Made-It-Myself Electric Forklift

Made-It-Myself Electric Forklift MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Forklifts 29-5-3 I can't imagine how I would get along without it now," says Doug Ripka, Rebersburg, Penn., about the home-built electric forklift he built. He's used it to haul engines, transmissions, a lathe, cement mixer, and many other heavy loads. It moves along at speeds of 2 mph, running on two 12-volt deep cycle batteries that run for several hours on one charge. He uses a 24-volt charger to recharge the batteries overnight. A drum switch controls forward and reverse while the electronic speed control came off an electric bike. The mast lift is a small DC motor that chain-drives a 2,000-lb. winch with a 3/16-in. steel cable that runs through two pulleys to increase lift capacity. It lifts loads up to 40 in. off the ground which is high enough to load a truck bed. The forks are 24 in. long by 2 1/2 in. wide. To stabilize the machine, Ripka puts 55 lbs. of weight on back. Pneumatic wheels (16-4.80 x 8 duals in front and 10-3.50 x 6 in back) keep it going on uneven terrain. The steering wheel came from a Chevy truck. The drive axle came from a "senior citizen" type wheelchair scooter, the rear axle from a Cub Cadet lawn tractor, and the mast tilt lever is the implement lift from a Ford garden tractor. The frame and mast are made from steel stock from a welder friend. He added headlights and a rotating orange light for night use and just for fun. Ripka says he put about $800 into the machine. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Douglas Ripka, P.O. Box 165, Rebersburg, Penn. 16872 (ph 814 349-1257; ripkadl@penns woods.net).

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