Tire Types
Cushion tires are normally considered solid tires with no tread pattern. These tires are made for indoor solid and smooth surfaces. There are tread patterns available though, which are more suitable for various surface environments. The cushion tires are common on smooth warehouse floors and in similar applications.
However, pneumatic tires require air and have been specially designed for outdoor use on loose surfaces and uneven ground. Pneumatic truck tires have higher ground clearance as well. This raises the center of gravity of the forklift and really lessens its rated lift capacity. Most often, pneumatic tires are used in rough terrain environments due to their ability to navigate uneven surfaces in a smoother fashion. Lots of agricultural or mining applications and construction sites rely on these tires so as to make sure the machinery is able to travel as safe and carefully as possible.
Lift Capacity and Lift Height
In order to determine the capacity of the vehicle needed, it is important to know the maximum weight and dimensions of the loads you will be handling. In addition, you would need to know the maximum fork height required in order to stack or rack the loads. These factors, the load size and the lifting height, really affect the truck's lifting capacity. A bigger size load can move the vehicle's center of gravity and change the load combination. This decreases the equipment's lifting capacity as well as affects the load being lifted and the height. Using different attachments could also affect the overall capacity of the truck.
Mast Options
On the market nowadays are various options of forklift masts. These include: single, double, triple and quad masts. The number indicated the amount of sections on the mast. In different 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 could have a choice.