How to choose an electric forklift: capacity, load centre, lift height, battery

1. Start with the load, not the machine

Electric forklifts are rated at a specific load centre — typically 500 mm. That number means the machine can lift its rated capacity when the load's centre sits at that distance from the fork heel. Long loads, off-centre loads or lifting to full height reduce what the machine can safely lift.

Write down the heaviest pallet, its footprint, and how the load sits on the forks. That single piece of information kills most oversizing.

2. Capacity is a margin, not a badge

If your heaviest pallet is 1.6 t, a 2 t truck gives you a real working margin; a 1.5 t truck does not. But watch the derate: capacity falls as the load centre moves out from 500 mm, and falls further at full mast height. A "2 t" truck lifting a long 1.8 t load to 5 m can be dangerously overloaded.

3. Lift height and mast are joined decisions

The mast decides the maximum lift height AND the collapsed (lowered) height. A 3 m duplex mast is a different machine from a 4.5 m triplex with full free lift. If the machine must work under low door frames or inside a container, you need free lift — the forks rise without increasing overall height.

4. Battery strategy is the real cost driver

Lead-acid is cheaper upfront but needs a ventilated charge area, water topping-up, and a defined charge window of 8+ hours with cooling. Lithium costs more upfront and usually less over five years, and allows opportunity charging during breaks. The question is not which is better — it is which fits your shift pattern and your building.

5. The charger is part of the machine

A quotation that does not state the charger, its input voltage and whether it is onboard or external is not a complete quotation. Match the charger to your actual site voltage before comparing prices.

What to write down before you ask for a quote

• Heaviest pallet weight and its footprint
• Maximum lift height, and the lowest door or opening the mast must pass under
• Aisle width where the truck will turn
• Shifts per day, and when the truck can charge
• Site voltage and whether a charge area exists
• Floor type — smooth concrete, expansion joints, ramp, gravel

Give a supplier those six lines and the quotes you receive will be comparable. Give them "I need a 2-ton forklift" and you will receive three prices that mean three different things.