Pallet Jack Purchasing Guide

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What To Look For When Buying Your Pallet Jack

Deciding which pallet jack to purchase can come with many factors to compare before making a final decision. Today we will walk through five important factors that go into making a successful pallet jack purchase.

1) Length

You don’t want to purchase a pallet jack that is the wrong length. Fork length and width refers to how wide or long the forks on the pallet jack are from the outermost part of each side of the jack. The most common fork size is 27×48” and the most common size of wood pallets is 40×48”. For pallets that are 40” long you should be using a pallet jack with forks that are 27” wide. Whether it is too short or too long can affect what your pallet jack can or cannot carry. This is not the only problem the length of a pallet jack can cause though. Buying a pallet jack that is too long can make for tough maneuvers throughout your warehouse. Being stuck with a pallet jack that takes longer to maneuver because it’s too long can have a big effect on how much value that pallet jack will actually provide for you.

2) Capacity

It is very important that you buy a pallet jack that is equipped to carry the items that you transport. Not all pallet jacks have the same maximum capacity. Pallet jack capacities can range from anywhere between 4,500 lbs. and 5,500 lbs. There are even some heavy-duty models that are equipped to hold loads that exceed 5,500 lbs. Buying a pallet jack that has a lower capacity than what you need can cause safety problems from broken pallet jacks as well as equipment downtime and damage to your products.

3) Pallet Jack Weight

Another important attribute of pallet jacks to take into account when purchasing is the base weight of the unit. When you move a pallet with your pallet jack you aren’t just moving the weight of the pallet, but the weight of the pallet and pallet jack combined. Because of this you have to be sure that the combined weight of your pallets and pallet jack can be supported by the surfaces that you will be carrying your pallet jack over like container floors or vehicle trays. If you buy a pallet jack that makes your loads to heavy because of their base weight you can damage parts of your warehouse or other equipment when transporting them.

4) Lift Height

The lift height is how high the forks on the pallet jack can be lifted. The standard height is 3” at the lowest point up to a maximum of 7 ¾”. You can also use low profile models that go lower than the standard height for pallets that sit at lower heights. While some pallet jacks can lift higher than others it is important to make sure that your pallet jack can safely lift the weight of your pallets to the desired heights. Once raised to a certain point pallet jacks can tip if they are holding too much weight at certain heights.

5) Wheels

The wheels on your pallet jack can serve two important purposes. The first purpose is to provide easy and safe maneuvering throughout your warehouse.  Making sure you have the right wheels on your pallet jack is important to make sure that your pallets are making it from point A to point B easily and safely. The second purpose that the wheels serve is to keep the pallet jack from causing any damage to the floors of your warehouse. Choosing wheels that are made of the wrong material can cause lasting damage to your warehouse floors. To ensure that your warehouse floors are protected it is recommended that you choose a pallet jack with floor-saving polyurethane wheels. These types of wheels are non-staining and will keep your warehouse floors protected.

If you have gone through your checklist to see what you need out of your pallet jack check out our Toyota electric pallet jack on our website to view the specs, request a quote, or look at our brochure here.

Source: www.chdist.com

TYLER
3305 Robertson Road
Tyler, TX 75701

TEMPLE
363 Clarence Road
Temple, TX 76501

TEXARKANA
8002 Hampton Road
Texarkana, TX 75503

MT. PLEASANT
1432 W. 16th
Mt. Pleasant, TX 75455

CEDAR PARK
500 Brushy Creek, Ste. 403
Cedar Park, TX 78613

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