Forklifts by Lift Height
Choose a lift height band to see every model in the database that matches, with the full specification for each.
Maximum fork height is the headline, but two other mast figures decide whether a truck fits your building. Lowered height is the mast height with the forks down, and it is what has to clear a door, a container roof or a low beam. Free lift is how far the forks rise before the mast itself starts to extend, which is what lets a truck stack inside a container or under a mezzanine.
Mast stages trade these against each other. A two-stage mast is simpler and cheaper; a three-stage mast reaches higher from the same lowered height and usually offers more free lift.
Capacity falls as the mast extends, so a height figure means little without the capacity quoted at that height on the truck data plate.
What each height band asks of the building
| Band | Typical use | The figure that actually decides it |
|---|---|---|
| Under 3 m | Container loading, low-bay storage, working under a mezzanine. | Lowered height, and free lift if the truck works inside a container. |
| 3 - 4.5 m | Standard single-deep racking in most warehouses. | Capacity quoted at the top beam, not at ground level. |
| 4.5 - 6 m | Taller racking, often with a three-stage mast. | Lowered height against the door, and the derate at full extension. |
| Over 6 m | High-bay storage, usually reach trucks rather than counterbalance. | Residual capacity at height and mast deflection; aisle width follows from the truck, not the rack. |
Maximum fork height is the headline figure. Lowered height is what has to clear the door, free lift is what lets the forks rise before the mast extends, and capacity falls as the mast goes up. A height figure without the capacity quoted at that height does not tell you whether the truck can do the job.
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.