For people who don't work in the material handling industry, most forklifts seem more or less the same. Some are bigger, some are smaller.
Order pickers and reach trucks are among the smaller models. From a distance, these lift trucks look similar. The operator stands rather than sits and both take up considerably less space than a standard, sit-down fork truck. But appearances can be deceiving...
When parked, these two pieces of equipment look similar. But when you see them in action, the difference is obvious.
These key pieces of equipment are important for warehousing and distribution centers. While their settings are similar, the differences between order pickers and reach trucks are many.
Order pickers lift the operator and the load at the same time. A platform moves up and down the mast, giving the operator access to material stored on pallet racks beyond arms' reach. The Doosan-Bobcat BOP15S-9 has a 3000 lb. capacity and is available with a mast height of up to 300 inches.
Order pickers require harnesses and other safety equipment and are designed for retrieving items and cases from warehouse rack — not loading and unloading pallets of product.
Reach trucks function similarly to standard forklifts and are designed for narrow and very narrow aisles. A reach truck has one set of wheels beneath the operator and two outer wheels attached to "legs" that distribute the load on either side of the mast. The mast is attached to a mechanism called a pantograph. The pantograph can extend outward to reach pallets stored in single or double-reach racking. These machines can have very tall masts and are popular at distribution and warehousing centers with narrow aisles.
Doosan-Bobcat's Electric Pantograph Reach Trucks can lift up to 4000 lbs. These machines are powerful, stable and low maintenance.
Put simply, a reach truck does the same job as a sit-down forklift but in narrow aisles. Order pickers, however, are designed specifically for order fulfillment. While you may sometimes see order pickers and reach trucks in the same facility, they fulfill very different needs.
Order pickers and reach trucks are just a few forklift alternatives that can help your business save money and operate more efficiently. Want to know more? Contact Mid-Columbia Forklift and MidCo Material Handling. Our friendly experts can help you choose the best equipment for your operational needs and budget.
Contact us online or by phone:
Auburn 253-854-5438
Pasco 509-547-7413
Wenatchee 509-663-9009
Yakima 509-457-5137
Further Reading
How Does A Doosan Reach Truck Benefit My Business?
Top 4 Alternatives to Forklifts
Order Picker Forklifts: Everything You Need To Know