Tire Types
Cushion tires are normally considered solid tires with no tread pattern. These tires are designed for indoor solid and smooth surfaces. There are tread patterns available however, that are more suitable for different surface environments. The cushion tires are common on smooth warehouse floors and in similar applications.
On the other hand, pneumatic tires need air and have been particularly designed for outdoor use on loose surfaces and uneven ground. Pneumatic truck tires have higher ground clearance also. This raises the forklift's center of gravity and greatly lessens its rated lift capacity. More often than not, pneumatic tires are utilized in rough terrain environments because of their ability to negotiate uneven surfaces in a smoother fashion. A lot of mining or agricultural applications and construction sites rely on these tires to be able to make sure the machine could travel as safe and carefully as possible.
Lift Capacity and Lift Height
It is essential to know the maximum weight and dimensions of the loads you would be handling in order to determine the capacity of the vehicle needed. As well, you must know the maximum fork height required in order to rack or stack 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 vehicle's center of gravity and change the load combination. This reduces the machine's lifting capacity as well as affects the height and the load being lifted. Utilizing various attachments can also affect the overall capacity of the truck.
Mast Options
On the market these days are various choices of forklift masts. These include: quad, triple, double and single masts. The number indicated the amount of sections on the mast. In various circumstances, you would not be needed to make any choices as the lift height will dictate the kind of mast you would get, although, in trucks with really high lift heights, you may have a choice.