How to Choose an Off-Road Forklift

Rough Terrain Forklift, also known as Field Forklift, is suitable for uneven ground surfaces and can perform handling operations such as loading/unloading and stacking, featuring excellent off-road capability, maneuverability, and reliability. It can not only be equipped with forks but also be fitted with various attachments to achieve multi-functionality in one machine, improving operational efficiency. So, how should one select an appropriate rough terrain forklift? When purchasing, it is necessary to first understand its technical parameters, which are used to indicate the structural characteristics and working performance of the rough terrain forklift: Rated lifting capacity: Refers to the maximum weight of goods allowed to be lifted when the distance from the center of gravity of the goods to the front wall of the fork does not exceed the load center distance, measured in tons (t). If the center of gravity of the goods on the fork exceeds the specified load center distance, the lifting capacity must be correspondingly reduced due to the longitudinal stability limitations of the forklift. Generally, the higher the rated lifting capacity, the higher the market price of the rough terrain forklift. Load center distance: Refers to the horizontal distance from the center of gravity of standard goods placed on the fork to the front wall of the vertical section of the fork, measured in millimeters. The load center distance for 1-4 ton forklifts is specified as 500mm; for 5-10 tons, 600mm; for 12-18 tons, 900mm; and for 20-42 tons, 1250mm. Maximum lifting height: Refers to the vertical distance between the upper surface of the horizontal section of the fork and the horizontal ground on which the forklift stands when the forklift is fully loaded on flat, solid ground and the goods are lifted to the highest position. This height determines the height at which the forklift can load and unload goods, and generally, meeting the operational requirements is sufficient. Mast tilt angle: Refers to the maximum forward or backward tilt angle of the mast relative to its vertical position when the forklift is unloaded on flat, solid ground. The forward tilt angle facilitates the picking up and unloading of goods, while the backward tilt angle prevents goods from sliding off during travel with a load. Generally, the forward tilt angle of a forklift is 3°-6°, and the backward tilt angle is 10°-12°. Maximum lifting speed: Usually refers to the maximum speed at which goods are lifted when the forklift is fully loaded, measured in meters per minute (m/min). Increasing this speed can improve operational efficiency, but excessive speed may easily cause cargo damage and machine damage accidents. Currently, the maximum lifting speed of domestic forklifts has reached 20m/min. Maximum travel speed: When a 1-ton internal combustion forklift is fully loaded, the maximum travel speed shall not be less than 17m/min. Minimum turning radius: Refers to the minimum distance from the outermost and innermost points of the vehicle body to the turning center when the forklift is traveling at low speed without load and the steering wheel is turned to the full lock position, respectively called the minimum outer turning radius and the minimum inner turning radius. The smaller the minimum outer turning radius, the smaller the ground area required for the forklift to turn, and the better its maneuverability. Minimum ground clearance: Refers to the distance from the lowest fixed point on the vehicle body, excluding the wheels, to the ground, reflecting the forklift's ability to pass over raised obstacles on the ground without collision. The larger this clearance, the better the forklift's passability. Wheelbase and track: Wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the centerlines of the front and rear axles of the forklift, and track is the distance between the centers of the left and right wheels on the same axle. Increasing the wheelbase is beneficial to the longitudinal stability of the forklift, but it will increase the vehicle body length and the minimum turning radius; increasing the track is beneficial to lateral stability, but it will increase the overall width of the vehicle body and the minimum turning radius. Minimum width of right-angle aisle: Refers to the minimum width of an aisle where forklifts travel back and forth and intersect at right angles; the smaller the value, the better the performance. Minimum width of stacking aisle: Refers to the minimum width of the aisle required for normal forklift operation. Maximum climbing gradient at full load: Refers to the maximum slope that a fully loaded forklift can climb on dry, solid road surfaces in low gear. In addition, a newly purchased forklift has a break-in period, generally around 50 hours of initial use or a travel distance of approximately 500 kilometers from the start of operation.