Forklift Tires
There are two kinds of tires which could be used on forklifts: press on and standard. Usually, press on tires are used on electric forklifts and those types of forklifts operating in indoor applications like for instance warehouses. The press on tires can also be used in light industrial operation too.
Surfaces which are uneven or rough require more traction and tougher tires. Therefore, standard tires are usually utilized. However, they are mostly utilized on forklifts that operate in outdoor settings.
Since there are many different types of forklifts, there are also a lot of various kinds of forklift tires. The types of tires which are most commonly used are polyurethane, pneumatic and solid. The type of tires are dictated by what and where the forklift is utilized for. It is very crucial to obtain the right type of tires for the task and ensuring the correct choice will have a huge impact on both performance and safety.
For outdoor forklifts that need to function in an all-terrain atmosphere like on a construction site, the best alternative will be pneumatic tires. These are constructed out of durable rubber and then filled with air, similar to a tractor or truck tire. Pneumatic tires create an air cushion between the terrain and the forklift itself. This particular design considerably lessens the wear and tear on the equipment and creates a very comfortable ride for the operator. The tire's thick, deep treads provide the necessary traction needed for use on surfaces which are rough and uneven.
For light industrial applications, both outdoors and indoors, solid tires are suitable. They are fabricated out of constructed solid, tough rubber. This helps them to stay safer from blowouts, popping like pneumatic tires or damage due to puncture wounds. As these tires are not filled with air, they are unable to provide the cushion effect. This fact makes them unsuitable for use on rough terrain. Several solid tires are constructed with holes in the sidewalls to provide a rather softer ride. The only issue is that this kind of construction makes the load carrying capacity of the forklift less.
The polyurethane forklift tires would normally outlast both of the rubber tire designs but are intended for indoor warehouse use only. The load capacity of polyurethane is much higher than that of a rubber tire. These tires work great with well with electric forklifts due to the additional weight of the equipment's batteries. Due to the tire's less rolling resistance, another benefit of this particular type of tire is the longer battery life.