Blazemaster
Hot Rolled
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2009
- Location
- Olympia, Wa
I kinda thought all forklifts of the same lift rating were somewhat equal. After picking up a new(to me) milling machine yesterday, I see that's not quite the case. The machine I moved weighed about 5300 according to the manual, and had a 5000 lb forklift on the loading end and a different 5000lb lift on the receiving end.
Went to get the machine and the seller was weary about lifting the machine up to the level of my flatbed truck (about 42"). This was a Nissan 5000 lb rated lift. In my experience a forklift will lift a bit more than its rating. Finally got it up on the truck, but the lift had 4ft forks so it took some messing around to get the machine in the middle of the flatbed. The Nissan would only move the machine if it was close up on the forks. Got home and fired up my Cat 5000lb forklift with 5ft forks. My machine had no problem picking the mill up and moving it to the edge of the truck bed, then choked up and brought it down no issues.
These were both hard tired, propane lifts with around the same lift height/center. I actually looked at a Nissan of the same model before I got the Cat and I'm glad I got the Cat. One thing that caught my eye rather quickly was the size of the main lift cylinder on each lift. On the Nissan it was tiny, maybe 2 inch diameter. On the cat it was around twice the size. The tilt cylinders were much larger in diameter also.
I didn't have a point to this thread other than to share my experience, and maybe point out some things to others. Anybody else had a similar experience?
Went to get the machine and the seller was weary about lifting the machine up to the level of my flatbed truck (about 42"). This was a Nissan 5000 lb rated lift. In my experience a forklift will lift a bit more than its rating. Finally got it up on the truck, but the lift had 4ft forks so it took some messing around to get the machine in the middle of the flatbed. The Nissan would only move the machine if it was close up on the forks. Got home and fired up my Cat 5000lb forklift with 5ft forks. My machine had no problem picking the mill up and moving it to the edge of the truck bed, then choked up and brought it down no issues.
These were both hard tired, propane lifts with around the same lift height/center. I actually looked at a Nissan of the same model before I got the Cat and I'm glad I got the Cat. One thing that caught my eye rather quickly was the size of the main lift cylinder on each lift. On the Nissan it was tiny, maybe 2 inch diameter. On the cat it was around twice the size. The tilt cylinders were much larger in diameter also.
I didn't have a point to this thread other than to share my experience, and maybe point out some things to others. Anybody else had a similar experience?