Choosing the right forklift accessories for your equipment can make or break the ease of which you operate machinery within the workplace. Increasing material handling efficiency is priority number one when selecting accessories.

Forklifts — powered industrial utility vehicles — help to lift and transport materials and goods from one place to another, usually within a warehouse setting. They come in many shapes and sizes — some to fit into small aisles and others to handle large amounts of materials. As a business owner, you can complement the capability of your forklifts by purchasing or renting attachments that each do a different job. From bucket lifters and towing attachments to telescopic boom cranes and hoisting hooks, you have a variety of options at your disposal depending on your needs. Many of these attachments are available in different models that can fit with your particular forklift.

The use of accessories can transform your forklift into a more versatile utility machine, allowing it to tackle jobs it couldn’t do before. The benefits to this are two-fold: you get increased efficiency that saves you time, plus you save money because you don’t have to purchase a whole new machine to perform the desired job. Attachments and accessories are available new or refurbished. Here we explore three forklift accessories that can boost your material handling efficiency further than those two long forks can.

Self-Dumping Hoppers

Self-Dumping Hoppers are useful accessories because they’re so versatile and you’ll likely find a use for them every single day. Not only can they collect and remove trash, they can also transport loose goods from place to place, such as from a work site to a trash receptacle. Because they are self-balanced, you can empty the heavy bins yourself from the comfort of your forklift and then return them to their original position, all with ease.

Booms

Booms, usually available in both telescopic and non-telescopic versions, extend the reach of a forklift, allowing the operator to pick up and transport heavy objects in a swinging motion to another place. Similar to a crane, there are many kinds of booms, from reach over and precision lifting to low-profile telescoping and fixed length. These, like all attachments, are considered modifications to a forklift, affecting the capacity and stability of any operation. Used for lifting heavy loads, booms are ideal for all models and sizes of forklifts.

Work Platforms

Work platforms and safety cages can help you work safely at any height in your warehouse. Without these accessories, you would be quite limited in the space you have access to work. Sometimes it’s wise to make use of vertical space, and you can do that with a platform. Use these attachments rather than perch precariously on ladders or be forced to buy expensive equipment such as cherry pickers for a very specific purpose.

Investing in a portable loading platform, whether a simple one or a more heavy duty ramp, can open up the possibilities for you on the warehouse or showroom floor. Forklifts are a crucial addition to any factory or warehouse, used to move, raise, lower, remove and relocate a wide range of materials, whether on pallets, in boxes or within crates. Attachments enhance the operation of the forklift but operators are still subject to rules and regulations that apply when using the vehicle, advises OSHA.