Kinds of Tires
Cushion tires are normally considered solid tires with no tread pattern. These tires are designed for indoor smooth and solid surfaces. There are tread patterns available however, which are more suitable for various surface environments. The cushion tires are common on smooth warehouse floors and in similar applications.
Pneumatic tires on the other hand will need air and are designed specially for uneven ground and loose surfaces. 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 surroundings because of their ability to navigate uneven surfaces in a smoother manner. Lots of agricultural or mining operations and construction sites depend on these tires so as to make sure the machinery is able to travel as safe and carefully as possible.
Lift height and Lift Capacity
It is important to understand the maximum dimensions and weight of the loads you would be handling in order to determine the capacity of the vehicle needed. As well, you should know the maximum fork height required so as 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 bigger size load is able to move the center of gravity of the vehicle and change the load combination. This reduces the lifting capacity of the machine as well as affects the load being lifted and the height. Using different kinds of attachments could also affect the overall capacity of the truck.
Mast Options
On the market these days are various options of forklift masts. These include: single, double, triple and quad masts. The number indicated the amount of sections on the mast. In a variety of circumstances, you will not be required to make any choices as the lift height will dictate the type of mast you will get, however, in trucks with really high lift heights, you could have a choice.