How to choose a suitable pallet truck??

A pallet truck is a versatile equipment that can be used to facilitate the logistical transport of materials. There are various types of pallet trucks available in the market to choose from. Getting the right pallet truck would increase the efficiency of your operations and improve the safety of your work environment.

First, we will break down the different options available and a checklist for you to decide on which pallet truck to choose from.

1. WHEELS

PU Wheels vs Nylon Wheels

Nylon Wheels

Nylon wheels are more hardy and more wear resistant, making it more suitable for carrying heavier loads. However, it gives out loud noise and requires slight thrust, making it sightly more tedious to move.

When to choose nylon wheels?

Pallet trucks with nylon wheels are well suited for outdoor use like construction sites or on roads.

Polyurethane (PU) Wheels

PU wheels run smoothly and quietly on uneven floors and are more resistant to oils, grease and chemicals. However, PU Wheels are less hardy and requires more force to push heavy objects.

When to choose PU wheels?

Pallet trucks with PU wheels are well suited for indoor use like in warehouses and onboard transport vehicles as it is not suitable in places with high exposure to sunlight.

2. Wide or Narrow fork width

Maxiton Hand Pallet Truck comes in 2 fork widths:

a. Narrow type – 550x1150mm.

b. Wide type – 685x1220mm.

To decide which fork width is suitable for your operations, you will have to look at the pallets you use. For pallet size smaller than 1mx1m, narrow fork pallet truck will be a good fit. If the pallets used are larger than 1m x 1m, the wide fork pallet truck will be your choice.

*If you do not move your goods on pallets (e.g. movement of cylindrical goods like rolls of paper or carpet), you might need a customised fork pallet truck. Contact us directly for such use.

3. Normal or High Lift

High lift pallet trucks, also known as scissor lift pallet trucks, are semi-electric pallet trucks that lift electrically and moves manually. For operations that requires lifting of heavy goods to a certain height, for example a table surface for assembly, a printer input or onto a transport vehicle, a high lift truck will be suitable for your operations.

High lift trucks are mainly deployed by companies in the printing industry, food manufacturing industry and engineering or assembly plants that requires workers to work on a table surface.

*We offer a sensor equipped High Lift Pallet Truck that automatically adjusts the height of the fork to the height of the surface. This functions reduces the amount of time taken to bend down to pick up items and increases work safety for workers as well.

4. Mild Steel or Stainless Steel

If the environment where the pallet truck is used in has higher moisture (e.g. construction site near water bodies) or requires stainless steel materials, the Stainless Steel pallet truck would be a suitable choice for your operation.

5. Weighing Scale + Printer option

Hand Pallet Truck with weighing scale is a popular choice in the logistical and retail industry. If part of your operation includes the weighing of the material transported, pallet truck with weighing scale and printer option would be a great fit for your operation.