FORK LIFT TRUCKS

What are your requirements? Will it be used indoors or outdoors? Single or multiple shifts? What type of materials do you handle? 

Terrain on which it will be operated for consideration of tire type. Lift height of forks. Width and mast height for clearance through doors, passage ways and into trailers. Gasoline, LPG, or electric. If electric battery size. If doing shift work want to be able to run one shift before swapping out battery. Charger want one that will charge the battery in one shift. Load center of forks. Fork length. Side shifter.

If lifting high over head full view mast is nice to consider. It will have two cylinders to the outside. Leaving the center open for a better view.

Ozzb has listed some important considerations. In addition, keep in mind that greater width of the fork lift also enhances its stability, so that it is less likely to tip over while moving around the factory or warehouse. Greater wheel diameter makes it easier to negotiate uneven or discontinuous floors or tarmac, and pneumatic tires generally exhibit better traction than solid ones, a useful trait if you need to use a ramp to load and unload trucks.

Don't neglect to train your operators well, and emphasize safety! Fork lifts are very heavy for their size, and they can do a lot of damage if handled carelessly.

its not how big the forkift is or how wide they are i had a class 5 9,500 ton carrying only a 8 ton load tip over it was nasty

but it and the driver was fine

That forklift was working beyond it's load capacity, no wonder it tipped over.

Max load capacity of a forklift is one half the weight of the forklift.

I'm sure your forklift did not weigh 9500 tons. Maybe 9500lbs and it's load capacity would be 4750lbs and if the lift has a side shift on it you deduct 100lbs from that.

hi there

i drive a 3,500 to 9,500 ton forklifts so perhaps i can be some assitance with a 3 ton you don't want to lift anything more then 2075 ton or higher then load gard as weight is dangerously close to tipping over you don't want electric thats a bad move as they can become stuck easy i had several electric become stuck and well unless you got a nice large truck to tow it don't bother

if you have a lpg sit on that is perfect these can still become stuck but not as bad as a electric

ok a few points to make sure you got

tyers type are they sutible for workplace

fuel type diesal/lpg forklift or electric lpg great for big places

but its good to have one that can take both

hight that load will be working at if very high you might consider one that can lift heaver weight because the reson this is important is the more height in a load the more weight is in its extreemly important not to go over 2075 ton in weight even with a three ton one

and if you have any further questions all you have to do is ask

Try 9500lbs forklift not not ton.

Great replies so far. Here is my 2 cents worth. I am licensed for a 3 ton lift and was in your position of locating a new one. Including what you have already read there is a feature I miss one our new one that the old one had, twin brake pedals! On the old Clark, the left pedal was for normal travel braking. The right one was for holding the lift in in position, releasing the transmission thus allowing the engine to be rev'd up to speed up raising the forks. On our new/used Toyota it only has one pedal. It will stop the lift and release the transmission just as the right pedal on the Clark. On flat ground it is fine. But we must use ours on inclines and tight situations. This becomes tricky. It is hard to feather the brake pedal to control speed because it releases the transmission. When the transmission re-engages there is a slight jump. Not a problem for low center of gravity stuff. We are moving robots, CNC machining centers, and manual machines. The second pedal was over looked by me and I miss it. Definitely will be on our next lift. We use the parking brake lever to over come the problem. I do want to mention that other than the brake arrangement I like both brands equally well. The Toyota does have dual fuel (propane and unleaded gas). We use this feature like a reserve. It also allows us to operate inside buildings on propane and outside on unleaded.

All forklifts have a data plate visible on them. All forklifts come with an operators manual. OSHA goes by what is stated in the operators manual.

Understand that forklifts built after 1985, the operators manual states that forklift is not to be used for raising personnel.

Fact of the matter is you are going to need to have someone certified to operate that forklift regardless of what anyone says here in order to be OSHA compliant.

A three ton forklift is only going to be rated to lift 1500lbs and it will be 1400lbs if there is a side shift on the lift. For every inch the weight is distributed away from the mast you have to deduct 100lbs.

Your forklift is a small lift and will have small wheels on it so it will only be useful on a hard concrete surface. Don't try to use it in dirt.

All the same, you have to have your operators certified on that forklift and that certification is only good inside the property lines of where that forklift is being used.

Becareful of what you read in some of these guys posts. None of them have ever even seen a forklift that weighs 9500 tons, I don't think one exists.

Sorry for my incomplete statement. Our forklift is RATED for 6000 LBS. (Around here we refer to lifts by capacity and not the actual weight.) Not a monster, true, but definitely not the tinker toy you apparently thought it was. The tires are pneumatic, but I still would not take it on dirt. The ground around our facility is too soft. If it were hard clay I would not hesitate at all. As for the license, you are correct. It is only good for the business where it was issued. I think that is a load of crap. My drivers license for a car is good in any state even though it was issued in Illinois.

The reason OSHA makes that requirement for the licensing is because there are many different types of forklifts being used that are the same size but handle differently.

You have forklifts that go forward and reverse by foot pedals only, which take some getting used to if you've been using forward and reverse from the steering column.

It ensures that the person licensed is familiar with the forklift they are using.

I learned to drive a forklift before I learned to drive a car. When I was taking driving lessons I had a tendency to stop on the brake with my left foot because I was used to stepping on the brake and gas at the same time when performing lifting functions with the forklift. That was back in the 1970's.

I still don't like it. It would make more sense to call out a classification and allow the individual to be able to operate a lift anywhere of that type or class. I have driven the type your are speaking of. Yes it is different, but I found it less of a challenge than learning to drive a stick shift after driving an automatic. I was 6 at the time. Around the farm everyone drove after you could see over, or at least thru, the steering wheel and still reach the pedals. No I did not drive trucks on the road. That would be illegal. It was just around the farm.

http://www.forkliftlicencemelbourne.com.au

Good post

In addition to everything else said here, there are a couple of points I feel need to be emphasized. If the lift truck is to be used inside, consider electric or propane fuel over diesel due to exhaust fumes. If it will only be used outside, diesel is a good choice.

If it will be used where there is or could be a flammable/explosive concentration of vapor (such as acetone, paint thinner, gasoline, etc.) or dust (flour, sugar, coal, etc.) it will have to be rated for use in these conditions.

And make sure the operator(s) are fully trained in both operation and safety procedures before they saddle up!

And while I don't know the exact weight, the military (Navy and Air Force) use a center-articulated unit called the 'tilley" (sp?) for moving crashed aircraft. It can shove an F-4 Phantom or an F-15 around like a toy, so I suspect it weighs (including counterweight) more than 10K lbs.

Another item to consider when buying a lift is how many stages the mast has. More stages for the same lift height will mean the overall height, when in the lowered position, will be less. That will let you into lower overhead clearance areas such as short door ways and low hanging electrical items. Our lift (Toyota, 1997, Model # 6FGU30)will extend the first stage before the second starts to move. I think this is referred to as free board height but could be mistaken on the term. Basically what that would mean for you is the ability to lift an item without the mast extending upward until the first stage has reached full extension. By that time our load back rest is above the mast.

Operating aisle width is very important in deterimining which vehicle to pick. Shift length and gaurad/mast height limitations also play a role on which style to choose. No one seems to mention any acknowledgement to the product being transported, kinda key! Big difference between car frames and 48"x40"48" pallets.

Welcome aboard! True, no mention was made of these, which indeed are critical items. But then, the several parameters that were discussed may have been sufficient for the Original Poster (OP) to decide to consult a local professional, which, I'm sure you'd agree would be the wiser course.