Choosing a forklift that cannot accommodate the load capacity you need is a big mistake. You need equipment that is powerful enough to handle the work you are doing, so it is important to consider:

The type and shape of the load you need to lift will also play a part in your decision. A large range of specific forklift attachments is available for forklift machinery to modify the forks for better handling and efficiency.

Knowing the specific lift height you require is also essential when choosing the right forklift for the job. Your forklift will ultimately be useless if it cannot reach the heights you need. The height limit will also control its load-bearing capacity, so it is an important consideration to make.

Your average warehouse forklift can reach heights of up to 8 feet, with more specialist models reaching dizzying 20 feet height limits. There are even forklifts that can reach higher than this, but it all depends on your requirements and what you need your forklift to do.

Alongside the load capacity, when considering your height limit requirements, here are a few things you should bear in mind:

The forklift's collapsed height is another height consideration well worth taking your time over. If the forklift is too tall to get through a garage or container door, it will be useless in an indoor warehouse site. You will also need to consider the width of the cab and chassis to ensure the vehicle can fit through any doors or aisles.

Electrical forklift motors, running on lead-acid batteries, can typically power a standard forklift vehicle through a full 8-hour shift. The heavy battery could alternatively power the machinery for continuous use between 5 and 6 hours. Electric forklifts are most beneficial when working indoors, given that they do not produce any harmful emissions.

Electrical forklifts are also very economical with their fuel usage, being more cost-effective per hour than their internal combustion counterparts. Due to their expensive production, there is a higher upfront cost, but they are incredibly cheap to run with the right charging equipment. Servicing costs, however, can sometimes be expensive. They will ultimately pay for themselves in the long run, with long lifespans and cheaper consumption compared to other forklifts.

There are many fuel options for internal combustion forklifts, from petrol and diesel forklifts to liquid propane gas (LPG) and compressed natural gas forklifts (CNG). The primary benefit of using internal combustion forklifts is their power and greater lifting capacity, which can be ten times as much as an electrical forklift.

They are also easier to refuel than an electrical forklift's potentially long recharging time. However, the fuel costs and higher operating costs can sometimes be quite expensive, depending on how many hours you use the forklift.

Due to their greater power output, internal combustion forklifts also have higher reach limits than their electric counterparts.

Most internal combustion forklifts can reach around 36 feet, while electric models can only reach 30. They are also cheaper to initially purchase than electrical models but will cost you more in fuel over the years. 

These tyres are your best option when your forklift is needed to work outdoors or in rough and uneven terrain. They are similar to normal car tyres, made from rubber and inflated with compressed air. While they work best on most outside surfaces, such as gravel or tarmac, just like your car tyres, they can be punctured by sharp objects.

Solid tyres are best for environments likely to have sharp objects lying around, such as recycling centres, construction sites and timber yards. Unlike pneumatic tyres, they are completely solid and will not be punctured or deflated. They are incredibly robust but are more expensive than other types of forklift tyres.

Cushion tyres are pressed directly onto the forklift wheels and are made from solid rubber. This means the chassis of your forklift will sit lower to the ground, offering better manoeuvrability than other forklift tyres. However, this low ground clearance means they cannot handle rough or uneven ground and are better suited to indoor work. These are the cheapest forklift tyres on the market.

A hand pallet jack is used to transport wooden pallets throughout a worksite. The two forks at the front of the jack lift from their wheels to raise the pallet from the ground for easy movement.

Like the hand pallet jack, this piece of equipment is used to transport pellets, with the key difference being that it is motorised with an electric battery. The forks of this jack are typically longer and provide faster, more efficient movement of materials.

Manual stackers are similar to hand pallet jacks in that they are hand-powered lifting devices. The typical height limit for manual stackers is around 5 feet, making them useful for low-level shelving or racking needs, but nothing requiring serious reach. 

Walk-behind electric pallet stackers are similar to manual stackers, except they have a mast attached and an electric battery to reach higher shelving heights. Some models can reach heights of up to 20 feet, with the heavy battery acting as a balancing counterweight. 

Order pickers are specially designed for specific jobs, such as retrieving items from either side of a warehouse aisle, improving the speed and efficiency of your operation. 

Diesel and liquid gas forklifts use the added power of the internal combustion engine to power the lift itself. This allows them to handle heavier weights than other forklifts. They are also counterbalanced, usually with a cast iron bulk placed at the rear of the machine to counter the weight of the item lifted. 

Like the counterbalanced forklift mentioned above, these forklifts come with dual steering for their 3-wheels, allowing a tighter turning circle than other forklift types.

Like the forklift above, but with an extra wheel, these forklifts are counterbalanced for added safety when lifting. The four-wheels at the two front and two rear corners are driven by a dual-acting hydraulic ram and offer more stability than their 3-wheeled counterparts. You will mostly find this type of forklift doing heavy-duty lifting for machinery installations.

Reach trucks take the load you are lifting and bring it within the vehicle's wheelbase, rather than having it stick out as it would with a conventional forklift. This allows reach trucks to be used in tight spaces, such as narrow warehouse aisle width requirements.

Like reach trucks, turret trucks, or VNAs (Very Narrow Aisle) are specifically designed for working in confined aisles in warehouses or distribution centres.

Articulated forklifts have the unique advantage of allowing the front forks to pivot around a joint, allowing the forklift's handling to be more precise in confined spaces. 

Rough terrain forklifts can either have vertical masts, like a standard forklift or a pivoted boom to allow extended reach capabilities. You can also fit them with attachments to customise their lifting capacity. As the name suggests, they are better suited to outdoor work.

Side loader forklifts, unlike standard forklifts, lift loads from the side, meaning they are again especially well-suited to operating in tight spaces. They were originally the favoured type of forklift until the multi-directional forklift stole their thunder. 

These forklifts can drive and load materials and goods in any direction, offering better manoeuvrability and a smaller turning radius of any forklift. The forklift operator can manoeuvre long loads with great accuracy and safety with this comprehensive piece of machinery.