How Much Can You Lift with Your Pallet Forks?
How Much Can You Lift with Your Pallet Fork Attachment?
Pallet forks expand the capabilities of your skid steer, CTL, or wheel loader by allowing you to lift, move, transport, and place pallets in your yard or facility. It's important to understand how much your CTL, wheel loader, or skid steer forks can lift, because the rated operating capacity of your loader does not apply in all situations. The specific dimensions, placement, and weight distribution of your load can all change how much you can actually lift and carry. Plus, the capacity of your machine may be significantly less, depending on how heavy the specific attachment is.
Operating weight vs. rated operating capacity
When determining your equipment's capacity with pallet forks, you have to understand the difference between operating weight and rated operating capacity. The operating weight of your skid steer, CTL, or wheel loader is the total weight of the machine, including attachments. But these machines also have a rated operating capacity, which is the heaviest weight the loader arms can handle.
The rated operating capacity is the important number to consider when using a pallet fork attachment, but that number may less than what is listed, depending on your load center.
The importance of your pallet forks' load center
When asking how much your skid steer forks or wheel loader forks can lift, you have to consider the load center. If your load is not centered, then your machine won't be able to lift its maximum capacity. The load center describes the distance from the vertical face of the pallet forks to the center of gravity of the load. For a standard 48" x 48" pallet, the load center would be 24" from the face of the forks.
If you're transporting a longer load, then your load center will be farther away from the machine, and your overall pallet fork attachment capacity will be lower. The basics of your fork capacity are located in the owner's manual of both your machine and pallet forks. If you aren't sure how much your particular piece of equipment and attachment can lift, then please reach out to our team!
Before choosing a machine and attachment, we recommend asking the following questions:
- How heavy is my typical load?
- How high do I need to lift my loads?
- What is the length of my largest load?
- Do you have height limitations while coming in and out of any buildings?
Once you answer those questions, contact our team. We will assist you with finding the best carrier and CTL, skid steer, or wheel loader forks for your specific requirements, including what their maximum capacity needs to be, based on your actual operation.
If you’re wondering how much you can lift with your pallet forks, and want help determining what machine and attachment capacity will work best, contact our team today.