Sideloaders or sideways forklifts for bar stock

[Doug]

I've been in shops that doo allot of barstock work, ussually 4" and up.
and some have these sideways forklifts, called Sideloaders:

Raymond Sideloader 9400 | Long Load Forklift

The Raymond Sideloader 9400 long load forklift excels at moving long or bulky loads up to five tons in very narrow aisles and stacking them up to 30 feet high.

www.raymondcorp.com

But every one I see is very large. Example linked is 12k lbs.

Neighbors swiss shop could use one, as they run about a dozen swiss machines, but material is 1" and under.
Handling 14' long pine boxes thru the shop is an accident waiting to happen. It's all Centerless Ground materials.

Was at HGR one day, and there was a pair of "stand on straddle forklifts" like you see in Home Depot.

Only they had the "front" wheels mounted the "other way".
These were small capacity (IIRC 4k) sideloaders.

I did a search, and did find them at one time, but as they are quite rare, would be too much money for the small shops.

It does look like someone could simply torch off those wheels and reweld them on 90 degrees out.
Might need to re-jigger the end stops on the steering as well. (rear motor under the cover by your shins)

 

[lobust]

We had a big sideloader years ago when we did a lot of big pipe work.

It was a bit of an unwieldy bastard of a thing to use. The entire chassis leaned over to secure the load, including the cab. Was uncomfortable to drive it like that.

Later we (my ex-boss to be specific, before I was important enough to make such decisions) replaced it with a big Combilift multidirectional forklift, which was even more of an unwieldy bastard of a thing to use and everybody hated it.

After we had our "management reorganisation" it was the first thing to go, and replaced with a normal large capacity forklift instead.

 

[Booze Daily]

I usually come in at the end of the bundle with the forks above it. I rest a pc of wood on top of the bundle at the back of the forks and lower the forks onto it.

Then wrap a nylon strap around the bundle and the front of the forks. When you raise the forks and tilt back, it lifts the bundle and you can move it around like a long spear.

I've successfully moved up to 1500 lbs this way.

 

[Doug]

I usually come in at the end of the bundle with the forks above it. I rest a pc of wood on top of the bundle at the back of the forks and lower the forks onto it.

Then wrap a nylon strap around the bundle and the front of the forks. When you raise the forks and tilt back, it lifts the bundle and you can move it around like a long spear.

I've successfully moved up to 1500 lbs this way.

Yes, you can doo it that way, and even use some fork extensions.
However, with paid help, bouncing that over and around some serious expensive machines is asking for an accident.
And some shops don't have that kind of room to swing that long spear.

 

[Doug]

Here's one that is similar, but much more complicated & expensive:

4-Directional Reach Truck | Multi Directional Forklift

The Raymond 4-D Reach Truck is a multi directional forklift that handles long and bulky loads with ease in narrow aisles, for less product damage.

www.raymondcorp.com

 

[Vancbiker]

Several years ago I spent some time looking for a used but decent side load reach truck for the warehouse. Every one I found at the time rode hard and put away wet and still had a crazy price on it. Gave up and just continued to use the small Crown standups.

 

[Doug]

Used Atlet Electric Side-load Forklift | HGR Industrial Surplus (hgrinc.com)

The ones I saw were similar, but normal (not extra tall) mast.

 

[Kustomizer]

We set it on a warehouse cart and push it where we want it

 

[Doug]

We set it on a warehouse cart and push it where we want it
View attachment 254

You don't have brain dead employees.....

 

[Kustomizer]

nope, lost them a while back

 

[Doug]

nope, lost them a while back

So why did you post, adding nothing to my thread ?...

 

[Kustomizer]

Silly me, I thought a warehouse cart you push by hand would be a pretty safe alternative for the "paid help" to get the 14' pine box through the shop full of expensive machinery as opposed to giving the "brain dead" employees an expensive, complicated, bastardidized, motorized machine. Prior to offering the warehouse push cart I had not realized that having "brain dead" employees myself was a requirement, I had not seen that in the earlier posts. I have had as many as a dozen at a time in the past but as you pointed out, I do not have any now, I do not see any in the future but after seeing one years back knock the pendant off a Matsurra 760 twin spindle VMC, I decided it was a bad idea to have employees drive forklifts inside the shop and made warehouse carts about the right hight to bring material into the shop. I am very sorry for any trouble I may have caused by adding nothing to your post.