Renting a Forklift? Know Its Capacity and Lift Height First

A forklift is a vehicle used to move heavy loads, both indoors and outdoors, including loading and unloading at ports, factories, warehouses, freight forwarders, supermarkets and more.

Forklifts are considered a big help because they cut operating costs and raise productivity. Because buying a forklift can strain a company's finances, renting one is a common solution whenever a forklift is needed.

Types of Forklifts

Here is an overview of the types of forklifts you should know before you decide on a forklift rental.

• Diesel Forklift

  This is an outdoor type of forklift, since it is more often operated outside. This heavy equipment is tough and comes with an advanced system, with lifting ability (the ability to raise loads) of up to 6 meters and a capacity of up to 10 tons.

  Diesel forklifts run on diesel fuel, so they are not suitable for indoor use. Diesel gives off exhaust gases that can cause shortness of breath and are dangerous if inhaled in large amounts.

• Gasoline Forklift

  This type is among the more environmentally friendly because it uses gas as fuel. It is typically used for loading and unloading or moving an item from one area to another, and it can also make arranging tall racks easier. A gasoline forklift can lift loads of up to 2 tons to a height of 2 meters.

  Thanks to its small size and cleaner fuel, this type is widely used indoors. Unfortunately, because the fuel is gas, many renters think twice before choosing it. If the fuel suddenly runs out, it is hard to find a place to refill.

• Reach Truck Forklift

  This type uses a rechargeable battery as its power source, which makes it environmentally friendly and common for indoor use.

  This type of forklift is usually used to move large-capacity loads and can also stack goods on high racks. It can lift up to 2 tons to a height of 8.5 meters.

  A reach truck forklift comes with a pallet, which makes it easy to move goods from one place to another.

  Rental companies also recommend the reach truck forklift widely. The reasons are clear: its size, its power source and its capacity.

• Electric Forklift

  Because it uses a rechargeable battery, this type of forklift is very environmentally friendly. It is widely used indoors. Its lifting ability is also decent: it can raise loads to a height of 6 meters with a maximum capacity of 5 tons. Unfortunately, this type cannot run continuously, since its battery lasts for less than 8 hours.

After reading the overview above of forklift capacity and lifting height, you can decide which type of forklift to rent to fit your needs.