![]() As a general rule of thumb, the recommended lift height is six inches above your highest shelf so that the forklift has enough room to manoeuvre and place loads/pallets with relative ease. Lift height isn’t the same as extended height because it is actually a measurement from the floor to the forks once the mast has reached its maximum extended height limit. 99% of the time, the forklift will be manufactured to prevent this from ever occurring however, if you are testing out a forklift and it reaches greater than the extended height limit, notify a health and safety officer and exit the vehicle safely and immediately. It is important to note that when a forklift’s mast is fully extended while carrying a load, the forks should never be able to reach the maximum extended height of the mast. In essence, the extended height is the distance from the floor to the top of the mast when it is fully extended. On the flip side, the extended height of a mast is an important consideration when choosing your ideal forklift. The lowered height is particularly important for when a forklift is required to travel through confined spaces like doorways or garage areas where operators will aim to avoid clipping anything on the floor to protect the forklift. The lowered height is the distance from the floor to the top of the mast when the mast is lowered. While free lift is hugely important if you’re working in tight and narrow spaces, the lift mechanism can limit visibility if it is located in the centre of the mast which, as a result, can cause visual obstructions or even accidents during usage.Īnother factor to consider that affects forklift mast selection is the lowered height level, also known as the collapsed height. Free lift is essentially how high a forklift operator can raise the forks without the mast height changing. One factor to consider when choosing the type of mast on a forklift is the amount of free lift, especially in a location with low overhead clearance. ![]() It consists of a fork and an elevation mechanism which lifts a load by hydraulic displacement and is able to be lowered by the natural forces of gravity. Essentially, the mast is the mechanical structure on a forklift that performs the action of raising loads to the necessary required heights. The mast, or sometimes referred to as the lift mechanism, makes a notable difference in the functionality of a forklift within a particular transportation environment. While new forklifts are revolutionary pieces of machinery, it is important to understand some of the other less commonly known features of a forklift that makes them thrive in warehouse, storage and transportation industries. This is accomplished through a series of nested rails and hydraulic lift cylinders and chains to raise the upright in “stages”.Some of you reading may be wondering “What is a forklift mast?”. Uprights are designed to allow a vehicle to pass through doorways or trailers with the upright in the collapsed position while still being able to reach loads in warehouse racking. Forks- A solid steel implement that rides on a carriage used for lifting loads.The forks also mount to this along with other attachments. ![]()
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