Choosing Between Pneumatic and Cushion Tires
Forklift tires contribute a lot to your machine's safety and handling features, as well as affecting maintenance costs. The kind of forklift determines to a large extent the kind of tire as nearly all forklifts are constructed with a particular frame that accepts only a specific type of tire. It helps to know the properties of both cushion and pneumatic tires before selecting a tire.
Instructions
1 For tire specifications, you must check your forklift owner handbook. Most likely your forklift runs either on pneumatic tires or cushion tires. This would limit your options to the type of tire for which the forklift frame is built.
2 Check the kind of forklift. Electric pallet jack trucks and electric forklift trucks are usually built to use cushion tires that do not require much friction. Pneumatic tires are normally for forklifts which run on liquid propane gas or diesel.
3 Check the kind of terrain. Soft cushion tires are made for even terrain while pneumatic tires are suitable for rough terrain. Cushion tires, if utilized on uneven surface, could cause the forklift to get stuck because they are set lower. Pneumatic tires perform well on gravel, packed stones and crushed concrete but not on really rough terrain and potholed surfaces.
4 Make sure you know the space limitations. Forklifts used mostly indoors should be able to turn in limited spaces. Cushion tires work better than pneumatic tires in those kinds of environments.
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