Finding Suitable Pallet Jacks

A necessary piece of equipment for the warehouse floor is the pallet jack which may also be commonly referred to as a pallet truck. The need to move a pallet of materials from one part of the building to the other is inevitable and virtually impossible without a pallet jack. When looking at pallet jacks with a view to purchasing one, what should you be looking for? You will also need to know what your options are.

Essentially you are looking for a tool to easily pick up a loaded pallet and then be able to wheel it across the room without having to exert yourself or run the risk of dropping the materials sitting on the pallet.

Your choices come down to two types of pallet jacks. You can either get a manual pallet jack or a powered pallet jack. It is possible, too, that you may need at least one of each type of jack.

There are some considerations to take into account when buying a manual pallet jack. The size of the forks in terms of both the length and the width are going to be important. This will determine the maximum and minimum size and weight of the pallets that you will be able to lift. Getting a pallet jack that is too small is just as bad as getting one that is too large for the size of the pallets that you have to move.

To solve the problem that you may have in deciding which size to buy, there are some makes of pallet jacks that come in adjustable fork widths. This gives you a range of pallet sizes to operate with if you choose.

You should decide on whether you need a hand brake. As a safety measure this could be very important to avoid running into things should the jack get out of your control. Some jacks are also equipped with a quick lift feature where it only requires a few strokes of the handle to lift to the maximum height.

If you are working in the food or chemical industry then you will have to consider the material that the pallet jack has been made with. Stainless and galvanized steel pallet jacks are designed for conditions where cleanliness in the moving equipment is paramount.

As the name implies the powered pallet jacks require less manual intervention to operate, pressing a button to operate the fork and to propel the entire machine forward. Electric powered pallet jacks are the most common of these types of machines and come with a variety of features such as the ability to adjust the speed in which the jack can be moved, including a reverse option.

Powered pallet jacks can generally lift heavier pallets than the manual counterparts. In a lot of cases they can also raise the pallet higher off the ground which allows you to load pallets onto the back of trucks. These machines may either be operated whilst standing or they may come in a seated version.

Some pallet jacks come with another key feature that many people find useful and that is a built-in scale that allows you to see at a glance whether you are in danger of overloading.

Another type of powered pallet jack is an outdoor version that is powered by gasoline. When you have to shift heavy pallets over rough terrain, for example, pallets filled with sod or bags of cement, then an electric powered pallet jack will not be suitable. Gasoline powered versions are designed for outdoor use and can be taken over uneven terrain.

For handling materials outdoors on a building site or in the open field a rough terrain pallet jack will come into its own. You will use one of these pallet jacks where an ordinary forklift or a conventional pallet jack will not be able to operate. These pallet jacks have larger than normal wheels as well as a straddle fork arrangement that will be able to be used on any type of pallet and will be operable on all types of uneven surfaces.

You may get a jack with the forks protected by the arms of the machine to help stabilize the load as it is carried over rough ground. It will also guard against the pallet potentially tipping off while it is in transit.

Finding a suitable pallet jack sounds at first glance as though it would be an easy task, but they cost hundreds of dollars and buying the wrong one could be a costly and potentially hazardous mistake. Get to know the equipment you need, study the majority of the moving tasks that are undertaken in the course of the job and make your decision accordingly.

The maximum load of a pallet truck will vary depending on the size of the machine as well as whether it is a manual hand pallet truck, an electric pallet truck or a heavy duty hydraulic pallet truck. A hydraulic pallet truck might have a maximum capacity range from 500kg to 3 tonnes while hand pallet trucks will also provide you with lifting capacities reaching the 3 tonne or more mark.

One of the heavy duty powerhouses in the range of different pallet jacks that are available for use is the low profile pallet jack. Low profile pallet jacks enable the load to be lifted from all four sides, entering a pallet from any of the sides with the ability to lift very heavy loads. They may also be called 4-way pallet trucks they are often heavier and more durable than the standard type of pallet jack.

Low profile pallet jacks have a hydraulic system that allows the lifting and lowering of heavy loads with greater control and care. The skids of low profile pallet jacks are around 2 inches lower than what you would encounter with a more standard profile pallet jack.

There will come times when the load that you are going to be attempting to lift may seem as though it is close to the limit that has been prescribed for the pallet jack that you are using. A safety conscious worker will be aware that attempting to lift loads that are beyond the capability of the pallet jack is fraught with danger. So the question is, how do you assure yourself that the load is light enough for this particular pallet jack to handle it?

It is possible to buy precision pallet jack scales that are capable of providing you with instant readouts of the load that is being lifted. Just as it is possible to buy pallet jacks of various sizes and capacities, so it is possible to buy different sized pallet jack scales. You can easily find them with capacities ranging from 3000lbs up to 5000lbs.

There are some safety procedures that should be followed when using pallet jacks because they are a piece of equipment that can cause injury if not handled correctly. Pallet jacks can move quickly and are responsible for many minor injuries such as crushed toes and scraped knuckles. Whether using manual pallet jacks or automatic pallet jacks, here are some pallet jack safety tips that should be followed in the workplace.

Wear appropriate clothing when operating the pallet jack. Safety-toed shoes should always be worn to prevent injury being caused should the pallet jack run over a foot or objects fall from the pallet jack. To prevent the hands from being harmed, gloves should also be worn particularly when operating manual pallet jacks.

When operating the pallet jack and your view is obstructed, ask a co-worker to help in guiding the load.

Be aware of the pallet jack load capacity and never exceed it.

Always push the pallet jack when going down an incline.

Check the floor ahead for any possible obstructions or ruts in the floor surface that could catch the wheels of the pallet jack.

Never transport people on a pallet jack.

Never operate a pallet jack that is not in perfect working condition. Pallet jacks should be maintained frequently to ensure that there is no damage to the lifting mechanism or the wheels. A pallet jack that fails while it is fully loaded could result in serious injury for the operator or anyone standing nearby.

Although pallet jacks are a commonplace device on the worksite they are heavy tools and they contain moving parts which can make them dangerous if not used correctly. By ensuring that they are handled correctly at all time the chance of injury can be minimized.