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10 Popular Forklift Types

A quick overview of the most common types of forklift.

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A forklift truck.
A forklift truck. PHOTO | FILE

Designed to pick, lift, move, and place a wide range of materials, a forklift is one of the most valuable machines you can invest in for the transportation of heavy materials on site.

Here are the 10 most popular forklift types.

1. Warehouse Forklift

This is arguably the most recognizable of all types of forklifts.

It resembles a yellow golf cart with double forks extending from the front, which are used to load and offload items on pallet racking.

It is also great for removing and carrying things from delivery vehicles.

Warehouse forklift. PHOTO | FILE

There are several types of warehouse forklifts available in the market today, the most common ones being side loader and counterbalance forklifts.

Each of the categories is discussed below.

2. Side Loader

A side loader is one of the most common warehouse types of forklift. It is mainly found in manufacturing facilities that require moving heavy and bulky items.

Side loaders are operated by a worker standing in a sideways compartment.

The sideway operation makes it easy for a side loader forklift to drive up alongside racks to move items without having to turn.

Side loader. PHOTO | FILE

These forklift types are great for crossing corridors and handling long loads such as pipes.

3. Counterbalance Forklift

This subtype of warehouse forklift is fitted with forks in the front and a weight in the rear of the vehicle to offset the weight of the load.

These forklifts do not have extending arms, which allows them to move directly to the load.

Counterbalance forklift. PHOTO | FILE

There are two main types of counterbalance forklifts: the 3-wheel type and the stand-up category.

The 3-wheel forklift is used for jobs that require turning in circles, while the stand-up forklift enables the operator to easily hop on and off between loads.

4. Telescopic Forklift

Also known as a telehandler or reach forklift, a telescopic forklift is fitted with a boom and an extendable arm that makes it operate like both a forklift and a crane.

Telescopic forklift. PHOTO | FILE

It uses the twin forks attached to the extendable arm to move items off the ground. A standard telescopic forklift can lift 5,500 lbs of materials from up to 19 ft in the air.

Telehandlers are great for reaching narrow spaces and odd angles.

5. Rough Terrain Forklift

Also known as straight mast forklifts, these forklift types are fitted with large threaded pneumatic tires that give them the balance and stability to navigate uneven surfaces.

Rough terrain forklift. PHOTO | FILE

The forklifts are designed for outdoor applications, particularly in construction sites.

Rough terrain forklifts can lift 6,000 lbs to 8,000 lbs of material.

RELATED: 35 Types of Heavy Construction Equipment

6. Industrial Forklift

Also known as large large-capacity forklift, the industrial forklift is designed to combine the functionalities of a warehouse forklift with that of a telescopic forklift.

Industrial forklift. PHOTO | FILE

Although it cannot reach odd angles like a telescopic forklift, it is capable of lifting heavier loads higher off the ground compared to a warehouse forklift.

Indeed, most industrial forklifts start with a 30,000 lbs maximum lift – a capacity that is only needed for very specialized tasks.

7. Pallet Jack

Also known as pump trucks, pallet jacks, are small-sized forklift types that are designed to lift small loads in very tight corners. They are capable of lifting 4,000 lbs of material.

They are capable of lifting 4,000 lbs of material.

Pallet jack. PHOTO | FILE

8. Walkie Stacker

Unlike other forklifts, walkie stackers are not fitted with cabs. Instead, the operator walks behind the stacker and directs it using an attached handle.

Walkie stacker. PHOTO | FILE

Like pallet jacks, walkie stackers are lacking in terms of speed, power, and maneuverability – but are great for tasks that need a taller pallet jack as they can reach higher heights.

RELATED: Most Powerful Road Construction Equipment

9. Order Picker

This is a subtype of a walkie-stacker. With reaching heights of up to 32ft, order pickers are used for picking and delivering materials from warehouses.

Order picker. PHOTO | FILE

These machines are capable of picking one or two items rather than bringing down full pallets and loads – which makes them ideal for customer order warehouses and stores.

10. Reach Fork Truck

This is a warehouse truck for indoor applications.

It is designed to extend its forks beyond the compartment and reach into warehouse racks that cannot be accessed by standard forklifts.

Reach fork truck. PHOTO | FILE

Reach fork truck comes with an open compartment that gives the operator better visibility.

James Baraza, a Mechanical Engineering graduate from JKUAT, specializes in heavy equipment and brings 10+ years of construction industry experience and technical expertise to his reporting.