Straddle Forklift Electric Walkie Stacker

The average empty pallet weighs approximately 50 pounds. Some weigh in at more than 80 pounds. Choosing an efficient method of gathering and managing pallets can mean the difference between profit and loss--employee safety and hazardous working conditions. And what about full pallets? If not moved properly, you risk product damage and steep drops in quality. When it comes to efficient storage and distribution, the pallet stacker you choose is critical. Its use will save time and money and also prevent needless injuries.

Key Specifications for Straddle Forklift

Lift Height and Weight Capacity	You'll want to choose the straddle pallet stacker lift truck that fits in best with your routine and warehouse set-up. The most basic questions are: How high do you need to lift and how much weight capacity? Pallet stackers will typically lift up to a maximum of 12 feet or lower and can handle up to 3300 lbs. More than this and you should probably consider a full blown forklift.
Manual Drive or Electric Drive?	A manual drive pallet lift truck is the most economical in terms of purchase price and on-going repair and maintenace. A typical warehouse employee will be able to move a 2000lb pallet on a smooth warehouse floor, although if you will be handling more than 10 pallets/day you should probably consider electric drive. Electric drive pallet stackers will be more expensive to purchase and operate than manual drive models but are better suited to high duty use, use in parking lots, and where the warehouse employees can't muscle the weight around. These models will all feature forward/reverse variable speeds and safety brakes.
Stabilization Legs	Fork over design forklift has the forks of the pallet lift truck lower right on top of the stabilization legs. The advantages of this design are that it is less expensive, takes up less space and can maneuver in tight aisles. The disadvantage of this forklift is since the forks are directly over the stabilization legs, you cannot pick up a closed bottom pallet directly from the floor; however, this is still an excellent choice for unloading trucks and this disadvantage can be overcome with either open bottom pallets/skids or blocks. A straddle forklift allow the forks to lower directly to the floor with the stabilization legs straddling either side of the pallet. Advantages of this design are it allows you to pick up closed bottom pallets directly from the floor. Disadvantages are it is more expensive to purchase/ship and it takes up more space. Counterweight or counterbalance stackers offer some benefits of both of the previously mentioned styles but with some other drawbacks. Counterweight stackers can lift pallets direclt off of the floor since there are no stabilization legs to get in the way. The disadvantages are that the weight capacity and lift height will typically be less than the other styles.

Self-propelled stackers are similar to forklift trucks but not as large or as expensive usually. Yet, you can take a stacker to the loading dock, pick up a loaded pallet of merchandise, travel with it back to the retail store side of the operation, position your stacker unit at the shelf up to twelve feet in the air and smoothly lift the pallet and merchandise to the level of the storage shelf and remove the forks from the pallet, leaving the merchandise and pallet safely positioned on a shelf.

Self-propelled stackers are usually constructed of steel with the wheels of polyurethane. The controls for raising and lowering the forks, forward and reverse speeds and the brake are generally located in the handle on the heavy duty models or as a separate lever for raising and lowering the forks on the medium duty units.

The unit is steered with the aid of a butterfly handle which tilts and twists as well as lowering or raising as required. A double safety braking system is available on the self-propelled stackers. Not only does the dead man’s feature prevent riderless runaway vehicles, but the unit ensures protection from dropping carriage, forks or mast.

The mast is the upright portion of the stacker on which the carriage rides that does the actual work of raising or lowering the forks. The mast also serves as protection for the operator from loads falling backward onto the stacker.

The stabilization legs and the forks may be adjustable for different pallet sizes or support needs. Stabilization legs may be straddle type, fork over or in some instances there will be no stabilization legs, being replaced by a counterweight sytem.

Although the self-propelled stackers are not capable of a high rate of speed—most have a top speed of around 5 miles per hour—they can still travel fast enough to create some safety hazards. Pushing the top limits of speed, especially with the load extended can create top-heavy conditions and may lead to longer stopping times in an emergency stop situations. Although visibility is excellent on the empty stackers, when loaded they have almost no front visibility. Particularly in high traffic areas, care must be taken to avoid running into or over other employees.

Other common safety issues with equipment of this type is running over feet.

Please call us at the phone number below if you have any other questions and we'll be happy to help you figure out which straddle forklift you need to buy. We are located in Seattle, so we don't start answering the phone and returning calls until approximately 8AM Pacific time. You can also email us at sales@ForkliftDeals.com. Our straddle forklifts will ship out of either our Seattle or Dallas warehouses.