Forklift tires vary in size and style depending on the intended use. Solid rubber tires are common due to the weight forklifts lift, but treaded tires are necessary for outdoor use. Soft-tread, floating tires are needed for forklifts used in sand, mud, and gravel, while white rubber tires are used in clean environments.
Forklift tires come in a variety of sizes and styles, from rubber tires to solid rubber tires that are slick and smooth. Typical forklift use determines the type of forklift tires that are installed on the machine. While all-purpose, all-purpose forklifts typically use a solid rubber tire when used indoors, the same model of forklift when used outdoors will require a treaded tire. Large tractor-type forklifts, such as the type used in lumber yards, often require an air-pneumatic tire, while the same model forklift used in an inland steel mill may use solid rubber forklift tires.
As a rule, forklift tires are usually made of solid rubber. This is due to the enormous amount of weight forklifts have to lift. An air- or pneumatic-type tire could potentially explode under the heavy load. If a tire were to burst, it could cause an out-of-balance condition where the forklift ends up overturning. Some forklift styles, however, must use pneumatic tires due to the conditions in which the forklift is used.
Lumber yards, rail yards and construction sites often use tractor-type forklifts that are forced to operate in sand, mud and gravel. This requires a soft-tread, floating tire to prevent the heavy forklift from sinking into the ground and getting stuck. When the forklift is used entirely indoors, it can operate on solid rubber tires with a smooth tread design. The slick tire actually offers better traction on concrete and tile floors than a tread tire.
While typical black solid rubber forklift tires are found in warehouses and on loading docks around the world, forklifts used indoors in food preparation and other types of clean work environments often use white rubber tires and anti-trace. These forklift tires leave no black marks on the floor as the tires glide across the surface. Often constructed of a softer rubber compound, these forklift tires sometimes squeak as they round corners, much like a pair of rubber-soled athletic shoes on a hardwood-floored basketball court. There are a few types of forklift tires that look like large farm tractor tires. These are typically used in an outdoor situation where forklifts are used in snow, mud or other low traction situations.
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