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Fork lift or not fork lift


Nordeast Spirits

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On 11/29/2016 at 10:48 AM, Huffy2k said:

Our basement where we store barrels is too narrow and the ceiling height too low to accommodate a forklift so we're forced to use a hydraulic pallet jack for lifting, unloading trucks, etc. It works but life would be easier with a forklift.

Any advice on the hydraulic pallet jacks? We need something that can off-load a truck if deliveries aren't on a gate-lift truck and/or the trucker is unwilling to navigate a tricky path to the loading dock.

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It will work for unloading trucks, just make sure you've got a flat, smooth surface and that you keep the pallet weight under the maximum load weight of your pallet stacker. We still request lift gates on most heavy deliveries but it works in a pinch. Just get it to the ground as soon as you clear the truck! 

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we lucked out and bought an electric walkie stacker (hope thats how to spell it ) its very handy inside building . the older ones were 12 volt so a ordinary tractor battery works on them if battery goes crappy . may not get full shift out of a charge but its not runing for full shift . our forklift is way to handy especially out side , however if i went to replace it i would buy a skid steer because it would be more versatile . when ever were lifting stuff thats way to heavy outta truck we lift it and pull truck out from under it then lower to the ground before moving forklift ,seems to help . 

tim  

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I have used a 2,000lb rated Big Joe stacker for the last 2 years, but I was previously in a dock-height space and am now on ground level.  It's been a life saver, but it can also be a real headache outdoors while loading and unloading semis.

Pallet Stacker Pros:

  • Much smaller size and turning radius than a sit down forklift
  • Inexpensive
  • Can be manually pushed around a little bit (great for when you need to nudge it an inch or two)

Pallet Stacker Cons:

  • 2,000lb limit means it's really struggling at 1900lbs, and at 2,000lbs you are worried if it will even lift.  a 3500lb triple mast forklift is rated to lift 3500lbs all the way up.
  • It is meant for indoor use on flat concrete, if you have a heavy pallet in the air it will stall or get hung up on any dips or rises in the surface. Gravel? not a chance.
  • Nearly zero torque. You can not push heavy pallets that extra nudge into a truck, nor can you drag one out of a truck.
  • No tilt or side shift. If you grab a pallet out of a truck it needs to be perfectly centered on the stacker or else the pallet will hit one of the forward legs on the way down.
  • Much slower to load/unload semis than a sit down forklift.

Thankfully my next door neighbors have a big forklift, and I have a key to their space. My expense to use it is a couple cases of beer each month.

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Thanks, @Skaalvenn and @Hudson bay distillersI'll need to see what our regular deliveries will arrive in, it seems. I had pretty much talked myself out of a forklift, but may have to revisit. The incline down to/thread-the-needle/last bit is on a curve arrangement to the loading dock may be a serious issue. A skid steer is waaaay to big for the space.  

A magic wand is really what I want.

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A pallet of glass bottles will be 700 to 1,000lbs. A pallet of bagged grain will be 1,000 - 1,200 lbs. A pallet of sugar or super sack of grain will be 2,000+.

We use a full size Kubota tractor, with forklift attachment and break it down going into the door.

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Our current method is to stack the prepared barrel on double-barrel metal racks and fill in place.  We add XX amount by weight to a drum and pump that into the barrel.  The racks can be easily moved by pallet jack stacked 2 high (4 total barrels).  Doesn't help you get pallets off the truck though.  Sounds like you'll need a forklift or to modify the loading dock area.  

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4 hours ago, Falling Rock said:

A pallet of glass bottles will be 700 to 1,000lbs. A pallet of bagged grain will be 1,000 - 1,200 lbs. A pallet of sugar or super sack of grain will be 2,000+.

We use a full size Kubota tractor, with forklift attachment and break it down going into the door.

We're a little higher than that.

Empty glass is about 1200 for our bottles, bagged grain is about 2,000, and a super sack can get up to 3,000.

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