Forklift Tires
There are two kinds of tires which can be used on forklifts: standard and press on. Typically, press on tires are used on electric forklifts and those kinds of forklifts operating in indoor applications like for instance warehouses. The press on tires could be utilized also in light industrial application as well.
Standard tires are mostly utilized on forklifts which operate in outdoor settings or where uneven or rough surfaces require more traction and tougher tires.
As there are lots of various kinds of forklifts, there are also lots of different types of forklift tires. The most commonly utilized tires are pneumatic, solid and polyurethane. The type of tires are dictated by where and what the forklift is used for. It is very vital to acquire the correct kind of tires for the task and ensuring the correct choice will have a huge 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 would be pneumatic tires. These are made of tough rubber and then filled with air, similar to a tractor or truck tire. Pneumatic tires create an air cushion between the forklift and the terrain. This design considerably lessens the wear and tear on the machine and creates a very comfortable ride for the operator. The deep, thick treads on the tires provide the necessary traction required for use on rough and uneven surfaces.
Solid tires are best suited for both light industrial indoor and outdoor applications. They are fabricated out of constructed solid, tough rubber. This helps them to stay safer from blowouts, popping like pneumatic tires or damage because of puncture wounds. Since 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 fairly softer ride. The only problem is that this type of construction makes the load carrying capacity of the forklift less.
Though they are designed for indoor warehouse use only, polyurethane forklift tires would usually outlast both rubber tire designs. The load capacity of polyurethane is a lot 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, another advantage of this particular kind of tire is the longer battery life.