Counterbalance lift trucks are essentially forklifts which are designed with counterweight at the rear of the machine. The counterweight works to balance the weight that the tines are carrying at the front of the cargo. This particular design is engineered to stabilize traditional lift trucks. When it comes to electric counterbalance forklifts, the counterweight is formed by the battery itself.

Counterbalance forklifts can often be found in every manufacturer's product range. They are typically manufactured in a range of sizes and configurations, utilizing a variety of fuel sources. These forklifts can with solid or pneumatic tires, and be designed with 4 or 3 wheels. They can operate in diverse applications. These lift trucks are outfitted with a variety of accessories. Common attachments and options comprise: side shifts, hydraulic clamps, fork shifts and slip sheet attachments just to mention some items.

Counterbalance lift trucks have changed the material handling business. They have become the cornerstone of storage and distribution systems where they perform loading, stacking, horizontal transport functions and unloading. The standard warehouse lift trucks are usually utilized for lift heights less than 20 feet or 6 meters. There have been some units recently designed that are capable of lifting to heights 9.5 meters or 31 feet. The smaller 1-1.8 ton or 4000 pound forklifts are the main workhorses in most warehouses. These are the most popular units that most small companies would own. The average warehouse counterbalance forklift is a wide-aisle truck which requires approximately 3 meters or 11 feet to turn in.

Moreover, the counterbalanced lift truck is not necessarily limited to warehouse settings. They are normally used for container carrying and heavy use together with pretty much every application in between. Counterbalance lift trucks are the most widely utilized and versatile of all materials handling machinery.

The counterbalanced forklift is common in numerous working environments, such as warehousing, production and retail. This is due to their durability and versatility. Some of the industrial applications comprise: automotive, timber, chemical and food industries.