Forklifts by Lift Capacity
Choose a lift capacity band to see every model in the database that matches, with the full specification for each.
Rated capacity is the load a truck is certified to lift at a stated load centre and a stated height, not the heaviest thing it can pick up. The load centre is the horizontal distance from the fork face to the centre of gravity of the load, and the industry reference is 500 mm - about 24 inches. Move the weight further out and the truck derates, sometimes sharply.
Height derates it too. A capacity quoted at a few metres is not the capacity at full mast extension, which is why a machine that handles a pallet comfortably at waist height can be over its limit at the top of a rack.
The number that governs is the data plate on the truck in front of you, for that truck with its mast, forks and attachments as configured. Treat the bands below as a way to narrow a shortlist, then read the plate.
Which capacity band fits the work
| Band | Typical work | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1,500 kg | Pedestrian stackers and powered pallet trucks; picking and short moves. | Rated at a low load centre; a deep pallet eats the margin quickly. |
| 1,500 - 2,500 kg | The warehouse default. Single pallets, FMCG, most indoor racking work. | The band most affected by attachments, which carry their own derate. |
| 2,500 - 3,500 kg | Heavier pallets, drums, mixed indoor and yard duty. | Often the point where pneumatic tyres and a diesel or LPG engine start to make sense. |
| 3,500 - 5,000 kg | Timber, block, builders merchants, heavy manufacturing. | Ground bearing pressure and door widths become the real constraint. |
| Over 5,000 kg | Containers, steel, plant and machinery. | Capacity at height falls fastest here; read the plate for the mast fitted. |
Rated capacity is quoted at a 500 mm load centre. Height, attachments and a longer load centre all reduce it, and the data plate on the individual truck is what governs.
This table is editorial guidance on choosing between the options, not a measurement. The specification figures for any individual truck are on its own page, each with the document it was taken from.