Moving Machinery
With a Forklift
When the Machine Outweighs the Forklift
The problem every shop hits: The machine weighs 20,000 lbs. Your forklift lifts 5,000. Renting a bigger truck means money, scheduling, and getting a 15,000 lb forklift into a building that was never designed for one. And the plate rating flatters the truck anyway: forklift capacity is rated at a standard load center, and a big machine’s center of gravity sits farther out from the fork face — derating what the truck can actually lift, sometimes severely. But here’s what most people miss: you don’t need to lift the machine to move it — you only need to overcome friction. And on Machinery Sliders™, a forklift can push or pull far more than it can ever pick up.
Sometimes better even when you could lift it: Even a machine within the forklift’s rating is often safer slid than carried. Up on the forks, the machine’s center of gravity rides high and forward — the truck loses stability, the operator loses visibility, and every bump and turn works against the load. On sliders at floor level, the machine’s weight never leaves the ground, the truck stays planted, and the operator can see the whole move.
Push, Don't Lift: The Physics
Lifting fights gravity; pushing fights friction: To lift a 20,000 lb machine, you need 20,000 lbs of lift. To slide it on level floor, you only need to overcome friction — roughly a quarter to a third of the machine’s weight on decent concrete, or about 5,000–7,000 lbs of push for that 20,000 lb machine. Meanwhile, a forklift’s pushing power isn’t limited by its lift rating at all — it’s limited by tire grip, and a rule of thumb is that a forklift can push or pull roughly half its own weight. Since a 5,000 lb-capacity forklift itself weighs around 8,000–9,000 lbs, it can deliver roughly 4,000–4,500 lbs of steady push — enough to move machines several times its lift rating on sliders. For the full math with worked examples, see our force-to-move-a-machine page.
The weight stays on the floor: That’s the trick — the machine’s weight never leaves the ground. Each slider carries roughly 10 tons, so the load rides safely on the sliders while the forklift only supplies horizontal force. Sixteen sliders under 6″x6″ timber moved a 100-ton press this way.
The Method
Set up the slide: Place single-direction sliders under the machine base or under timbers laid across it, pointed ends in the direction of travel, spread around the machine’s true center of gravity. Push against solid structure or timber — never against sheet metal, guarding, or anything the machine builder didn’t intend to take force — with a wood block cushioning the forks to prevent metal-on-metal slip, or pull with rated chain or strap from the carriage. Ease into the push: the first inch takes the most force, and steady beats sudden every time. And here’s a control advantage wheels can’t offer: when the forklift stops, the machine stops — no coasting, no over-travel, no load rolling on after the push ends. For final positioning, switch to round multi-directional sliders and walk the machine onto its marks with 360° control.
Split the job — lift with the truck, place with the sliders: The cleanest moves use each tool where it’s best: let the forklift do its rated lifting and the open-floor travel, then set the machine onto sliders for the tight final placement. The truck never enters the confined area — no mast swinging near walls and neighboring machines — and its own wheel loads, which are serious point loads in their own right, stay off finished floors that were never rated for a loaded forklift.
Plan it like a pro: This works on flat, reasonably clean floors — every 1% of slope adds roughly 1% of the machine’s weight to the required force, so ramps eat your margin fast, going up and holding back going down. Keep every person out of the direction of travel and the tip path, use a spotter the driver can always see, and follow OSHA’s powered industrial truck rules — trained operators, no riders, no one between the truck and the load. Sliders multiply what your forklift can move; they don’t change the rules for operating it.
The Right-Sized Solution
Skip the rental: A set of sliders starting at $142.97 in our store can be the difference between moving the machine with the forklift you own and renting a monster truck for a day. Watch forklifts pushing serious machinery on our videos page, see the full comparison with dollies and skates here, or call 1 (570) 622-2848 with your machine weight and forklift size — we’ll tell you straight whether your truck can do it.
Straightforward returns: Standard shipping via UPS, USPS, or expedited shipping is available at checkout. LTL freight shipping for larger volumes is available upon request. We select the fastest shipping method that is available in that price-range even though a different carrier has been selected. If a Slider arrives with a material defect, or you decide it’s not right for your application, we accept returns on unused product — buyer covers return shipping and original shipping cost is non-refundable. No runaround, no restocking games.
Forklift Moving Questions, Answered
Yes — by pushing or pulling it on Machinery Sliders™ instead of lifting it. Moving a machine on sliders only requires overcoming friction, roughly a quarter to a third of the machine’s weight on level concrete, which is well within reach of a forklift’s pushing power.
A rule of thumb: roughly half the truck’s own weight on dry concrete — and forklifts are heavy, so a 5,000 lb-capacity truck weighing 8,000–9,000 lbs can push around 4,000–4,500 lbs, enough to slide machines several times its lift rating.
On flat floors, with sliders spread around the machine’s center of gravity, force applied only to solid structure, a spotter, and everyone clear of the travel and tip paths — yes. Follow OSHA powered industrial truck rules, ease into the push, and test the move gently before committing.
Every 1% of grade adds roughly 1% of the machine’s weight to the required force — and the load must be controlled going down as well as up. Slopes consume margin quickly, so plan them deliberately or route around them.