Let’s go over some reasons to determine if you need a manual or power pallet jack. 

 

 

If your business is moving heavy pallets all day, then a forklift is probably your best bet if you have the space for it. If you don’t, then a pallet jack is certainly the next best thing to move your shipments and merchandise around the warehouse or your store. Remember that a pallet jack doesn’t require anywhere near as much licensing and training, so it’s a good replacement for a forklift in many workplaces.

 

Pallet jacks are far more manoeuvrable than forklifts and fit into much smaller locations, and are far more affordable than forklifts. The more common use for a forklift is to lift shipments from trucks in loading bays and then handing the load off to the pallet jack for the rest of the stacking operations. 

 

 

There are three main options to pick from; a Hand Pallet Jack, a Powered Pallet Jack or Pallet Stacker Trucks

 

 

If you’re looking for something to lift the heaviest shipments and weight is mainly your biggest focus, then hand operated pallet jacks will certainly be the best bet for you. They’re able to lift around 5,500 lbs and that’ll be just about the maximum, though it’s hand operated so keep that in mind. It’ll be less effortless to use than a powered model.

 

 

If you’re looking for an easier option and don’t really want to deal with manually pulling or pushing the pallet jack, then the powered option is certainly the better option. You’ll notice that manual pallet jacks can be stopped in their tracks by any little piece of debris on the floor, though powered jacks don’t typically have this issue. The electric motors make movement around the warehouse or shed a whole lot easier and they’re a lifesaver if you’re looking to reduce ergonomic strain on employees. 

 

You’ll find that the powered pallet jacks have a bit of a lower maximum weight at around 3,300 lbs, but these are typically still good enough for most businesses to use. They’re also the better option if you need to get things done a little bit quicker. 

 

The powered options also have controls, so make sure that you have some sort of short training course planned to teach workers how to use these control without causing an accident, like hitting a wall or a rack. 

 

 

If you’re mainly needing a way to move heavier pallets around the workplace and don’t have the capital or the space for a fully fledged forklift, then a pallet stacker truck is certainly the next best thing for you. These are kind of like single person operated forklifts which allow employees to move heavy pallets around the workplace with ease and even in really small spaces. 

 

You might also find that some pallet stackers have the ability to lift up to 10ft and carry loads of over 3,300 lbs, making them a great replacement for a forklift for most businesses. This makes it easier to lift everything up to where it needs to be. 

 

 

To summarise, you should consider your business’s individual needs and determine why you need either a manual or powered pallet jack. If it’s simply to improve efficiency, then a powered version is going to make the processes a lot more effortless. If it’s to make the movement of extremely heavy shipments easier in the short term, then a manual version will be more affordable and hold you over for the short term. 

 

Though, if you need a versatile solution for either long term or short term, then the pallet stacker trucks look to be one of the better options for a number of mobility tasks. They’ll keep your operations running effectively for the years to come.