Counterbalance lift trucks are essentially lift trucks that are designed with counterweight at the back of the equipment. The counterweight works to balance the weight which the tines are carrying at the front of the cargo. This specific design is engineered to stabilize conventional forklifts. As far as electric counterbalance forklifts are concerned, the battery itself forms the counterweight.

Counterbalance forklifts could often be found in every manufacturer's product range. They are normally manufactured in a variety of sizes and configurations, using a variety of fuel sources. These forklifts can with solid or pneumatic tires, and be designed with 4 or 3 wheels. They are capable of working in diverse applications. These types of lift trucks are outfitted with different types of accessories. Common attachments and options comprise: fork shifts, slip sheet attachments, hydraulic clamps and side shifts just to name a few.

The counterbalance lift truck has in fact revolutionized the whole industry of material handling. These machinery are essential to the shipping and receiving centers all over the planet since they are utilized for stacking, loading, horizontal transport functions and unloading. The standard warehouse forklifts are normally utilized for lift heights less than 20 feet or 6 meters. There have been some recently developed units which could lift to heights 31 feet or 9.5 meters. The smaller 1-1.8 ton or 4000 pound forklifts are the main workhorses in most warehouses. These are the most popular models which most small companies would own. The average warehouse counterbalance forklift is actually a wide-aisle truck which requires approximately 3 meters or 11 feet to turn in.

Counterbalance forklifts are not necessarily confined to the warehouse. They are often used for carrying containers and heavy use along with basically every use in between. Counterbalance forklifts are the most versatile and widely used of all materials handling machines.

Due to their versatility and durability, counterbalance lift trucks are commonplace in a large range of working environments, including warehousing, production and retail. Several of the industrial applications comprise: food, chemical, automotive and timber industries.