Forklift Information

Internal Combustion Forklifts

• Operate on gasoline, diesel, compressed natural gas or liquid propane gas
• Primarily used outdoors, limited indoor use under certain circumstances
• Able to operate in various conditions
• No batteries to recharge
• Some can lift over 50,000 pounds
• Lifespan depends on application, use and how you maintain it
• Noise emissions meet or exceed ANSI B56.1 Standards

Electric Forklifts

• Typically less maintenance than an IC forklift
• Little emission sounds so quieter than an IC forklift
• No fuel-storage required
• A charging station is necessary
• Batteries are large and heavy to change out.
• No tailpipe emissions
• Lifespan depends on application, use and how you maintain it
• Better option for smaller, confined spaces
• Load capacity from 3,000 to 12,000 lb. capacity

The majority of lifts are specifically designed for a particular type of tire, and the right tire impacts the handling and safety of your forklift. When choosing the right tire, the most common options are pneumatic tires and cushion tires. These 2 types of tires have big differences that should be considered when deciding which tire works best for your needs.

Forklift Cushion Tires

Made of smooth, solid rubber that are attached to a round metal band. Sit down rider (sits low to the ground) allows for small turning radiuses and can maneuver in tight aisle spaces. Electric forklifts (i.e. order pickers and reach trucks) only come in cushion tires.

Forklift Pneumatic Tires

Made of treaded rubber and filled with compressed air. There are two types of Pneumatic tires: solid and air. Solids are made solely of rubber and designed to prevent leakage and puncture wounds when driving on surface that may have sharp objects. Airs are made with less rubber material and typically foam filled with liquid polyurethane material to provide more durability when driving over rough terrain.

There are 3 main types of fuel for running a lift: Gas, Diesel and Electric. It’s a common misconception that the only major differences between fuel types are: cost of forklift, operating costs and environmental impact. Of course, both cost and environmental impact certainly play a big part in making the right decision on which fuel type is right for the material handling equipment your business will be using. But the fuel type you need could depend entirely on the kind of business you run.

LPG (Liquid Propane Gas) Forklifts

Gas forklifts are the most common type of forklift.
Pros: They can carry heavy loads, easy to refuel, low maintenance and have a longer life span.
Cons: Limited power and require a propane tank to provide fuel.

Electric Forklifts

Electric forklifts are ideal for smaller warehouses and facilities.
Pros: Smaller in size, can be used in a non-ventilated closed environments and are quiet when operating.
Cons: Downtime when you need to recharge the machine and intermittent use can be detrimental to battery life.

Diesel Forklifts

Diesel forklifts are very powerful.
Pros: Low upkeep, easy to fuel and reliable.
Cons: Has emissions and are noisy.