Kinds 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 though, that are a lot suitable for various surface environments. The cushion tires are popular on smooth warehouse floors and in similar applications.
Pneumatic tires on the other hand would require air and are made specially for uneven ground and loose surfaces. The pneumatic tire provides a higher ground clearance over solid tires. This raises the center of gravity of the forklift and greatly lessens its rated lift capacity. More often than not, pneumatic tires are used in rough terrain surroundings due to their ability to negotiate uneven surfaces in a smoother manner. Many mining or agricultural operations and construction sites depend on these tires to be able to make certain the equipment can travel as safe and carefully as possible.
Lift height and Lift Capacity
It is important to know the maximum weight and dimensions of the loads you would be handling in order to determine the capacity of the vehicle needed. In addition, you would have to know the maximum fork height required so as to stack or rack the loads. These factors, the load size as well as the lifting height, greatly affect the lift capacity of the truck. A bigger size load can 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 height and the load being lifted. Utilizing different types of attachments can also affect the truck's overall capacity.
Mast Options
On the market today are several different options of forklift masts. These comprise: single, double, triple and quad masts. The number indicated the amount of sections on the mast. In various circumstances, you will not be needed to make any choices as the lift height will dictate the type of mast you would get, however, in trucks with really high lift heights, you may have a choice.