Kinds of Tires
Usually, cushion tires are solid tires that have no tread pattern. They are mostly designed to be used on solid and smooth surfaces, usually indoors. There are tread patterns available though, that are a lot suitable for various surface environments. The cushion tires are popular on smooth warehouse floors and in similar applications.
On the other hand, pneumatic tires need air and have been particularly made for outdoor use on uneven ground and loose surfaces. Pneumatic truck tires have higher ground clearance also. This raises the center of gravity of the forklift and greatly reduces its rated lift capacity. Most often, pneumatic tires are used in rough terrain surroundings because of their ability to navigate uneven surfaces in a smoother manner. A lot of construction sites and mining or agricultural applications rely on these tires in order to make certain the machinery is able to travel as carefully and safe as possible.
Lift Capacity and Lift Height
It is vital to understand the maximum weight and dimensions of the loads you will be handling in order to determine the capacity of the vehicle needed. Furthermore, you would need to know the maximum fork height needed so as to stack or rack the loads. These factors, the lifting height as well as the load size, greatly affect the lift capacity of the truck. A larger size load can move the center of gravity of the vehicle and change the load combination. This reduces the lifting capacity of the equipment as well as affects the load being lifted and the height. Using different types of attachments could also affect the truck's overall capacity.
Mast Options
On the market today are various choices of forklift masts. These include: single, double, triple and quad masts. The number indicated the amount of sections on the mast. In different circumstances, you would not be needed to make any choices as the lift height would dictate the kind of mast you will get, although, in trucks with really high lift heights, you may have a choice.