Kinds of Tires
Normally, cushion tires are solid tires which have no tread pattern. They are mostly made to be utilized on solid and smooth surfaces, typically indoors. There are tread patterns available though, that 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 designed specially for loose surfaces on uneven ground. The pneumatic tire provides a higher ground clearance over solid tires. This raises the forklift's center of gravity and greatly lessens its rated lift capacity. More often than not, pneumatic tires are used in rough terrain environments due to their ability to navigate uneven surfaces in a smoother fashion. A lot of mining or agricultural applications and construction sites rely on these tires so as to make certain the machine could travel as safe and carefully as possible.
Lift height and Lift Capacity
In order to determine the capacity of the vehicle needed, it is important to know the maximum weight and dimensions of the loads you would be handling. Additionally, you must know the maximum fork height needed to be able to stack or rack the loads. These factors, the load size and the lifting height, greatly affect the lift capacity of the truck. A bigger size load is able to 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 load being lifted and the height. Using various types of attachments could also affect the truck's overall capacity.
Mast Options
On the market today are various choices of forklift masts. These comprise: quad, triple, double and single masts. The number indicated the amount of sections on the mast. In different circumstances, you would not be required to make any choices because the lift height will dictate the type of mast you will get, although, in trucks with very high lift heights, you can have a choice.