7 Most Common Forklift Attachments Explained

Forklift attachments are a critical component in material handling; without them it would be impossible to move certain loads. However, attachments are often overlooked, leading to poorly planned operations and potential damage to goods, or worse still personal injury.

With there being so many different types of forklift attachments available, it’s vital you choose the correct type for your application as it can lead to safer handling, reduce product damage and increased productivity. We’ve put together a guide of some of the most common forklift attachments to help you make the right choice.

1. Sideshifter
   Side Shifters are one of the most common attachments used today. This attachment allows you to move a load from side to side, so you can make small adjustments to the alignment of the pallet, without manoeuvring the entire forklift.
   
   Benefits:
   – Reduced fuel and pallet damage
   – Faster loading of pallet
   – Improve Warehouse Space Utilisation
   Typical Industries:
   – Agriculture
   – Paper handling
   – Construction
   – Food and beverage
2. Fork Positioner
   Fork Positioners allows the forklift forks to be positioned hydraulically. They are particularly useful when the width of the load change constantly, allowing the operator to align forks with pallets faster for more effective handling.
   
   Benefits:
   – Increase productivity
   – No manual adjustment of forks
   – Reduced pallet damage
   – Improved load handling times
   Typical Industries:
   – Distribution
   – Warehousing
   – Food manufacturing
   – Pharmaceutical
3. Paper Clamps
   Paper roll attachments enable you to increase productivity in your paper handling operations, whilst leaving your roll damage free. Designed with maximum efficiency in mind, these attachments are commonly used in the paper and printing handling industry and is suitable for different types of machines.
   
   Benefits
   – Reduces damage of paper rolls
   – Increased handling times
   – Paper handling 180° or 360° rotation
   – Damage reduction systems available
   Typical Industries:
   – Paper
4. Push/Pull Attachment
   The Push Pull attachment provides a cost-effective solution, whereby standard wooden or plastic pallets are substituted by an inexpensive slip sheet, increasing shipping volume. The attachment is connected to a conventional fork lift truck and can be swiftly disconnected to return to handling pallets.
   
   Benefits:
   – Fast removal and installation; with no need to remove forks
   – Allows easy handling of goods with slip sheets
   – Slip sheets reduce packaging weight
   – Fork mounted units available – Can be removed in minutes to use as a conventional FLT
   Typical Industries
   – Beverage
   – Bagged goods
   – Food
5. Multiple Pallet Handler
   Multiple Load Handlers are used to handle both a single pallet, or the forks can be spread hydraulically to lift, carry and side shift multiple pallets side by side. This versatile attachment can navigate through narrow aisles, whilst boosting material handling efficiency by taking fewer trips to get the job done.
   
   Benefits:
   – Doubles handling capacity of pallets
   – Reduces loading & unloading times
   – Reduces the amount of required truck manoeuvres
   Typical Industries
   – Bottling
   – Brewing
   – Warehouse
   – Shipping
6. Fork Extensions
   Need to get a little extra length on the forks of your lift truck? Fork extension sleeves are designed to provide a simple, but effective method of handling the occasional long and awkward load that extends past the tips of the parent fork arm.
   
   Benefits
   – Offers stability and safe handling of various loads
   – Retain truck manoeuvrability in normal operating conditions
   Typical Industries
   – Warehouse
   – Shops
   – Shipping
   – Factories
7. Rotators
   This extremely useful attachment allows you to rotate the forks 360° in a revolving motion, safely and efficiently when moving loads. Best used for inverting and dumping loads, it helps to improve productivity and greatly limit downtime.
   
   Benefits
   – Quickly inverts a load and returns forks to upright position in one continuous motion
   Typical Industries
   – Waste / Recycling
   – Food processing
   – Agriculture
   – Food and beverage

Need More Advice?
If you’re still not sure what attachment you require, feel free to call our material handling specialists on 0800 169 9789 who will be able to talk you through your requirements and provide a suitable solution.