FORK POSITIONER ATTACHMENTS - ENHANCE YOUR EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY
FORK POSITIONERS VS. SIDE SHIFTS
Most operators are familiar with side shifts - attachments that allow an operator to easily change the side-to-side position of the forks to the left or right. Side shifts are especially helpful when placing loads on racking without having to move the lift itself, or when working in tight spaces. A fork positioner goes a step further, allowing the operator to quickly change both fork positions to the left or right, and also change the relative positions of the forks to each other. This makes handling loads that are on various pallet or skid shapes simple. It also makes handling pallets with the side slots possible with very little effort.
No More Off and On
The main advantage of a fork positioner is it allows the operator to remain on the lift at all times, even with various load widths. It eliminates the need for an operator to climb off, walk to the front of the unit, manually move the heavy forks to accommodate a new skid size, climb back up - and then repeat the process again for each new skid width. A fork positioner means the operator remains in their seat, quickly and safely adjusting the forks’ width by hydraulics for each load as required.
Do Your Loads Vary?
If your business environment includes varying load widths a forklift positioner is an ideal attachment that will greatly increase your operator’s productivity. Without a forklift positioner, you can expect much greater time per lift, often during periods of peak volume. As well manually configuring a lift’s forks affects the operator by adding considerable walking/ climbing time, operator manual effort, and potential safety hazards.
Is a Forklift Positioner Worth It?
I am often asked, “Does my business need a fork positioner attachment?”. Well, if your operators are off the seat to change the fork position even twice during a shift it is likely you would recoup your investment in this attachment within the five-year lease term of the typical forklift lease. During that time your operators will achieve their skid movements faster, with less physical strain, and safer than manually reconfiguring the forks each time it’s required. And a fork positioner is a wise investment that greatly increases the long-term value of your lift. The added fork positioner and side shift functionality is highly desired by the used market - meaning both the demand for your used unit and its resale value would be considerably higher than a unit without this attachment.
Factory-ordered forklifts from Yale can have these attachments added for around 5-10% of the cost of the unit, and in some cases even less. Some of our showroom models are now coming with them included. We also have options that will work with your existing forklift.
To find out more about fork positioner attachments and explore your options email sales@hardingforklift.com
