Pallet Stackers

A pallet stacker is a variety of pallet jack that is used to transport, stack and haul palletized merchandise that are overly difficult for manual lifting. Its main function is to load and unload pallets on trucks, as well as transferring pallets to and from various locations within a stockroom space or stockroom. For the most part pallet stackers are built of heavy duty materials to withstand tremendous weights. Pallet stackers are often identified as pallet jacks. They can be operated from a seated, upright or walk-behind position. Pallet stackers are divided into manual and powered styles.

Pallet jacks are commonly comprised of a pair of forks that are capable of sliding beneath a pallet, capable of raising to a preferred height or transporting it to a particular location. The engine section or casing houses the gas-run, electronic or hydraulic equipment that powers the appliance.

Typically, pallet jacks come in walk-behind versions that are hand-powered. This means that they are moved by pushing and pulling the stacker into its preferred location, while lifting the heavy pallets can be operated hydraulically making this job much easier. Utilizing a foot pedal or handle raises the stacker’s forks. Squeezing a handle or trigger returns the forks to the floor. These designs of pallet jacks are perfect for lighter loads of up to approximately 1 ton or 907.18 kg.

Electric or gas powered pallet jacks can accommodate extreme lifting weights of up to 5 tons or 4535.92 kg. They are physically less demanding than the manual styles thanks to the automatic power to hoist and lower the stacker’s forks. These styles are steered by turning the handle in a specific direction. There is a button on the knob that operates to hoist and lower the forks. A throttle found on the stacker’s handle moves the appliance forward and in reverse. This style of equipment is generally referred to as a lift truck and is operated from a sit-down posture.

As the fork width, weight limit and lift peak vary dramatically between specific models, choosing the correct pallet jack to fit the activity is vital. Some stacker’s lift height may permit several pallets to be stacked, while others may only permit two at a time. Certain designs of these hoists feature an modifiable fork in order to permit the stacker to slide beneath pallets of different sizes and shapes. These designs are useful when a variety of types of pallets are common within a workspace.

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