety of job-site situations.

Forklift Equipment Features to Consider

Now you have a pretty good idea of what the various types of forklifts look like and what each is designed to do. When deciding on what forklift equipment is right for your business, you need to consider the options on the vehicle as well. Select the right features for your work environment.

Power Options

Should your truck have an electric power or internal combustion engine? There are benefits and drawbacks to each.

Electric-Powered Forklifts

Electric vehicles are ideal for indoor use. They are quiet, come in many styles, and don't generate toxic fumes. Hand trucks and narrow aisle vehicles as well as Class I seated lift trucks are all electric-powered vehicles, and all are designed specifically for use on smooth surfaces inside a warehouse or other building.

Electric forklift equipment generally has a higher upfront cost than comparable internal-combustion-engine-powered vehicles but will have lower maintenance costs over time.

Electric vehicles require charging. You can expect a charge to last between eight and 16 hours, depending on the vehicle and how it is being used.

Internal Combustion Engines

Combustion engines on forklift equipment run on a variety of fuel types. All rough terrain vehicles use combustion engines. Where you do have a choice of engine type, you'll find that these vehicles are less expensive than similar electric-powered trucks but require more upkeep over time. They do not require charging, so they can be worked without interruption.

Wheel Configurations and Tire Types

On many common styles of forklifts, you will have the option of three wheels or four. The main difference in function is maneuverability. Three-wheeled lift trucks have a very tight turn radius compared to the four-wheeled style.

Cushion tires are perfect for indoor use. This style of tire is excellent for tight turning on an even, flat surface. They are also functional on a dock or in other situations where there is no incline and there are no obstacles. Pneumatic tires are used where traction is required; this style is helpful where the terrain is uneven, includes a grade, or is broken or loose, such as gravel.

Mast Features and Options

Some of these features have already been covered. Reach trucks and order pickers are examples of highly specialized masts. If you have a specific task in mind, there is probably a mast option available to accomplish the job.

Hydraulics go on the mast of your forklift and are capable of lifting a load anywhere from several inches off the floor to over 500 feet. There is a wide range of weight capacity too; not all forklifts need to raise tens of thousands of pounds. Some lift as little as 3,000 pounds. The largest trucks can handle upwards of 50,000 pounds.

Before you select forklift equipment for your business, consider all the ways you plan to use the vehicle, and ensure that the lift truck you choose can handle your needs.

New or Used Forklift Equipment

If you can afford to purchase new equipment, you'll be able to choose from all the latest features and you won't have to worry about work stoppages for maintenance and repairs. If you will be depending on your forklift for long hours or consecutive shifts, you probably want to buy new equipment if at all possible.

Used equipment can be an excellent investment, however. You might have to work a little harder to find exactly the configuration you want, and you should realistically expect a little downtime for a used machine. It will need more maintenance than a brand-new one, but the amount you save in initial costs can make up for this.

Selecting Forklift Equipment for Your Business

Where and how you will use your new vehicle should determine what type or types of forklifts you choose and what features to look for. Be sure to compare options and prices on the model you want. Forklift Inventory can help you find the right new or used forklift for your purposes at the lowest price.

Find Forklift Equipment for Sale Near You.

Sources:

• https://www.osha.gov/etools/powered-industrial-trucks/types-fundamentals/types/classes
• https://www.forkliftinventory.com
• https://www.tmhnc.com/blog/should-i-buy-a-new-or-used-forklift
• https://www.conger.com/forklift-weight-capacity/
• https://www.certifyme.net/osha-blog/diesel-forklift-or-electric-forklift/
• https://www.forkliftinventory.com/blog/forklift-mast-types/