How high can a pallet jack lift?

Table of Contents

Summary

You've probably seen these lifting devices at work in a warehouse or factory. You may have even used one to move your products around the warehouse and to and from the loading dock.

A pallet jack is a lifting device that looks like a handcart without wheels, with lifting arms for easy lifting. It has an impressive lifting capacity of up to 1,000 lbs or 455 kgs.

If you need to lift things as heavy as this but want the convenience of wheels (which won't be able to support such weight), it's better to use what's known as a forklift truck instead – which can do much more than lift items off the ground into the air and lower them again – they're also excellent at stacking and moving heavy, bulky materials around with minimal effort.

Pallet Jacks

Pallet jacks are generally considered "light duty" lifting devices that may need to be replaced after around 800-1,000 hours of use – depending on what they're used for and other factors. Some people say that if a pallet jack fails within its first year, it is faulty or poorly made; however, this isn't always true as many companies don't make their lifting devices last.

Pallet jacks are designed to only function when moving forward and never backward or sideways. The wheel's direction is set by looking at the placement of its axle between the wheels on each side of it; if you look down at it from above, you will see the axle is closer to the wheel on your left than it is to the one on your right. If the axle is closer to the wheel on your right, pallet jacks can only move in reverse.

When pallet jacks are used outdoors, it is important to ensure they are situated on level ground for easy operation. Even though pallet jacks have an operating range of 20 degrees, it is still best not to operate them when any incline or decline exceeds 5 degrees or one-third of their LC value.

The safest way to use pallets is by using pallet jacks that include casters with locks, hand brakes, and warning alert beeping sounds so you always know if they are moving or not. The number of wheels included also affects how well the pallet jack can traverse different surfaces and inclines.

How high can a manual pallet jack lift?

Pallet jacks usually have a maximum height of six feet or 1.83 m. Most pallets are forty-eight inches in width, but pallet jacks can handle pallets up to sixty-six inches in width and eighty-four inches in height when they are collapsed down. Please be aware that pallets should never exceed one-third of the pallet jack's LC when you do not want them to malfunction: this is especially important for tall pallets.

With pallet jacks, it can be hard to determine the working height. This is because pallets are often unique, and different companies may have custom pallets that are not compatible with others.

The maximum load limit for a pallet jack is 800 lbs or 363 kg. If you stack pallets higher than three pallets high, please use a forklift instead of a pallet jack. The proper way to measure pallet height is by measuring vertically from the floor surface to the topmost portion of the pallet or platform where objects will be placed on or taken off.

The lifting capacity of the pallet jack depends on both its included features and model type. Lifting Capacity (LC) is measured in pounds (lbs) or kilograms (kg). Pallets made of wood should not be stacked higher than pallet jack LC. If pallet jacks lift pallets with metal beams, the pallets must not exceed one-third of the LC. Most pallet jacks have adjustable legs, which can be at a maximum height of 47 inches or 120 cm.

Applications of Pallet Jacks

Pallet jacks are sometimes used where the lifting capacity is too much for a forklift truck but not enough for a crane or lifting system powered by an electric or diesel engine. Some common uses include 

• Lifting appliances into homes during home delivery.
• Lifting pianos off of delivery trucks.
• Maneuvering large pieces of construction equipment around building sites.
• Lifting heavy components out of factories and onto trolleys that transport them to storage or other areas filled with computers, televisions, etc.
• Lifting pallets from one place in a warehouse to another in the same warehouse.
• Lifting boxes off of factory floors so they can be moved quickly along conveyors belts without people to lift them over and over again.
• Lifting heavy cargo off of ships and bringing it to shore.
• Lifting heavy crates from train tracks onto trucks.
• Lifting refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, and other home appliances.
• Lifting car engines and car batteries into cars (using a device that looks like a handheld winch and harness).
• Lifting cars out of shipping containers for repairs or renovations.
• Shifting around construction materials at building sites, etc.

Do you ever need to know the pallet jack height capacity?

Many pallet jacks can lift pallets at the height of 20, 26, or 28 inches. It is important to consider the weight (the maximum weight usually ranges from 500 pounds up to 1,800 pounds), its ergonomics, and whether it provides any anti-torque safety feature.

The pallet hog pallet jack has a 30-inch pallet height capacity. The pneumatic wheel with an optional locking swivel caster with foot brake allows for easy transport over indoor flooring surfaces and outside on rough terrain or steep inclines. Other types have a pallet height capacity of 29 inches and a pallet weight capacity of 1,000 pounds.

Details to Include:

• Pallet jack height capacity (pallets that the pallet jacks can lift).
• A sentence about pallet jack ergonomics includes any anti-torque safety feature.
• List types with their respective features/specifications for easy comparison of each product by the reader.

Why choose Pallet Jackson to buy pallet jack parts

We've seen many people get a little disheartened when their pallet jack acts up. Sometimes they may even think it's time to replace the whole unit! Is that necessary, though? Not always. Sometimes it is just one - seemingly small - the part that's gone bad and needs replacing instead of an entirely new purchase. You can get pallet jack parts at Pallet Jackson.

Takeaways

• When pallet jacks are used outdoors, it is important to ensure they are situated on level ground for easy operation.
• The pneumatic wheel with an optional locking swivel caster with foot brake allows for easy transport over indoor flooring surfaces and outside on rough terrain or steep inclines.