The first forklift was invented in 1917 by the Clark Company. Its name was the Tructractor and it played an integral part in moving tools around their factory. Little did they know how important their early machine would become.

As time went on the forklift has improved a lot from its humble beginnings. Now with a variety of forklift attachments, your forklift can fulfill many different roles at your company.

This forklift attachment guide will tell you about the different kinds of options available. Use this guide to decide what is the best forklift attachment for your specific job.

Side Shifters

Side shifters are one of the most popular forklift attachments. As their name implies, their primary function is to shift a load from side-to-side. 

Using a side shifter forklift attachment allows for more precise lifting and improves placement capabilities. They increase the speed at which a forklift can work and also are useful when working around tight corners.

Rotators

Rotators are an attachment that makes your forklift’s head able to rotate. Some provide 360° rotation while others only allow you to rotate the head 180°.

These are useful attachments when you have an operation that involves dumping loads. They are great for any job that involves inverting a load as well.

Work Platforms

Work platforms allow your employees to stand on a safe platform mounted on the end of your forklift. This is useful when using the forklift as a means of accessing a worksite high off the ground.

Multiple Load Handlers

This type of forklift attachment allows your forklift to lift more than one load at the same time. This can help increase work speed and therefore productivity. 

It should be noted however that this attachment does not increase the total allowable payload for your forklift’s lifting capabilities.

More About Forklift Attachments

These are just a few examples of common forklift attachments. There are many more varieties and more types of attachments being conceived all the time to aid in every different kind of job imaginable.

Just like forklifts themselves, attachments require regular servicing to keep them operational. Conducting preventative maintenance will save you a fortune in repair costs and help reduce your liability in the event of an accident.

Like all pieces of machinery, forklifts and forklift attachments have the potential to be dangerous. Forklifts are responsible for over 8,000 injuries a year and they killed 79 people in 2019.

Make sure that your employees train with each attachment they work with. Make sure to inspect your attachments and forklifts and service them regularly. Implement a safety culture at your workplace.

That way you can keep your operation humming along with productivity, rather than brought to halt because of equipment or safety failures.

Attachments Improve Versatility

A forklift is already a versatile machine without the aid of the various forklift attachments. With them, however, its versatility is magnified to epic proportions.

Start to analyze your company’s operations and determine how using specific attachments can improve efficiency. Contact us today to find out the full extent of options available to you.