Measure the pallet first
Most Australian sites run standard 1165 × 1165 mm pallets. They suit a jack with 685 mm wide, 1,150 mm long forks, which is what our 2,500 kg pallet jack has. Euro and slim pallets (1200 × 800 mm) take the 520 mm version of the same jack, and Chinese skids take the 450 mm one.
Then look underneath. A standard jack needs about 75 to 85 mm of clearance to slide in. Low pallets and skids can sit lower than that, and the Low Boy pallet jack drops to 51 mm for them.
How much weight?
Go by your heaviest pallet, not the average one, and leave some margin. Our standard manual jacks are rated to 2,500 kg. The specialist models (Low Boy, super long, hand brake, scale and stainless) are rated to 2,000 kg, and the high lift jack to 1,000 kg because it raises the load so much higher.
Match the jack to the job
| If you need to | Look at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Move standard pallets around the warehouse | 2,500 kg pallet jack | 685 mm forks, sealed pump, 3-position handle |
| Get under low pallets | Low Boy | 51 mm lowered height |
| Carry extra-long pallets | Super long | 1,800 mm forks |
| Turn in tight spaces | Short stubby | 800 mm forks |
| Weigh loads as you move them | Scale jack | Accurate to ±0.5% of capacity, with tare and running totals |
| Work on slopes or truck beds | Hand brake jack | A brake holds the load |
| Work in food or wash-down areas | Stainless steel | Full stainless, easy to clean |
| Raise a pallet to working height | High lift | Lifts to 800 mm, stabilisers lock it when raised |
Manual or electric?
A manual jack is the cheapest way to move pallets and there's nothing to charge. It gets to be hard work when the runs are long, the loads are near the limit or the job goes on all day.
Our electric range runs from the QPTE20L economy model to the heavy-duty PTE15N and PTE20N, which are rated for gradients up to 16%. All three have 680 to 685 mm forks for Australian pallets. Is an electric pallet jack worth it? goes through the trade-off in more detail.
Walk the route
Follow the path the jack will take before you buy. Smooth concrete suits any jack. Dock plates, door thresholds and cracked slabs are where loaded jacks get stuck, so check them with the heaviest pallet in mind. Never take a standard manual jack down a slope: once the load starts rolling, nothing holds it. Use the hand brake model or one of the heavy-duty electric jacks there.
When a jack isn't enough
A pallet jack only lifts the pallet about 200 mm, enough to clear the floor. If pallets have to go onto racking, a truck tray or a bench, you need a stacker. Pallet jack or pallet stacker? covers where the line falls.
Not sure which one fits? Call 0494 925 726 with your pallet size and heaviest load and we'll tell you which jack suits.
