Forklift
Batteries

Capacity

As a lighter-weight electric forklift, a Class II forklift is the smallest forklift, intended for tighter spaces and narrow aisles. Rated for between 1,500 and 5,500 pounds of load capacity, they include quite a few varieties, such as order pickers, side loaders, turret trucks, and reach fork trucks. In some applications, companies work with multiple types of forklifts in the same location to improve the efficiency of different operations.

Varieties

Order pickers and reach fork trucks are indoor-only, with order pickers lifting the control and driver to the level of the pallet to be picked, while reach trucks have forks to lift and lower the pallet to the ground level. This improves the safety and efficiency of warehouse operations.

Applications and Industries

Apart from regular warehouses, Class II forklifts are often used in freezer and cooler environments, typically found in the food and beverage, refrigerated storage, wine, and fresh produce industries, as well as many of the industries that Class I forklifts can service. However, their smaller lifting capacity limits their functionality to lighter-weight loads and facilities with tighter space.

How to choose Class II forklift batteries

When deciding on which Class II forklift batteries are right for your business, there are a few considerations to think about. As with Class I forklifts, you’ll need to know your forklift’s voltage and the battery compartment size. You’ll need to decide which industrial battery type you want to use in your warehouse: wet cell battery, gel cell battery, or sealed lead-acid battery type. The most advanced solution on today’s market is a lithium battery.

Though lead-acid wet cell batteries have been used for decades now and are the least expensive, are much less efficient, require a lot of labor hours for maintenance, have shorter life spans, take four times as long to charge, and pose environmental hazards in the form of sulfuric acid and lead. By comparison, lithium-ion batteries last 2–3 times longer, bring environmental benefits, can be charged intermittently, and are much safer.

Some companies choose alternative “creative” solutions, including using refurbished forklift batteries reconditioned or using several lower-voltage batteries (for example, the 6V 225AH Toyota battery) connected together in different voltage patterns. Even if you have enough expertise to assemble a battery pack cheaply and safely, used batteries or rebuilt batteries will not last long and demand daily maintenance and service.

For more on how to choose the right battery brand for your forklift, see the Battery Selector page.

Capacity

Built for loading and unloading cargo as well as moving products through a store or public space, Class III forklifts include powered pallet jacks, walkie stackers, pallet stackers, and tow tractors. These smaller lift trucks can handle loads of up to around 4500 pounds.

Varieties

These forklifts can be walked behind and ridden on, and are capable of bearing loads of 2,000–4,000 pounds for pallet stackers, 4,500–10,000 pounds for pallet jacks, and 10,000–15,000 pounds for tow tractors.

Applications and Industries

The applications for Class III lift trucks are everywhere, starting from box delivery by commercial trucks in retail and logistics, and ending with manufacturing facilities. This is the most widespread lift truck in the material handling, paper and packaging, wine, manufacturing, distribution, and third-party logistics industries.

How to choose Class III forklift batteries

Choosing a Class III forklift battery can be summarized in a few steps. Start with your forklift’s voltage, take the battery compartment size into account, then decide what type of battery chemistry you’ll use. Weight is an especially important factor in tuggers and tow tractors: since this lift truck design does not need a counterweight, the additional 150 lbs. of the load is more efficient than an extra 150 lbs. of a battery.

Lead-acid wet cell batteries are significantly heavier than lithium-ion batteries, often by 2–3 times. With lithium batteries, the lower weight and greater power in the same battery compartment size provide a longer period of operation. They also charge faster and are more environmentally friendly. There are different pros and cons for AGM batteries, which can be sealed and have lower maintenance needs, but overall, they are not much more efficient than lead-acid batteries.

For more on how to choose the right battery for your forklift, see the Battery Selector page.