Kinds of Tires
Cushion tires are normally considered solid tires with no tread pattern. These tires are designed for indoor solid and smooth 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 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 really reduces its rated lift capacity. More often than not, pneumatic tires are utilized in rough terrain environments due to their ability to negotiate uneven surfaces in a smoother fashion. Numerous mining or agricultural applications and construction sites rely on these tires to be able to make sure the machinery is able to travel as carefully and safe as possible.
Lift height and Lift Capacity
It is vital to know the maximum dimensions and weight of the loads you would be handling in order to determine the capacity of the vehicle needed. Also, you should know the maximum fork height needed in order to stack or rack 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 reduces the equipment's lifting capacity and affects the height and the load being lifted. Utilizing various types of attachments could also affect the truck's overall capacity.
Mast Options
On the market these days are various options of forklift masts. These comprise: quad, triple, double and single masts. The number indicated the amount of sections on the mast. In various circumstances, you would not be needed to make any choices because the lift height would dictate the kind of mast you would get, however, in trucks with really high lift heights, you may have a choice.