Types of Tires
Cushion tires are normally considered solid tires with no tread pattern. These tires are made for indoor solid and smooth surfaces. There are tread patterns available however, which are a lot 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 specially made 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 reduces its rated lift capacity. Most often, pneumatic tires are used in rough terrain environments because of their ability to navigate uneven surfaces in a smoother manner. A lot of mining or agricultural applications and construction sites depend 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
In order to determine the capacity of the vehicle needed, it is important to know the maximum dimensions and weight of the loads you would be handling. Also, you must know the maximum fork height needed in order to rack or stack the loads. These factors, the lifting height and the load size, greatly affect the lift capacity of the truck. A bigger size load is able to move the vehicle's center of gravity and change the load combination. This decreases the lifting capacity of the equipment and 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 options of forklift masts. These consist of: single, double, triple and quad masts. The number indicated the amount of sections on the mast. In different circumstances, you will not be required to make any choices because the lift height would dictate the kind of mast you would get, however, in trucks with very high lift heights, you may have a choice.