Forklift Tires
There are two kinds of tires which could be used on forklifts: standard and press on. Usually, press on tires are used on electric forklifts and those types of forklifts operating in indoor applications such as warehouses. The press on tires can be utilized also in light industrial application as well.
Standard tires are generally used on forklifts that operate in outdoor environment or where uneven or rough surfaces require more traction and tougher tires.
Since there are many various kinds of forklifts, there are also a lot of different kinds of forklift tires. The types of tires that are most frequently used are solid, polyurethane and pneumatic. The kind of tires are dictated by what and where the forklift is utilized for. It is very vital to acquire the right kind of tires for the task and ensuring the correct choice will have a big effect on both performance and safety.
For outdoor forklifts that have to operate in an all-terrain environment like on a construction site, the best choice will be pneumatic tires. These are made of durable rubber and then filled with air, like a truck or tractor tire. Pneumatic tires create an air cushion between the forklift and the terrain. This particular design considerably lessens the wear and tear on the machine and creates a very comfortable ride for the operator. The thick, deep treads on the tires provide the necessary traction required for use on surfaces that are uneven and rough.
For light industrial use, both indoors and outdoors, solid tires are best. They are fabricated out of tough, constructed solid rubber. This helps them to stay safer from blowouts, popping like pneumatic tires or damage due to puncture wounds. Because these tires are not filled with air, they are unable to provide the cushion effect. This fact makes them not suitable for use on rough terrain. Some solid tires are constructed with holes in the sidewalls to provide a somewhat softer ride. The only problem is that this type of construction makes the forklift's load carrying capacity less.
The polyurethane forklift tires will normally outlast both of the rubber tire designs but are intended for indoor warehouse use only. The load capacity of polyurethane is much higher compared to a rubber tire. These tires work great with well with electric forklifts due to the added weight of the equipment's batteries. Because of the less rolling resistance of the tires, one more advantage of this kind of tire is the extended battery life.