Push Pull Comparison

How a push-pull works

A push-pull handles loads that sit on a slip sheet, a thin cardboard or plastic sheet with a tab (the lip) along one edge. The gripper bar clamps the lip, the pantograph pulls the load onto the platens, and at the drop point the push plate slides it off. No pallet goes out with the shipment, which saves pallet cost, weight and trailer space.

1. 15" x 48" platens: slip sheets, with pallets when you need them

On a standard push-pull, the 15" wide platens are the ones to choose if your operation will ever need to pick up a pallet. Narrow platens fit into a pallet's fork openings, so the same truck can move a palletized load without swapping attachments. Manufacturers recommend 15" platens for operations that handle pallets.

The trade-off is a narrower base under slip sheet loads, about 34" to 42" outside to outside depending on the model, compared with 40" to 48" on the 18" version. For most standard loads that is fine. For very wide loads, the outside cartons get less support.

Using platens as forks

• Confirm the pallet openings fit the platens before you lift.
• Stay within the capacity of the push-pull and the truck, with the attachment on.
• Don't use the push plate to shove pallets. It is built to slide slip sheet loads.

2. 18" x 48" platens: the widest base for slip sheet loads

The 18" wide platens give the largest support area under a slip sheet load, about 40" to 48" outside to outside. Manufacturers recommend them when the push-pull will not handle pallets.

A common explanation is that wider platens stop small boxes from "falling through." With a slip sheet under the load, that doesn't really happen. The sheet carries the boxes, not the gap between the platens. The real benefit is support. A slip sheet is thin and flexible, so wherever there is no platen under it, it can sag. A wider base keeps more of the load footprint supported, which helps with:

• Loads that are wider than a 34" base
• Soft or crushable cartons, bags and cases that lean or deform when the edges sag
• Tall loads, where better support keeps the stack square on the platens

The downside is that 18" platens are too wide for pallet openings, so this setup is slip sheets only.

3. Mark 55 style: pallets and slip sheets on one truck

The Mark 55 design replaces the two solid platens with four narrow tines, an inner and an outer on each side. The common tine sets are 5" inner with 5" outer, or 3" inner with 7" outer, all 48" long. Rightline offers Mark 55 platens as an option on its push-pulls and load pushes.

See a Mark 55 push-pull at work

This Rightline video shows a push-pull with Mark 55 platens. Watch for the narrow tines on each side. Closed, they work like pallet forks. Opened, they spread into a base for slip sheet loads, and the same unit pulls and pushes slip sheeted product.

Rightline Equipment, Push Pull MK. 55, on YouTube.

• Pallet mode: The outer tines close in, so the unit can handle pallets, including block pallets such as CHEP.
• Slip sheet mode: The outer tines open hydraulically to spread the tines out into a slip sheet base. Outside spacing typically ranges from about 28" to 40".
• Switching modes: On sequence valve models, the operator sideshifts fully to one side and keeps holding the lever. When the sideshift reaches the end of its travel, the valve sends the oil to the platen adjust instead, opening or closing the outer tines. Solenoid models use a button on the hydraulic lever instead.
• Sideshift: Standard, about 4" each way.

Because the tines are narrow, a Mark 55 gives less continuous support than solid platens. That makes it a great fit for mixed pallet and slip sheet operations, and a weaker one for wide or soft slip sheet loads, where 18" platens do better.

Carriage mount vs. QFM (Quick Fork Mount)

Most push-pulls hang on the forklift carriage in place of the forks. A QFM, or Quick Fork Mount, push-pull works the other way. It slides onto the truck's own forks, so the forks never come off.

• How it mounts: Drive the forks into the pockets under the platens, engage the lower hooks and connect the hydraulic hoses. Quick-disconnect couplers make the hookup fast, and the whole swap can take under a minute.
• Why choose it: It's built for operations that handle slip sheets only some of the time. The truck runs on forks most of the day, and the push-pull goes on only when a slip sheet load shows up. One truck covers both jobs without a dedicated slip sheet truck.
• Hydraulics: Standard models need one auxiliary function. Some versions use a solenoid so one valve can run two functions, and those need a 12-volt connection that matches the truck.
• Sideshift: A QFM doesn't sideshift by itself. It can sit on a truck with a Class II carriage sideshifter, so the truck's sideshifter does the job.
• Trade-offs: Because it rides on top of the forks, the load sits farther forward than on a carriage mount unit, which costs more capacity. For full-time slip sheet work, a carriage mount push-pull is the more rugged choice.

Sideshifting vs. non-sideshifting push-pulls

Push-pulls come with or without a built-in sideshift. The choice comes down to how much positioning your operators do and what your truck's hydraulics can run.

Sideshifting push-pulls

• Why choose one: The operator can slide the platens left or right to line up with a slip sheet lip, pick a load out of a tight row, or place loads side by side in a trailer without repositioning the truck. That speeds up trailer loading and cuts down on damaged slip sheets and product.
• Hydraulics: Two auxiliary functions, one for push-pull and one for sideshift. These are usually the truck's third and fourth levers.
• Trade-offs: More weight, more cost and a little more capacity lost to the attachment.

Non-sideshifting push-pulls

• Why choose one: Lighter, simpler and less expensive, with a little more capacity left over. They fit open dock work where lining up the truck is easy, and trucks that already have an integral sideshift carriage, since the truck's own sideshift moves the whole attachment.
• Hydraulics: One auxiliary function for push-pull. On most push-pulls the gripper is sequenced into the push-pull circuit, so it doesn't need its own lever.
• Trade-offs: Without sideshift on the truck or the attachment, every alignment is done by driving the truck.

Mark 55 hydraulics

A Mark 55 adds a third motion, opening and closing the outer tines, and still runs on two functions. On sequence valve models the platen adjust shares the sideshift circuit: sideshift all the way to one side and keep holding the lever. Solenoid models switch the sideshift circuit to platen adjust with a button on the hydraulic lever, and they need power to the attachment through a cable reel, a power cord or a radio remote control.

Check your truck before you choose

• Count your auxiliary functions. Push-pull alone needs one. Push-pull plus sideshift needs two.
• Check the carriage class, usually Class II on trucks rated 2,000 to 5,500 lbs, and Class III on larger trucks.
• Stay within the attachment's pressure rating. Many push-pulls are rated for a maximum of about 2,300 psi.
• Confirm the truck's capacity with the attachment installed. See our attachment capacity guide.

Side-by-side comparison

Specs vary by brand and model. These ranges come from published manufacturer specs for common 3,500 and 4,500 lb push-pulls.

Which one should you choose?

• Mostly slip sheets, with a pallet now and then: 15" platens.
• Only slip sheets, especially wide, soft or tall loads: 18" platens.
• Pallets and slip sheets mixed throughout the day: Mark 55 style.
• Slip sheets only now and then, on a truck that runs forks: a QFM push-pull.
• Lots of trailer loading or tight rows: a sideshifting push-pull, if your truck has two auxiliary functions.
• Pushing loads off forks but never pulling: a load push is simpler and lighter.

Every push-pull lowers your forklift's usable capacity. Read our guide to forklift attachment capacity, and see our push-pull buying guide for hydraulics and mounting.

Frequently asked questions

Can a push-pull pick up a pallet?

Yes, with 15" platens or a Mark 55 style unit, as long as the platens fit the pallet openings and you stay within capacity. 18" platens are too wide for pallets.

Do 18" platens keep boxes from falling through the slip sheet?

Not really. The slip sheet carries the load. Wider platens support more of the sheet, so wide or soft loads sag and shift less.

How does a Mark 55 switch between pallets and slip sheets?

On sequence valve models, the operator sideshifts fully to one side and keeps holding the lever. The valve then opens or closes the outer tines. Solenoid models use a button on the hydraulic lever.

What tine widths does a Mark 55 use?

The common setups are 5" inner with 5" outer tines, or 3" inner with 7" outer, all 48" long.

What is a QFM push-pull?

A Quick Fork Mount push-pull slides onto the truck's forks instead of replacing them, and it can go on or come off in about a minute. It suits operations that handle slip sheets only part of the time.

How many hydraulic functions does a push-pull need?

One auxiliary function for a non-sideshifting push-pull, and two for a sideshifting push-pull. A Mark 55 also runs on two, with the platen adjust sharing the sideshift circuit.