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Heavy-Duty Pallet Jacks
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Move Transmissions, Tires and Crates Without a Forklift
A heavy-duty pallet jack lifts a loaded skid a few inches off the floor and lets one person roll it across the shop. It is the tool that takes a crated transmission jack off the delivery truck, moves a pulled gearbox to the bench and shuttles a stack of tires from receiving to the tire bay, in places a forklift cannot go or is not worth firing up.
Sizing one is simple: find the heaviest pallet you move, add 20 to 25 percent, and buy the rating above that number. David's Heavy Duty Tool Sales stocks the AFF 5,500 pound heavy-duty pallet jack, built with a hi-tensile steel frame for shop and dock work, and can source higher capacities on request. Veteran-owned, serving shops across North America.
Where a Pallet Jack Earns Its Keep in a Truck Shop
Most shops buy one for the dock and end up using it everywhere.
Receiving Dock
Drums of oil and coolant, crated jacks and lifts, skids of parts washers. A 5,500 pound rating covers the heaviest single pallet most tool and fluid deliveries put on the dock.
Parts Room
Brake drums, clutch assemblies, engine components and cores come in and go out on skids. A pallet jack keeps heavy parts on the pallet from receiving to the shelf to the bay.
Shop Floor
Once a transmission jack lowers a gearbox onto a skid, the pallet jack moves it to the bench, the wash bay or the shipping crate without tying up a lift bay or a forklift.
Tire Bay
A skid of commercial tires is a two-person carry without one. With a pallet jack it rolls from the truck to the tire rack in one trip, and mounted assemblies ride to the bay the same way.
Sizing: Heaviest Pallet, Plus Margin
Do not size to the average load. Weigh or look up the heaviest pallet you will ever put on the forks, then add a safety buffer of 20 to 25 percent. The rating above that number is your jack.
Worked example: a crated 2-stage air-hydraulic jack on a skid weighs about 4,000 pounds. Multiply by 1.2 and you need 4,800 pounds of capacity. A 5,500 pound heavy-duty pallet jack covers it with room to spare.
= minimum rating
4,000 lb × 1.2 = 4,800 lb → choose 5,500 lb
What to Look for in a Heavy-Duty Pallet Jack
Rated Capacity and Frame
The rating is stamped on the identification plate near the handle or pump. Behind it should be a hi-tensile steel frame that will not flex under a full load; flex is what wears out pump seals and load wheels early.
Fork Size and Platform
Standard 48 inch forks on a 27 inch platform fit the standard 48 by 40 inch pallet that fluids, parts and equipment ship on. Confirm the pallets your suppliers use before you buy anything narrower or shorter.
Lowered and Raised Height
A pallet jack lifts for transport, not for stacking. A lowered height around 3 inches slides under a standard pallet; a raised height near 7 3/4 inches clears floor seams, drains and thresholds without tipping the load.
Wheels, Rollers and Steering
Polyurethane-coated steel wheels roll quietly on sealed concrete and hold up to shop floors with grit and fluid on them. Entry rollers guide the forks into the pallet, and a full 180 degree steering arc turns the load in a bay aisle.
Controls and Hydraulics
A three-position lever (raise, neutral, lower) that returns to neutral on its own prevents the load from creeping. Quality hydraulic seals keep the pump leak-free through years of daily lifts.
| What You Move | Typical Skid Weight | 5,500 lb Jack |
|---|---|---|
| Drums of oil, coolant, DEF | Up to about 2,000 lb per 4-drum pallet | Covered |
| Pulled heavy-duty transmission on a skid | Several hundred to 1,000+ lb | Covered |
| Crated transmission jack or floor jack | Hundreds of pounds | Covered |
| Skid of commercial truck tires | Depends on count and size | Covered at typical stack heights |
| Crated 2-post lift columns, large parts washers | Can exceed 4,500 lb | Check the shipping weight; call us |
AFF Heavy-Duty Pallet Jack
American Forge & Foundry's shop-grade pallet jack: the one unit that covers a truck shop's dock, parts room and floor.
- Capacity5,500 lb
- FrameHi-tensile steel
- Platform27 in × 48 in
- Lift range3 in to 7 3/4 in
- SteeringFull 180° arc
- WheelsPolyurethane-coated steel, entry rollers
- Controls3-position lever, auto-return to neutral
- HydraulicsGerman-made seals, leak-free
- Ship weight228 lb
★ Proudly Veteran-Owned & Operated ★
Need a Higher Capacity or an Electric Unit?
Tell us your heaviest pallet and how far it travels, and we'll source the right jack. Call 616.591.0095.
Contact UsFrequently Asked Questions
What capacity pallet jack do I need?
Rate it 20 to 25 percent above the heaviest pallet you move, not the average. Weigh the heaviest loaded skid, multiply by 1.2 to 1.25, and choose the rating above that number. For most truck shops and docks, a 5,500 pound heavy-duty pallet jack covers fluids, parts, crated equipment and tires.
How much weight can a heavy duty pallet jack hold?
The industry standard for a shop-grade manual pallet jack is 5,500 pounds, which is the rating on the AFF unit we stock. Reinforced industrial models run higher; if your loads exceed 5,500 pounds, call us and we'll source a higher-capacity or electric unit.
What is the difference between a standard and a heavy duty pallet jack?
A heavy-duty pallet jack has a thicker steel frame, solid rather than tubular push rods, reinforced forks and heavier load wheels, so it holds its rating through daily use on rough shop floors instead of flexing and wearing out seals. Light-duty units are built for stockrooms and boxed goods.
How much does a pallet jack cost?
It depends on the rated capacity, frame construction, wheel material, fork size and whether it is manual or electric. Rather than quote a range, tell us what you move and how often and we'll give you a price on the right unit. Call 616.591.0095 or use our contact page.
How long does a pallet jack last?
A quality manual pallet jack lasts many years with routine care: check hydraulic fluid, keep the pivot points greased, inspect and replace load wheels as they wear, and keep the forks off overloaded pallets. Sealed hydraulics with good seals are the main reason one unit outlasts another.
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