Best Rough Terrain Forklifts for Multipurpose Use

Rough terrain forklifts are the off-road workhorses of the agriculture, construction, and forestry industries. If you run a farm, ranch, oil refinery, construction site, or logging company, you may wonder which rough terrain forklifts are best suited for the job. Learn more about the different types of outdoor, multipurpose forklifts to help you decide.

What is a Rough Terrain Forklift?

The primary function of a rough terrain lift truck is to transport heavy loads over rocky or unstable surfaces often found in outdoor settings. The first thing you’ll notice is that the tires are rugged and oversized compared to indoor trucks. Rough terrain forklifts typically use pneumatic (solid rubber) or polyurethane (foam-filled) tires for the best traction and stability. They also sit higher off the ground for improved clearance.

Types of Multipurpose, Rough Terrain Forklifts

While all rough terrain lift trucks are designed to traverse uneven ground, the best type of outdoor forklift for you depends on the job parameters. The most important factors to consider include load weight, load shape, load balance, and lift height requirements. Here are three types of rough terrain forklifts that may suit your multipurpose needs.

Straight Mast Rough Terrain Forklifts

These standard outdoor lift trucks are designed to load and unload building materials or other supplies in rough terrain environments. The default forks are best suited for moving pallets, though numerous attachments allow more multipurpose uses. Load capacities range from 5,000 to 36,000 lbs, and lift heights span 9 to 22 feet. Depending on the model you choose, straight mast forklifts can be powered by propane or diesel fuel.

Rough Terrain Telehandler Forklifts

Also known as vertical reach forklifts or telescopic handlers, these machines feature a boom that can raise and extend for greater vertical reach. They also include all-wheel-drive and a power shift transmission to help the operator position the lift as accurately as possible for the job at hand.

Applications for rough terrain telehandlers include building maintenance, billboard and signage management, and construction work. They are able to heft their full weight capacity up to 18 feet (for compact models) or 56 feet (for high-reach models), with load capacities commonly ranging from 5,500 to 12,000 lbs and a vertical reach of 10 feet or more.

Rough Terrain Rotating Telehandler Forklifts

By swiveling on a turntable, rotating telehandlers can access a wide area from a single position. Most roto telehandlers have stabilizers that allow loads to be moved safely from one side of the machine to the other. Common load capacities range from 4,000 to 10,000 lbs, lift heights span 15 to 80 feet, and the vertical reach may be 30 feet or more.

Are you looking for high-quality new and used rough terrain forklifts from today’s top brands? Choose Ring Power Lift Trucks as your reliable forklift dealer in Florida! We’re the Sunshine State’s top source for forklift rentals, sales, parts, and services, with several convenient locations to choose from. For more information, please call us at 877-544-5438 or contact us online today.