Why Forklifts Weigh So Much The main reason a forklift is so heavy is that they include the counterweight. This is necessary to keep the forklift from tipping over when it’s in use.

Hydraulics work by using pressurized fluid to power the engine of a car or machine. In terms of the forklift hydraulic system, the pistons raise the forks and keep them lifted until the hydraulic pressure is released by the operator.

Most industrial forklifts can lift 5,000 lbs of weight, but some heavy-duty models are capable of elevating up to 25,000 lbs. There are a few subtypes of the warehouse forklift, including the side loader and counterbalance forklift.

A forklift can tip over any time an operator uses the machine. Fortunately, there are many precautions that forklift operators can take to reduce the risk of tip-overs, along with associated accidents, injuries, and fatalities.

The main risk of overloading forklifts is the injury or death to your operators and staff in the vicinity of the vehicle….What’s the damage?

• Risk of injury or fatality.
• Risk of overturned, damaged stock.
• Risk of damaged or overstrained vehicles.

Deadly Danger # 1—Forklift Turnovers Forklifts can easily tip if they are overloaded, if the load is not well balanced, or if they travel with the forks too high. How it can happen: A forklift operator was killed when his forklift overturned when he was turning while backing down an incline.

Regardless of the forklift manufacturer, counterbalance forklifts, when loaded, are designed to carry a maximum capacity of 80% of the combined weight of the forklift and its load on the front axle. A standard 5,000 lb. forklift weighs 9,000 lb. That forklift loaded to capacity will weigh 14,000 lb.

Do not park an industrial lift truck near doorways, switches and electricity boards, fire fighting equipment, blind corners, on inclines, on soft ground, middle of an aisle, fire exits or pedestrian walk ways.