Counterbalance forklifts are basically lift trucks that are designed with counterweight at the back of the equipment. The counterweight works to balance the weight that the forks are carrying at the front of the load. This particular design is engineered to stabilize traditional forklifts. When it comes to electric counterbalance lift trucks, the counterweight is formed by the battery itself.

Nearly every lift truck manufacturer will have in their product range, a counterbalance forklift. These machinery would come in a wide range of fuel sources, sizes and configurations. These lift trucks could be designed with 3 or 4 wheels, or be outfitted. They are capable of working in diverse applications. These kinds of lift trucks are equipped with a range of accessories. Common attachments and options comprise: slip sheet attachments, fork shifts, hydraulic clamps and side shifts just to mention a few.

Counterbalance lift trucks have revolutionized the material handling industry. They have become the cornerstone of storage and distribution systems where they perform loading, stacking, unloading and horizontal transport functions. The standard warehouse lift trucks are usually used for lift heights less than 20 feet or 6 meters. There have been some recently designed units that are capable of lifting to heights 9.5 meters or 31 feet. The smaller 1-1.8 ton or 4000 pound forklifts are the main workhorses within most warehouses. These are the most popular units that most small companies will have. The average warehouse counterbalance forklift is actually a wide-aisle truck which needs roughly 3 meters or 11 feet to turn in.

Counterbalance forklifts are not necessarily confined to the warehouse. They are normally utilized for heavy use and container carrying together with basically every use in between. Counterbalance forklifts are the most widely utilized and versatile of all materials handling equipment.

The counterbalanced forklift is common in many working environments, like production, retail and warehousing. This is due to their versatility and durability. Some of the industrial use comprise: timber, automotive, chemical and food industries.