Hand pallet truck buying guide

Hand pallet truck buying guide

Which hand pallet truck is right for you? How do you decide which steering wheels you need? Single or tandem rollers? What fork length? Which width across the forks?


This pallet truck buying guide will help you decide which fork dimensions, wheels and rollers are best for you...

NYLON STEERING WHEEL

  • Ideal for hard surfaces.
  • The easy-to-clean rims are great for indoor applications requiring high levels of hygiene (eg. the food industry).
  • Hard but brittle (they are less impact resistant than the alternatives).
  • Low rolling resistance.
  • Create more noise when travelling than Rubber or Polyurethane.

RUBBER STEERING WHEEL

  • Ideal for irregular floors.
  • Recommended for soft surfaces or areas liable to moisture (due to increased grip).
  • Flexible, supple, absorbs shocks.
  • Not suitable to areas requiring high levels of hygiene (can leave traces on the floor).
  • Do not use on floors with metal debris.

POLYURETHANE STEERING WHEEL

  • Suitable for all applications.
  • Recommeded for heavy loads.
  • Crosses obstacles (such as expansion joints) with ease.
  • Almost silent during travel.
  • Low rolling resistance.

ROLLER WHEEL OPTIONS

SINGLE:

  • For flat surfaces.
  • Suitable for entering the open side of pallets.

TANDEM (DOUBLE):

  • Improves travel on uneven ground and obstacle clearance.
  • Suitable for entering pallets lengthways and sideways.

FORK LENGTHS

795 / 800 mm :

  • Suitable for carrying pallets sideways.

950 mm:

  • Suitable for carrying pallets sideways and lengthways.
  • Ideal for use in confined spaces.

1150 mm

  • Suitable for carrying pallets sideways and lengthways.
  • Ideal for general warehouse use.

FORK WIDTHS

520 mm :

  • Suitable for lifting 'Euro Pallets'.
  • May be unstable in some applications.

680 mm :

  • Useful for larger pallets.
  • Can not enter 'Euro Pallets' lengthways.

NORMAL vs. FAST (aka RAPID or QUICK) LIFT

 

NORMAL LIFT

QUICK LIFT*

(up to 120 kg / above 120 kg)

No. of pump strokes required to lift the pallet off the floor

7

3 / 7

Lift per pump stroke

10 mm

25 mm / 10 mm

No. of pump strokes to maximum lift hight

12

5 / 12

   

*The fast lift is effective up to 120 kg, i.e. the hand pallet truck is in the fast lift operating mode up to this weight on the forks; it switches to normal lift for weights above 120 kg. The AM 2200 in fast lift mode thus achieves its maximum lift height with 5 pump strokes, in normal mode with 12 strokes..

For pallets over 120 kg (common practice), the fast lift becomes effective for going under the pallet. As soon as the load is lifted, the HPT switches to normal lift with 10 mm per pump stroke.