A man stands in the corner of a crudely illustrated cartoon house party, watching the other partygoers mingle. His thought bubble reads, “They don’t know I’m forklift certified.”
As there are many increasingly niche variations of this meme started by a forklift operator on Facebook, there are also forklift attachments that help make this humble machine a versatile and indispensable tool for warehousing and materials handling.
In this article, we will go over eight best forklift attachments that can help increase the average speed at which you fill orders, stack pallets, and avoid product damage.
8 Most Popular Forklift Attachments
Work Platforms
Work platforms are forklift attachments that provide an elevated, adjustable platform capable of lifting workers to otherwise inaccessible locations, improving safety in awkward, tight spaces, and hard-to-reach spots. The platform can be attached to telehandler or forklift forks.
The 60” High Back is a must-have safety feature for mast-style forklifts that helps protect occupants. These platforms are designed to meet and exceed OSHA and CSA requirements.
Haugen Work Platform
Haugen’s Industrial Work Platform is taking your company to new heights with American built man basket.
Forklift Lifting Attachment
Lift-N-Tows are a type of forklift attachment designed for towing or pulling trailers, carts, or other heavy objects. They typically attach to the forklift’s tines and feature a pintle hitch or ball hitch that can be attached to the object being towed.
Simply slip the Lift-N-Tow over the forks and switch between the pintle, ball, and combination hitches to lift and tow all kinds of loads weighing up to 10,000 lbs for the standard Lift-N-Tow, 16,000 lbs for the Super Duty Lift-N-Tow, and 30,000 lbs with the Navy Lift-N-Tow.
Star Industries Lift-N-Tow
This Lift-N-Tow from Star Industries is the easy and safe way to lift, load, and tow with your forklift.
Forklift Towing Attachment
A fork-mounted trailer spotter is a type of forklift attachment designed to spot or position trailers in a warehouse or yard. It usually attaches to the forklift’s forks and features a ball hitch that enables the operator to move the trailer around the yard.
Fork Mounted Trailer Spotter
Move your trailer or boat with confidence by using Haugen Attachments popular trailer spotter.
Loading Box
The flatbed of a truck may not be 15 feet in the air like a row of shelves, but when trying to load heavy equipment onto it, it can feel just as challenging. The Loading Box allows you to carry and load machinery into your pickup bed without the need for painful and costly manual labor.
The fork-slotted loading box can be used on any machine equipped with pallet forks. Safety pins hold it in position during use, and a convenient built-in ramp enables wheeled equipment to roll quickly and safely for transport.
Load-N-Tow – Star Industries
This Load-N-Tow from Star Industries is a simple way to load and unload heavy and awkward equipment.
Fork Extensions
Fork extensions, as the name implies, extend the length of the forklift’s forks. They are typically made of steel and attach to the forklift’s existing forks to increase their length, allowing the forklift to handle longer loads.
Extensions come in various sizes and can be customized to fit the specific needs of a job or application. They are most commonly used in situations where the forklift needs to handle loads longer than the standard fork length.
OSHA regulations state that a fork extension should not exceed 50% of the overall fork length. For instance, if the forks are 48 inches long, then the fork extension should not be longer than 72 inches (48/2 = 24; hence, you can add 24 inches to your 48-inch forks for a total length of 72 inches).
The Haugen Fork Extensions are constructed either fully enclosed or with a C-channel and secured to your existing forks using safety pins. Their all-steel construction guarantees durability and longevity for many years. Additionally, they are equipped with a 45-degree bevel as standard, which assists in positioning the forks into a pallet.
Fork Extensions
Haugen Attachments builds all its fork extensions in the USA using only USA steel and qualified fabricators.
Self Dumping Bucket
A self-dump bucket can convert your forklift into a loader. With this all-mechanical, non-hydraulic bucket, you can transport multiple loads. Simply slide in the forks, insert the locking pins, and release the load using the handle or remote rope.
The bucket can be released either by the handle at the back of the bucket or through the seat of the operator using the remote rope release. Lowering the bucket to the ground resets it for the next load. The safety lock prevents the bucket from accidentally releasing during transportation.
This is one of several attachments that enables forklifts to be used for more than just transporting pallets.
Forklift Self-Dump Buckets – Star Industries
This Forklift Self-Dump Buckets from Star Industries installs in minutes and is the ideal solution for loading loose stuff. No adjustment to the forklift is required.
Forklift Snow Plow
A forklift may not be the first machine that comes to mind when thinking about snow plowing, but it can still be a useful tool in a pinch. While other machines may be better suited for major or frequent snow clearing jobs, the Haugen fork-mounted snow blade attachment can help clear snow quickly and cost-effectively without the need for a separate machine or contractor.
The snow blade can be angled to push snow to the side, allowing for clean and consistent passes. It also features a replaceable cutting edge and skid shoes for ease of use. Additionally, the blade is powder-coated to resist corrosion and rust, ensuring its durability and longevity.
Forklift Snow Plow – Haugen Attachments
The Snow Blade slips directly onto your forks and are securely held on with locking pins at the heel of your forks.
Forklift Bucket Attachment
The Fork Slot Bucket from Haugen is designed to be compatible with most forklifts and features built-in fork slots for easy attachment to the forks. The bucket itself is constructed with all-steel material for durability and longevity, making it an ideal tool for heavy-duty jobs.
Additionally, it comes with a replaceable cutting edge and skid shoes to increase ease of use and protect against wear and tear. The bucket can hold up to 1.25 cubic yards of material and is perfect for a variety of applications, from construction and landscaping to warehouse cleanup.
Heavy Duty Telehandler & Forklifts Buckets – Star Industries
This Heavy Duty Forklift Buckets from Star Industries is meant to extendable-reach forklifts, giving it easy to place materials in hard-to-reach areas like elevated positions and back high walls.
Carpet Poles
Forklifts are commonly used for moving carpet rolls or paper rolls in manufacturing facilities, warehouses, and distribution centers. Specialized attachments, called carpet poles or roll clamps, allow them to lift and move these heavy and bulky items safely.
Carpet poles are long cylindrical tubes that attach to the forklift’s tines and extend beyond the width of the machine.
Paper roll clamps are another type of forklift attachment that is designed specifically for handling paper rolls. They feature two curved arms that clamp onto the sides of the paper roll, allowing the forklift to lift and transport it safely.
Carpet Pole
Moving and stacking heavy rolled up carpet is near impossible without a forklift with a carpet pole attachment.
Conclusion
The versatile family of specialized forklift attachments puts them in a special category along with skid steers as invaluable tools that allow one machine and one forklift operator to improve productivity and handle many jobs that warehouse life throws at them.
Forklift attachments create versatile opportunities for palletless handling of equipment of all shapes, sizes, and storage containers in even the toughest conditions. Additionally, equipment like carton clamps and drum clamps mean your forklift can load whatever your imagination and job site serve up!
Through this website, I will be talking you through everything you need to know about machinery, covering machine parts and all types of construction equipment. Compact Operator will serve as the ultimate guide for everything you need to know.
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