Most businesses have manufacturing units, large storage, warehouses, construction sites, or similar locations and facilities as a vital part of their overall operations. Efficient operations at these sites and facilities are critical to boosting their overall performance and profitability.
Given the high significance of these facilities, businesses strive to acquire the best equipment and machinery that reduces time and effort while increasing the accuracy of operations. Equipment like forklifts, slings, trolleys, and a pallet lifter at Adaptalift Store, if chosen mindfully prove to be the game-changer for every business.
Many factors like the budget, size of your facility, the scale of the work done, type of operations, working environment, etc contribute to selecting machines that resonate the most with your needs. When it comes to pallet trucks, businesses often find it ambiguous to pick between manual and electric powered ones. Here is a guide that details the fundamental considerations for both of the pallet trucks to help you make a more informed decision.
Measurements of your facility and pallet stacking needs
The size of the facility is one of the most crucial factors in choosing the right equipment. Many businesses use this parameter as a decisive one to make their calls.
Business experts define a thumb rule that bigger warehouses or facilities would need electric pallet trucks to meet their productivity targets. On the flip side, smaller warehouses that often have narrow aisles and tight turns will benefit more from manual trucks that can efficiently work in small spaces.
It would not be a wise decision to pick electric trucks if you have tight spaces. These trucks are a little more intricate when it comes to starting frequently, steering, and stoping as compared to manual ones.
Similarly, if you use a manual truck to move material across a large facility, it would be very tiring for the workers and will not deliver any performance boost as anticipated.
Key considerations for manual pallet trucks
Manual pallet trucks are the basic type that has a typical lifting capacity ranging from 2000 to 2500 kgs. Once the fork is placed right on the pallet, it lifts the pallets hydraulically as its handle is pumped by the operator. Major consideration pointers while buying manual pallet trucks are:
- Manual pallet trucks are made sturdy and are super durable and reliable. Maintaining these trucks for a longer period is often a breeze.
- These can fit into multiple types of pallets and are available with variable fork dimensions.
- These are highly flexible and suitable for any magnitude of operations.
- No electric parts make their maintenance easy and affordable.
- Components are widely available which makes repair and replacement easier.
Key considerations for electric pallet trucks
Electric pallet trucks are considerably bigger than manual ones and are often called their fully automatic version. It frees the operator from laborious pumping of the handle and allows to ride on it during loco movements. Major buying considerations for electric pallet trucks are:
- They make lifting, lowering, and moving heavy loads effortlessly.
- Workers can move material across large distances without multiple or longer breaks, thus saving plenty of time.
- These trucks are completely automatic and have an electric-powered lift. This eliminates the strain-related injuries to the operators.
- You can get customized trucks that precisely fit the requirements of your facility.
