Popular Forklift Attachments: #3 Fork Positioner

Ever wished for more hours in the day? A fork positioner attachment is the next-best thing. 

Most people know what a fork positioner does (the name says it all), but in case you’re not familiar with this popular attachment: a fork positioner allows the operator to adjust the distance between the forks without leaving the operator’s seat.

If you don’t already use a fork positioner and your team regularly handles pallets of different sizes: what are you waiting for? Manually adjusting the forks is a time-consuming pain in the neck. A fork positioner attachment allows your team to get more done in less time. It’s as handy as a pocket on a shirt. Once you have one, you can't go back.

In this article, we’ll run through everything you need to know about fork positioners. We’ll cover sideshifting fork positioners, fork positioners for heavy-duty applications and different mounting options.

If you already own a fork positioner, check out the other articles in our series about the most popular forklift attachments. 

Why Use a Fork Positioner?

If your operators are on and off the truck multiple times per day repositioning forks, a fork positioner attachment will quickly pay for itself. As an added bonus: fork positioners also reduce product damage. When it’s oh-so-easy to put the forks in the ideal position, operators are less likely to skewer the load.

Fork Positioner ATTACHMENT Options

Fork positioners are used in a wide variety of applications (agriculture, mining, 3PL, and so on). This means you have a lot of options to choose from including:

• Bolt-on 
• Clamp
• Hook-on 
• High-capacity 
• Heavy-duty*
• Quick disconnect
• Telescopic 
• Weigh forks
• Wide-opening
• Zero closing

* For certain applications, a heavy-duty load backrest is a worthwhile investment (to help stabilize the load).

Sideshifting Fork Positioners

The most popular type of fork positioner is a combination fork positioner and sideshifter. We offer sideshifting and non-side shifting fork positioner attachments for class II, III, and IV forklift carriages.

The video above shows Rightline sideshifting fork positioners, but we also offer Cascade forklift attachments. If any of your lift trucks already have a C-Series Integral or F-Series Hook-On Cascade Sideshifter, you can easily add a fork positioner using only nine bolts.

Hang-on Vs. Integral Fork Positioners

Hang on fork positioners attach to the carriage of your forklift. There are different options for indoor applications (including distribution centers, manufacturing, warehousing) and also rugged models made for mining applications, corrosive environments or applications that require long forks.

All of the hang-on fork positioners we offer are easy to install and easy to service. They’re available in capacities ranging from 5,500 - 15,400 lbs., but if you need something bigger we’ll find it for you.

Integral fork positioners replace the existing forklift carriage and can handle loads up to 30,000 lbs. (depending on the forklift). Integral fork positioners are popular with high-capacity and heavy-duty operations including:

• Aluminum
• Concrete
• Foundry
• Lumber
• Mining
• Produce
• Recycling

Wide-Opening Fork Positioner

For loads that extend beyond the attachment frame, you’ll need a wide-opening fork positioner. The wide-opening fork attachments we offer are available in capacities ranging from 3,500 - 20,000 lbs. for class II, III and IV carriages.

Buy a Fork Positioner To Boost Productivity and Reduce Product Damage

If you want to increase productivity and decrease product damage, adding a fork positioner to your lift truck is a guaranteed win.

Our experienced and friendly forklift experts can help you choose the right fork positioner for your operation. The Lilly Company is an authorized dealer for Bolzoni, Long Reach, Rightline and Cascade forklift attachments. We’re proud to serve customers throughout Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and eastern Arkansas. 

Contact us online or by phone 844-LILLYCO (1-844-545-5926) and tell us about the challenges you’re facing. Our experienced team will provide solutions based on your application and budget. You can also visit us at one of our 13 locations across the Mid-South.

Arkansas - Jonesboro
Alabama - Birmingham, Dothan, Irondale, Madison, Mobile, and Montgomery
Mississippi - Tupelo and Richland
Tennessee - Jackson, Kingsport, Knoxville, and Memphis

Further Reading:
Most Popular Forklift Attachments: #1 Sideshifter
Most Popular Forklift Attachments: #2 Drum and Barrel Grabbers
Forklift Extensions: What You Need to Know