Types 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 however, that are a lot suitable for different surface environments. The cushion tires are popular on smooth warehouse floors and in similar applications.
Pneumatic tires on the other hand would need 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. Most often, pneumatic tires are used in rough terrain surroundings due to their ability to negotiate uneven surfaces in a smoother manner. A lot of construction sites and mining or agricultural applications depend on these tires to be able to make sure the machinery 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 essential to understand the maximum dimensions and weight of the loads you will be handling. As well, 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, really affect the lift capacity of the truck. A larger size load is able to move the vehicle's center of gravity and change the load combination. This decreases the lifting capacity of the machine as well as affects the height and the load being lifted. Using different kinds of attachments could also affect the truck's overall capacity.
Mast Options
On the market nowadays are several different options of forklift masts. These consist of: single, double, triple and quad masts. The number indicated the amount of sections on the mast. In a variety of circumstances, you would not be required to make any choices as the lift height would dictate the type of mast you will get, although, in trucks with really high lift heights, you can have a choice.