A pallet jack is at home in a warehouse or the back of 18-wheelers and delivery trucks. This jack is a smaller version of a forklift and basically, it does the same thing. Also called pallet trucks, pallet pump, pump truck, dog, or jigger they come in manual and powered or electric versions.
A manual jack can fit in the back of a truck or van and it can be used almost anywhere. They can lift up to 5500 pounds and you will never need electricity. The electric jack on the other hand will make the job of lifting and hauling the load much easier on the operator. An electric jack is a happy medium between a manual jack and a forklift. These are some of the top pallet jacks on the market.
Best Pallet Jacks
- Top Pick: SOVAN’S Heavy Duty Manual Pallet Jack
- Runner Up: Mighty Lift ML55 Heavy Duty Pallet Jacks Trucks
- Best Value: SAGA Pallet Jack Scale 6600lb x 1lb, Pallet Jack with Digital Scale
SOVAN’S Heavy Duty Manual Pallet Jack
Top Pick: With a large 7,700lbs capacity, the SOVAN’S jack is built with quality parts throughout. This includes a reinforced steel frame with welded joints, oil leak-proof hydraulic system, overload valve, and 7.1″ polyurethane steering wheels, double 2.9″ polyurethane fork wheels. It also has an ergonomically designed handle with 3 position hand control – Raise, Lower, Neutral.
SOVAN’S Heavy Duty Manual Pallet Jack, 7700lbs Capacity, 48″Lx27″W
Mighty Lift ML55 Heavy Duty Pallet Jacks Trucks
Runner Up: The Mighty Lift is a reliable jack with 5,500lbs of load capacity in a 27” X 48” frame. It has a maximum height of 7.48” with a 210° turning radius. Other features include a German seal kit for improved lifting and lowering and polyurethane wheels on steel.
Mighty Lift ML55 Heavy Duty Pallet Jacks Trucks, 5,500 lb Capacity, 27″ x 48″ Fork
SAGA Pallet Jack Scale with Digital Scale
Best Value: The addition of the digital scale on the SAGA jack gives an added value for small businesses. The rechargeable scale offers ZERO, TARE and LB/KG keypads with up to 6,600lbs. The jack 3 1/3″lowered and 7 1/2″ raised height with a 220° turning radius. You also get a rechargeable battery and 1-year warranty.
SAGA Pallet Jack Scale 6600lb x 1lb, Pallet Jack with Digital Scale Pallet Truck Scale
Jet PTW-2748 6000 lb Pallet Truck
This pallet series has 5 configurations addressing different heights (2 to 7/8 inches), widths (20 to 27 inches) and lengths (36 to 48 inches). It has a 200° turn radius and 6,000 lbs. capacity. Additionally, it uses an articulated steer wheel axle to stay level and keep contact on the floor surface. And the cast iron pump design provides a special lowering valve to control the rate of descent to prevent shock on loads.
Jet PTW-2748 6000 lb Pallet Truck, White, 27-Inch by 48-Inch
Vergo S5500L Industrial Heavy Duty Pallet Jack Truck
This jack is made with reinforced forks for moving loads up to 5,500 lbs. The steel construction parts have a powder coat finish, and the wheels are made with polyurethane A galvanized German seal system and hydraulic pump seal kit provides an overload valve to prevent exceeding the weight limit and increasing safety.
Vergo S5500L Industrial Heavy Duty Pallet Jack Truck, 5500 lb Capacity, 27″ x 48″ Fork
SOVAN’S Full Electric Pallet Jack
SOVAN’S makes the electric version pallet jack with the same size as the hand pallet truck (48″ x27″). The 3,300Lbs of load capacity jack can run for 6-8 hours with one full load. And it takes from 8-10 to fully charge the unit. The controls are on a CURTIS handle with lifting, lowering, and emergency reverse buttons. There is also an emergency stop switch to cut off the power.
SOVAN’S 48″ x27″ Full Electric Pallet Jack Truck 3300lbs Cap. Brushless Motor
Vestil EPT-2547-30 Fully Powered Electric Pallet Truck
This is a fully powered pallet truck with fingertip raise and lower buttons and 3,300 lbs. of loading capacity. Other features include infinite forward and reverse throttle speeds, horn, and belly reverse button. It uses two 12V batteries with a 70Ah rating to deliver at least 8 hours of service on a full charge.
Important Features to Consider Before Buying Your Pallet Jack
When shopping around for a new pallet jack, there is a lot more to consider than simply price or color. Of course, the price can be a good determiner of quality, but not always. As for color, despite what your John Deere-loving uncle may insist, not all green implements are inherently better. That being said, here are five real factors to take into account when making your purchase.
- Weight: There are weight restrictions for container floors and liftgate, so you must know how much the pallet weighs. With that in mind, you might have to buy different size/weight pallets.
- Load Capacity: Before you buy your jack, figure out the maximum weight of the items you are going to be hauling, and go from there. And once you get the one with the load capacity you want, don’t overload it. This is because overloading is responsible for breakage.
- Lift Height: A pallet jack can raise a load as high as 8 feet. Considering the dangers that come with raising a load this high, make sure you look at the rated capacity at different heights.
- Fork Length: If you do not have the right fork length on the pallet, you run the risk of dumping the load when you are moving. Make sure to use the jack with the proper fork length for the pallet to ensure the safety of your employees and cargo.
- Wheels: Make sure to select high-quality wheels. The load along with the floor surface will greatly determine how the wheels on the jacks perform. This includes staining your floor if wheels are of low quality. Look for non-staining, durable polyurethane wheels.
The right pallet jack will serve your business well. So, take your time when you are choosing one because they are not cheap, and you want it to last as long as possible.
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This article, “Best Pallet Jacks” was first published on Small Business Trends
Source: Small Business Trends