How To Ensure You Are Getting The Correct Tipping Skip For Your Needs

Choosing the right forklift tipping skip is critical to ensure you are getting a tipping skip that is fit for purpose and well suited for your needs.  The incorrect tipping skip can not only cause compatibility issues with your forklift truck but can also have a detrimental effect on your working processes.

Here are some questions to ask yourself when it comes to ensuring you are choosing the correct forklift tipping skip

What Type of Waste will I be handling?

It may seem like an obvious question, but to make sure you have a tipping skip that is fit for purpose, it is important to know exactly what type of debris and waste the tipping skip will be used for.

With Regular duty (3mm thick steel) and Heavy Duty (5mm thick steel) skip options available, here's a rundown on what option is best suited for what debris

Will I Be Tipping My Tipping Skip At Height?

If you are tipping your skip above shoulder height (i.e. into a high sided waste receptacle) then you will need to consider how you will active the tipping mechanism that will be beyond your reach.

You may want to consider either having a wire pull cord attached to the skip or choose a forklift skip model that comes with an Auto-Release mechanism as part of the design.  Auto-Release tipping skips are a very effective solution for tipping at height as they allow the forklift skip to be tipped without the forklift operator having the need to leave the seat of the cab

What Environment Is My Tipping Skip Being Used In?

Will you be using your forklift tipping skip in a corrosive environment (possibly exposed to sea salt) or does corrosion and contamination need to be kept to an absolute minimum (such as when working in the Food & Drinks Industry). 

Dangerous, hazardous and explosive atmospheric conditions also have to be taking into account, especially when working in such environments as Chemical plants, Paint workshops, Nuclear plants etc.

In all the above instances a tipping skip manufactured from mild steel with a painted finish would not be the best option.  Having your forklift skip manufactured in Stainless Steel or finished in Galvanised would be a far better option to consider 

What Capacity Forklift Truck Do I Intend To Use With My Tipping Skip?

Forklift truck de-ration is a term used to calculate the residual capacity of a forklift truck when an attachment (in this instance a forklift skip) is fitted to the forks.  The weight of the skip, centre of gravity and distance that the skip is away from the truck mast will all have a bearing on how this affects your forklift skip capacity

Fitting a large tipping skip onto a small capacity forklift could have adverse effects with regards to the forklift's capacity. When this skip is then filled up with debris, and the weight increases, this is where forklift stability issues can occur.

In this instance is always advised and recommended to check with your forklift dealer/supplier to make sure the forklift/tipping skip combination is within the safe working limits of the truck (Your tipping skip supplier should be able to supply you with the required rating details of the skip in order for the de-ration calculation to  be carried out

Will My Tipping Skip Fit My Forklift?

With fork pockets (fork channels) being an integral part of any tipping skip design, the most crucial aspect to check when it comes to fitting your forklift skip to your forklift is the section size and spread (distance from outside of the one fork to the outside of the other) of your forklift forks.  Ensuring that your forklift forks (width & thickness) will fit into the fork pockets and the fork spread matches that of the fork pockets will ensure no fitting complications when it comes time to use your skip

We hope the above gives you some food for thought when it comes to choosing the correct the forklift tipping skips for your needs.  With over 45 years experience in the material handling industry, if you are unsure what tipping skip you require, then please do not hesitate to contact our team, who will be more than happy to advise