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Pallet truck - push or pull rod?

Number of messages: 4

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bombus
Hamburg, Germany

Some pedestrian pallet trucks are equipped with a push rod, others with a pull rod.
Does anyone know which system is the best one - or isn't there any significant difference
at all?

Posted 26 May 2008 10:09 PM

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John_Lambert
Victoria, Australia

In a physical sense it is always better to pull a pallet truck than push a pallet truck.

Pulling imparts an upward force on the leading wheel that increases when the wheel enters a pothole or spoon drain or similar, or a dicontinuity at concrete slab joints, and this automatically reduces the force required to negotiate that discontinuity. In addition pulling a pallet truck means it automatically follows the operator.

However when positioning the pallet you obviously need to push the pallet truck forward - hence good OHS housekeeping should ensure there are no imperfections or discontinuities in the floor at these locations as they can significantly increase the force required to move a pallet truck and thereby increase the risks of soft tissue injury

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Better to strive and experience all life’s colours from pain to ecstasy than to exist in a grey life

Posted 20 Jun 2008 00:27 AM

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DaveUK
BERKSHIRE, United Kingdom

I think John has missunderstood the question.....in normal use there is not any diference. Pull rods are better if the machines are missused by say lifting on one fork, push rods will somtimes bend in this situation. Thats not to say somthing else will not bend or break on an overloaded pull rod machine. Push rods are part of the linkage on the underside of the fork on a pallet lifter, they link the torsion bar too the wheel fork. There are more important things to consider when comparing pallet trucks. In my humble opinion BT/Toyota are good, they have push rods............

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Who bravely dares must sometimes risk a fall.

Posted 23 Jun 2008 04:17 AM

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John_Lambert
Victoria, Australia

Hi all

Sorry if I misunderstood the question. If it's the linkage you're talking about Dave is right that in an overload situation, rods in tension would be preferred because they will not buckle. As an example a 4.0 mm diameter fencing wire will have a breaking strain in tension of 480 kg. But a 3 kg force will cause a 1 metre long length to buckle in compression.
Or alternately a standard 26.9 mm by 2.3 mm wall thickness circular hollow section will resist a tension of 35000 kg, but a 1 metre long section will buckle under a 2800 kg compression load.
In spite of the above a good designer will allow for these variables. So if there are other functional reasons for preferring a push rod in design, then the push rod just has to be designed around that fact.

-------------------------
Better to strive and experience all life’s colours from pain to ecstasy than to exist in a grey life

Posted 23 Jun 2008 08:42 AM

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