Purchase of a Pallet Truck: 5 Questions to Guide You

Are you thinking about purchasing a new pallet truck to increase the productivity of your business against the increasingly fierce competition of the market? Not so fast! There is a vast variety of pallet trucks adapted to your every need, making that choice sometimes difficult. Here are 5 questions to guide you in the purchase of a pallet truck.

What type of pallet truck does your business need?

Depending on your business and your needs, you could go for a manual pallet truck, an electric forklift or a platform powered pallet truck.

1- he manual pallet truck

A standard model, the manual pallet truck is destined to perform simple procedures. Mainly used to short distance drives, he’s supplied with a lifting device by manual hydraulic pump activated by a helm.

2- The electric pallet truck

Similar to the manual pallet truck, the electric model is however supplied with an engine and many batteries, easing the carrying of the loads and allowing for an increase of its maximum capacity. Thanks to its motorized traction system, he can carry loads on a longer distance and this, without tiring its user.

3-The platform power pallet truck

As its name says, this type of pallet truck is supplied with a rear platform equipped with a driving station for the user. This station includes all electric commands for the steering and lifting system, also available for the electric forklift.

What size should be your pallet truck?

Pallet trucks generally have two types of forks, being short forks and long forks.

The standard pallet truck has shorter forks with a length of 1150 mm, the same length than a standard pallet. This type of fork is useful to carry loads in narrower areas and to stock the pallet truck.

Long forks, less common than short forks, are an adapted solution for more specific needs. Their lengths vary between 1300 and 3000 mm, depending on their use.Pallet Truck

The purchase of a pallet truck will thus depend on the size of the pallets you wish to carry.

Do you need a pallet truck allowing a great lift height?

As opposed to a forklift, the lift height of a pallet truck is minimal. Generally, the pallet truck doesn’t lift higher than 20 cm off the ground. However, there is a specific model called “scissors pallet truck” that can lift up to 80 cm for very specific needs.

Which load can your pallet truck carry?

The type of load carried, as well as its weight, are important elements to consider for the purchase of a pallet truck. Since a pallet truck’s first use is the transportation of heavy loads, a wide range of choices is offered to you. Consequently, pallet trucks can carry a load from 1000 kg to 5000 kg. To determine the correct model for your business, you must determine the maximum load to lift in your business.

How much money can you spend in the purchase of a pallet truck?

Like for the weight, the purchasing cost for a pallet truck will vary depending of its use. The price of standard model for a pallet truck starts around $300 and can go up to $1000, even $1500.

For an electric pallet truck, you must be ready to spend between $2500 and $5000, depending on certain specific details like the length of the forks, the lift height and the maximum loading capacity.

However, since a pallet truck isn’t considered a lifting device, there aren’t maintenance-related costs. Indeed, the pallet truck operator can inspect and verify the equipment’s condition himself.

There is a wide range of pallet trucks, manual and electric.

Consequently, it’s important to ask the right questions before purchasing one. Equipping ourselves with an adequate pallet truck comes down to question ourselves on the model the business really needs, whether it’s for the length of the forks or the weight that can be lifted. Once those criteria have been established, it’ll be possible to compare prices to make a judicious choice.