What to Know When Buying Forklift Tires

Today, fleet owners are offered a large variety of types, sizes, and application-specific lift trucks that serve a specific purpose. Equipment choice ultimately factors into the overall throughput, efficiency, and safety of the operation. When it comes down to it, the choice of tires for the forklift can be one of the most influential factors in efficiency and operating costs for that machine at the application. Here are some of the key points when picking the right forklift tires:

Cushion or Pneumatic Forklift Tires?

The type of tires your forklift has been specifically designed for the surface that the machine will be operating most efficiently on, so choosing the right tire will impact your machine’s maximum performance.

• Cushion Forklift Tires
  These forklift tires should only be operated on smooth concrete surfaces, most commonly at indoor working facilities, and are typically smaller than comparable capacity pneumatic models.
• Pneumatic Forklift Tires
  Forklift with pneumatic tires can work indoors and on outdoor surfaces like blacktop, stone, or dirt, but not on rough terrains like fields or severely unsurfaced lots. These tires have a wider versatility of where they can be operated on, thus giving them higher resale value.

Tire Tread & Profile Style

Not only are there different types of forklift tires, but there are also different treads and profile styles you can get with your forklift. Depending on the application it is driven on, the terrain will affect the tread or profile style you may need. Available options include:

• Smooth Tires – Typically for dry indoor applications and all steer axles.
• Traction Tires – A general-purpose use in a wide variety of forklift applications.
• Grooved Tires – Designed for larger-capacity trucks where loads and operating conditions are extreme.
• Wide-Track Traction Tires – All-season indoor or outdoor use forklift tire.

The quality and consistency of material are also major factors when determining tire performance. If you want your tires to last longer and perform better, determine the correct tread and profile style for maximum efficiency.

For help with selecting the right forklift tires for your application, contact us at 330-633-6000.

Originally published 7/20/2018
Updated 5/21/2019