Types of Tires
Cushion tires are usually 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 a lot suitable for different surface environments. The cushion tires are common on smooth warehouse floors and in similar applications.
Pneumatic tires on the other hand would require air and are designed specially for loose surfaces on uneven ground. The pneumatic tire provides a higher ground clearance over solid tires. This raises the forklift's center of gravity and greatly lessens its rated lift capacity. More often than not, pneumatic tires are used in rough terrain environments because of their ability to navigate uneven surfaces in a smoother fashion. Many construction sites and mining or agricultural operations depend on these tires in order to make certain the equipment is able to travel as safe and carefully as possible.
Lift height and Lift Capacity
In order to determine the capacity of the vehicle needed, it is essential to know the maximum dimensions and weight of the loads you would be handling. What's more, you must know the maximum fork height needed in order to rack or stack the loads. These factors, the load size as well as the lifting height, greatly affect the truck's lifting capacity. A larger size load is able to move the vehicle's center of gravity and change the load combination. This reduces the lifting capacity of the equipment as well as affects the height and the load being lifted. Utilizing various attachments could also affect the overall capacity of the truck.
Mast Options
On the market these days are several different choices of forklift masts. These consist of: quad, triple, double and single masts. The number indicated the amount of sections on the mast. In a variety of circumstances, you would not be needed to make any choices because the lift height would dictate the type of mast you would get, although, in trucks with very high lift heights, you may have an option.