How to use a pallet jack?
Pallet jack’s have been in use since at least 1918 and have been functioning as an essential tool for the transportation of heavy loads in various working fields for a moderate distance.
Pallet jack’s are of mainly Two categories:
- Manual pallet jack
- Powered pallet jack and on this basis their functionality and usage varies.
How to use a manual pallet jack
- Position yourself behind the Pallet jack (opposite to the extending prongs) and rest both hands on the steering handle.
- Crank the lever in an up-down motion which is usually situated below the handle to raise the prongs( metallic extension’s that carry the weight) similar to a car jack.
- Adjust the pallet jack’s position directly underneath the object accordingly and lift the weight.
- Either pull or push the pallet to the desired location and adjust the lever once again to lower the pallet.
- Make sure to elevate the prongs to maintain a surface clearing in order to avoid any drag.
Manual pallet jack’s are extremely simple to use and are widely used in retail and personal warehousing operations.
They are usually used for lifting, lowering and steering pallets from place to place.
How to use an electric pallet jack
- The first step would be to safely unplug and place the plug in it’s designated location which are clearly marked and provide no difficulty in spotting.
- Since these pallets jacks are electrical they have to be charged whenever they are not in use.
- The handle of the pallet jack should contain an ensemble of buttons backed with diagrams or one word instruction’s that clearly define the purpose of each individual button.
- Use the buttons to move the pallet jack most electrical pallet jack’s also come equipped with a platform to stand on making it easier to travel long distance due to it’s non usage of manual labor it can take on much strenuous task’s compared to a manual pallet jack.
- Other than the presence of buttons and an electrical engine the steps the use the electrical pallet jack is the same as a manual one.
What kind of fluid goes into a pallet jack?
Pallet jacks use hydraulic jacks to safely lift pallets and transport over an extended period of time over a large surface areas therefore it is always important to keep the pallet jacks well maintained. A good way to keep pallet jacks in a functional state is to maintain an optimum level of hydraulic fluid within the fluid reservoir.
Always refer to the owner’s manual before beginning to change the hydraulic fluid as a precaution.
Changing the hydraulic fluid is very accessible, one may require a flat headed screwdriver to loosen up the fuel cap. Always use a funnel to limit wastage of fuel and to maintain a clean working environment.
Most fuel reservoir’s have a marked level that one must not overfill in order to maintain an optimal level. Pump the pallet jack’s handle to bleed out all the remaining air in the reservoir.
