What Are the Best Forklift Tires? It Depends …

Forklifts use many different types of tires. They include pneumatic tires, polyurethane, solid rubber, and others.

The kind you use on your lift truck will depend on a number of different factors, including the type of forklift you have, how you will be using it, and what type of tires are already on the vehicle.

Let’s take a look at the benefits of each different type of forklift tire.

Pneumatic Forklift Tires

If you use a four-wheel forklift, your probably have pneumatic tires. That’s because while pneumatic tires are effective at supporting heavy loads, they require a large turning radius.

Unlike zero-turn forklifts that are used for tighter spaces, four wheel forklifts need a lot or room to turn around.

Besides their higher weight capacity, other benefits of pneumatic tires include durability. They can be used indoors and outside.

Pneumatic tires also provide a more comfortable ride than other types of forklift tires. Plus,with their thick rubber and deep grooves, they offer a better grip to the road surface than some other types of tires.

Rubber Tires

Unlike the rubber tires on your car or truck, forklift rubber tires aren’t filled with air. Instead, they are made from solid rubber.

That makes them ideal for lighter duty forklifts. It also means you can’t get a flat tire when using rubber forklift tires. They also have a tighter turning radius than pneumatic tires.

But rubber forklift tires also can’t support as much weight as other types of tire. They also don’t stand up as well to rugged conditions.

Polyurethane Tires

Light duty electric forklifts will often come equipped with polyurethane tires, which generally provide the tightest turning radius.

Polyurethane tires are also the easiest to install and are widely used on indoor-only forklifts.

How to Determine Your Forklift Tire Needs

So which type of tire should you choose for your forklift? The easiest way is simply to use the type of forklift tires the manufacturer recommends. If you don’t know or aren’t sure, then simply reorder the exact same tires that already are on your vehicle.

If it is working well, you probably don’t want to go changing to a different type of forklift tire.

But if you are unhappy with the performance of your forklift tire, you can consult with the manufacturer or the vendor where you bought or leased the vehicle to determine what your options are. You may be able to change out the forklift’s tires to something else, or even switch to a different type of forklift that better suits your needs.