The forklift is a mobile machinery which uses 2 prongs or forks to lift and place loads into positions which would be usually hard to reach. Usually, forklifts fall into 2 major categories: industrial and rough-terrain.
Industrial lift trucks are most often used around train and truck loading docks in addition to lots of warehouse applications. These machines have smaller tires that are designed to run on smooth surfaces. Typically, industrial forklifts are powered by an internal gasoline engine running on diesel fuel or propane.
Smaller forklifts may run off an internal battery charging an electric motor. And as the name implies, the rough terrain lift truck is engineered to be operated on rough and unpaved surfaces. Normally, they are the great option for military and construction operation. Rough terrain forklifts normally have large pneumatic tires that are normally powered by internal industrial engines which run on diesel or propane fuel. These forklift models can have a telescoping boom, which could lift loads up and out from the base of the equipment or they may use a vertical tower, that is responsible for lifting loads straight up.
The rough terrain lift truck emerged during 1946, after a 2 pronged lift attachment was attached to a tractor chassis or a power buggy. This initial equipment was utilized around construction locations and could lift to a height of 30 inches or 76 centimeters and had a lifting capacity can carry 454 kg or 1000 pounds. Vertical tower forklifts were rapidly developed for industrial use and rough terrain forklifts became famous too. By the time the 1950s came around, there were available units which could lift up to heights of 30 feet or 9 meters and had lift capacities of 2500 pounds or 1135 kg.
The first 4-wheel drive rough terrain forklift was introduced during 1958. It offered a capacity of 2724 kg or 6000 lbs. and had a lift height of 22.5 feet or 7 meters or 3000 lbs. or 1362 kg and 35 feet or 11 meters. The first telescoping boom rough terrain forklift emerged on the market during the year 1962. This specific unit enabled loads to be positioned out from the base of the machinery both below and above grade.