What is a Forklift Attachment?

It is amazing how many people, when purchasing a forklift, do not even know about the forklift attachment. It may be because just as it is, with two extended forks on a mast, the forklift is an incredibly useful machine. It may be because the name of the machine, fork-lift, implies that it can only lift with its forks.

Whatever the reason for the confusion, it is unfortunate, because with a forklift attachment, the fork-lift becomes more like a pair of very strong and dexterous arms that can lift and manipulate heavy objects with both tremendous strength and sensitivity. Just what are these attachments and what are they used for? A look at some of the product categories here on forkliftaccessories.com gives a good overview of the value of forklift attachments to your business.


While the normal straight forks on a forklift can perform innumerable tasks perfectly well and other tasks adequately, they are not designed for all lifting jobs. This is when specialty forks and fork extensions are called for. It may be a simple attachment, like a sleeve that fits over the existing fork, but is shaped differently or of a softer texture. On the other hand, it may be a complex separate piece of equipment. It depends on the purpose it is needed for.

When neither your standard forks nor fork extensions can handle an oddly shaped item, that's when a boom attachment is needed. Telescoping boom attachments turn an ordinary lift truck into a virtual crane, making it an even more valuable investment.
 

Other forklift attachments that "magically" transform a lift truck into other materials handling vehicles are inexpensive forklift front loaders and tow and hook attachment bases. While of course they don't replace full size front loaders or tow trucks, they will pay for themselves in no time by performing tasks you may otherwise have needed to buy or rent a front loader or tow truck to handle.

There is really no safe or efficient way to handle drums with forklift forks, but if you attach a drum handler to your lift truck, it becomes the perfect vehicle for drum handling. Drum handlers come in various levels of price, sophistication of design and automated features, but basically they all do the same thing: pick up heavy drums filled with liquid, raise them to the required height and rotate the drum to empty the contents. Some can be manually operated and some electronically and some can be rotated only forward, while others can be rotated to either side of the forklift.


Forklift attachments are not designed just for lifting goods and materials, either. A forklift work platform makes a perfect personnel lift and is far safer than a ladder. Choose between a fold down model that can be stored flat when not in use or models designed for regular working from height or stock picking.
 
These few examples serve to show how versatile a machine the forklift becomes if it has the right forklift attachment. Others include various types of hoists, containers, sweeper attachments and innumerable products designed for workplace safety.


Forklift Accessories is a division of Bahrns Equipment. This company has been a leader in supplying the material handling industries with machinery, equipment and materials handling supplies for over 45 years. If you can't find what you need here on forkliftaccessories.com, check out Bahrns.com and find whatever you need, from packaging materials to a new forklift.