Home » The 7 Best Lift Trucks – Guidebook

The 7 Best Lift Trucks – Guidebook

Lift trucks lift immense quantities and are both maneuverable and mobile, so they make transportin daily logistics operations much easier. Not for nothing is the lift truck now a must in almost every company that deals with the transport and storage of goods . Above all, it is important for you whether you choose the cheaper hydraulic version of the lift truck or the more powerful electric version.

We have summarized the most important facts and figures on pallet trucks for you in our checklist . After an extensive comparison of different lift trucks, we have also listed the best lift trucks on the market in our product recommendations for you.

Checklist For Lifting Carts

The Maximum Load
  • Lift trucks are mainly designed for transporting Euro pallets . This is also reflected in the possible load capacity: This should be at least 2,000 kg. Most models achieve values of up to 2,500 kg here. For easier handling, tandem rollers and an electric drive are advantageous.
The Stroke
  • There are two variants here. The hydraulic lift and the electric lift. With a hydraulic lift, the load is lifted by moving the tiller up and down . With an electric lift truck, this is done at the push of a button. So if you have to transport a lot and on a daily basis, an electric lift can take a lot of the load off your shoulders. However, most models get by with a hydraulic lift. Some lift trucks also have an integrated scale so that you can always keep an eye on the weight.
The Lifting Range
  • This indicates the range in which the stroke can be varied. Depending on the model, it can be 75 – 190 mm< or 85 - 200 mm. The effective stroke indicates the range of movement in between and is approx. 110 mm to 115 mm. The higher the stroke height , the higher you can lift the cargo and thus better transport it over any obstacles.
The Fork Length
  • The fork length and width of a lift truck is based on the size of a standard Euro pallet (EUR 1). Their dimensions are standardized at a length of 1,200 mm and a width of 800 mm. However, industrial pallets (EUR 2) with a length of 1,200 mm in length and a width of 1,000 mm can also be transported without any problems.
  • By adapting the dimensions to the pallet size, most lift trucks have very similar fork dimensions. The fork length is 1,150 mm, and the fork width is 160 mm.
  • In addition, there are lift trucks with a fork length of sometimes significantly less than 1,000 mm, which are specially designed for narrower spaces.
The Overall Length
  • It is usually between 1,480 mm and 1,550 mm.
The Total Width
  • Here the values are usually between 520 mm and 540 mm.
The Rollers
  • Most lift trucks are equipped with tandem rollers , which have almost completely displaced the simple version. In the simple version, only one roller is installed at each of the front fork ends, while in the tandem solution, two rollers are installed directly behind each other. Tandem rollers allow you to glide over bumps much more safely. Fork rollers should ideally be made of rubber or polyurethane. Rubber casters are very quiet and provide good traction. They are higher quality than nylon coated casters.
The Material
  • As a rule, pallet trucks are made of steel.
The Weight
  • Lift trucks weigh between 55 kg and 72 kg.

Here you can find the top 7 most popular lift trucks.

Tip: There are practical tools for you in our guide to the best foxtail saws.

The Best Sellers Of The Lifting Carts

We have compiled the most popular lift trucks for you in this bestseller list.

# Preview Product
1 Lift-the-Flap Tab: Trucks (Lift-the-Flap Tab Books) Lift-the-Flap Tab: Trucks (Lift-the-Flap Tab Books)
2 Funny Lifted Truck Graphic T-Shirt For Men Women And Kids Funny Lifted Truck Graphic T-Shirt For Men Women And Kids
3 First 100 Trucks and Things That Go Lift-the-Flap: Over 50 Fun Flaps to Lift and Learn First 100 Trucks and Things That Go Lift-the-Flap: Over 50 Fun Flaps to Lift and Learn
4 Lift Truck: Bulding instruction for the Lego Wedo 2.0 set + program code Lift Truck: Bulding instruction for the Lego Wedo 2.0 set + program code
5 Xilin Manual Pallet Truck Stacker 2200lbs Capacity 63' Hydraulic Lift Height Adjustable Forks Handling Tools Xilin Manual Pallet Truck Stacker 2200lbs Capacity 63" Hydraulic Lift Height Adjustable Forks...
6 Little Orange Truck (Chunky Lift-a-flap Board Book) Little Orange Truck (Chunky Lift-a-flap Board Book)
7 Lifted Up Truck Lifted Up Truck
8 Lift Truck Rental Service Business Plan, Marketing Plan, How to Guide, and Funding Directory Lift Truck Rental Service Business Plan, Marketing Plan, How to Guide, and Funding Directory
9 Vroom, Vroom, Trucks! (Karen Katz Lift-the-Flap Book) Vroom, Vroom, Trucks! (Karen Katz Lift-the-Flap Book)
10 ‎zt truck parts Lift/Swing Joystick Controller 1600317 1001118417 1001129555 for JLG 1100S 1100SJP 1200SJP 1350SJP 18RS 18RSJ 24RS 400S 450A 460SJ 510AJ 600S 600SJ 600SJC 601S 660SJ 680S ‎zt truck parts Lift/Swing Joystick Controller 1600317 1001118417 1001129555 for JLG 1100S 1100SJP...
11 It's the Lifted Trucks For me distressed style graphic Pullover Hoodie It's the Lifted Trucks For me distressed style graphic Pullover Hoodie
12 Rough Country 2-3' Lift Kit for 88-98 Chevy/GMC C/K1500 Truck/SUV - 16530 Rough Country 2-3" Lift Kit for 88-98 Chevy/GMC C/K1500 Truck/SUV - 16530
13 Trick-or-Treat with Tow Truck Joe Lift-the-Flap Board Book Trick-or-Treat with Tow Truck Joe Lift-the-Flap Board Book
14 Lifted Up Truck Lifted Up Truck
15 Lift Truck Rental Service SWOT Analysis Plus Business Plan Lift Truck Rental Service SWOT Analysis Plus Business Plan
16 Xilin Single Scissor Hydraulic Lift Table Cart Manual Lift Truck with Foot Pump,2200lbs Capacity 39.4''Lifting Height Xilin Single Scissor Hydraulic Lift Table Cart Manual Lift Truck with Foot Pump,2200lbs Capacity...
17 XK 9,000 LB Over Head L 2910 2 Post Lift Car Auto Truck Hoist / 12 Month Warranty XK 9,000 LB Over Head L 2910 2 Post Lift Car Auto Truck Hoist / 12 Month Warranty
18 Hide-and-Seek at the Construction Site: A Hidden Pictures® Lift-the-Flap book (Highlights Lift-the-Flap Books) Hide-and-Seek at the Construction Site: A Hidden Pictures® Lift-the-Flap book (Highlights...
19 Lifted Square body truck American muscle shirt 4x4 T-Shirt Lifted Square body truck American muscle shirt 4x4 T-Shirt
20 ‎zt truck parts Joystick Controller Drive Controller 159229 SJ-159229 Compatible with Skyjack SJIII 3220 SJIII 3226 SJIII 4626 SJIII 4632 Scissor Lift ‎zt truck parts Joystick Controller Drive Controller 159229 SJ-159229 Compatible with Skyjack...

Tip: You’ll find lots of great barbecue tips in our guide to the best barbecue coals.

Current Offers For Lift Trucks

Here you will find a selection of current offers for lift trucks.

SaleBestseller Nr. 1
Lift-the-Flap Tab: Trucks (Lift-the-Flap Tab Books)
Lift-the-Flap Tab: Trucks (Lift-the-Flap Tab Books)
Priddy, Roger (Author); English (Publication Language); 16 Pages - 01/08/2013 (Publication Date) - Priddy Books US (Publisher)
$8.99 −38%
SaleBestseller Nr. 2
First 100 Trucks and Things That Go Lift-the-Flap: Over 50 Fun Flaps to Lift and Learn
First 100 Trucks and Things That Go Lift-the-Flap: Over 50 Fun Flaps to Lift and Learn
Hardcover Book; Priddy, Roger (Author); English (Publication Language); 14 Pages - 01/06/2015 (Publication Date) - Priddy Books US (Publisher)
$9.99 −10%
SaleBestseller Nr. 3
Trick-or-Treat with Tow Truck Joe Lift-the-Flap Board Book
Trick-or-Treat with Tow Truck Joe Lift-the-Flap Board Book
Sobel, June (Author); English (Publication Language); 12 Pages - 07/14/2020 (Publication Date) - Clarion Books (Publisher)
$8.99 −22%

FAQ About Lift Trucks

What is a pallet truck?

The lift truck is an industrial truck designed to transport pallets, boxes and the like. It comes in manual and electric versions.

How does a pallet truck work?

The lift truck has two forks, which are located close to the ground. With these, the pallet is fixed. The pallet is loaded by means of a pumping movement on the so-called “tiller”. Now it can be transported with the help of the wheels of the lift truck and steered with the “tiller arm”.

Why is the pallet truck called “ant”?

The term “ant” was coined by the Jungheinrich company to describe their lift truck the “Ant 55”.

Lift truck: Which rollers?

Tandem rubber or polyurethane casters are normally used for lift trucks.

How much does a lift truck cost?

Prices vary depending on the manufacturer. Mini pallet trucks with a load capacity of about 500 kilograms can be purchased for 330 euros. Professional pallet trucks start at about 400 euros. Expensive, but very helpful are the electric pallet trucks. In the low-price segment, these devices are available from 1,200 euros.

Which battery for lift trucks?

Basically, either lithium-ion batteries or nickel-cadmium batteries are used in electric pallet trucks.

Venting lift trucks: But how?

To bleed the lift truck, you just need to press down the “tiller” and possibly hold it.

Who invented the lift truck?

The engineer Ivan Lundquist, is said to have invented the lift truck, but this is disputed.

What does a lift truck weigh?

The most common lift truck weighs 65 kg.

Wolfgang lives with his family in Stuttgart. He has a twelve-year-old daughter and five-year-old twins. When he's not writing product guides for Elternkompass and sharing his experiences with you, he likes to go on bike tours, play Monopoly or read novels.