Pallet Jack Batteries

You might have the best equipment, but if you do not have the right battery for your forklift, it will not matter how well your fleet has been curated. Powerstride offers the best-quality forklift batteries to keep your team moving. We offer batteries from Big Joe, AGM, Powersonic, and Lifeline.

After determining which size forklift battery for sale is compatible with your vehicle, the next consideration to take is which type of electric forklift battery technology to use: lithium vs lead acid forklift batteries. 

Commercial forklifts are generally powered by either of these two main types of batteries:

lead-acid
lithium-ion

While there are other power options for forklifts, such as propane or diesel or gas power, the vast majority of commercial forklifts use either lead-acid, lithium-ion technology. The technology behind each of these industrial batteries differs greatly, and, therefore, has a different impact on efficiency. 

Lead-acid batteries are the old style powering forklifts. It’s technology involves regularly refilling of the units with water (which is also necessary for the electricity-generating chemical processes happening within).

Lithium-ion batteries are a newer technology, having been first used in commercial products in the early 1990s.  Lithium-ion batteries have many different chemistries.  One of the most popular chemistries for the material handling industry is Lithium Iron Phosphate. This type of battery is more compact and energy dense than lead-acid. This style of battery has a longer battery life, better battery charging, and a longer charge cycle.

Maintaining Forklift Battery Capacity

Both lithium-ion batteries and their lead-acid counterparts should be cared for properly if they are to perform up to their full potential. Their service life will diminish if proper electric forklift battery maintenance isn’t carried out as it should be. Our high quality batteries have the best cost of ownership, least amount of downtime, and fight against corrosion the longest.

In order to maximize service life and overall 24 volt battery capacity, certain measures should be taken for users of both battery types. However, lead-acid batteries require more care and attention compared to lithium-ion.

Lead-acid forklift batteries

Cell Balancing: Traditional technology like this leads to a frequent state where the acid and water inside become stratified (separated horizontally with the acid more concentrated closer to the bottom). This state forms sulfate crystals towards the bottom of the cells and weaken their ability to hold a charge.

Temperature Control: Lead-acid batteries must be kept within a certain temperature range, or else they will have a shorter working life. On top of that, they also get very hot while charging, which requires them to be charged and stored in a temperature-controlled space.

Fluid Level Management: These types of units must be checked to ensure they have enough water about once every 10 or so charging cycles. You can also get your battery watering system from Powerstride Battery to check the water level.

Each battery cell contains layers of lead dioxide and spongy lead in alternating plates. When the acidic electrolyte comes into contact with these compounds, complex chemical reactions create an imbalance of electrons between the two types of plates. Electrons will naturally flow from the negative plate toward the positive plate, attempting to correct the imbalance of subatomic particles.

The lead dioxide plates all connect to a single positive terminal while the plates of spongy lead attach to a negative terminal; these terminals create an external circuit. If we connect the terminals to a conductor — say, a forklift’s power system — electrons will move from terminal to terminal through the conductor. That’s how we harness the voltage generated by the battery’s chemical reactions.

Industrial forklift battery and pallet jack battery chargers reverse the process with a steady flow of voltage. The energy from the charger converts leads sulfate back into its original forms of lead, increasing the specific gravity of the sulfuric acid present in the electrolyte. This prepares the battery to restart the discharge process. It’s less like filling a gas tank and more like evaporating and condensing the same glass of water again and again.

When you’re used to seeing heavy duty electric forklifts zip around a facility every day, it’s easy to take their power source for granted. However, the lead-acid forklift battery is worth considering in some detail. It’s a fascinating technology, and understanding the basic science behind forklift batteries will help you implement effective battery maintenance programs and improve the efficiency of your entire fleet.

Our 24 volt forklift batteries include a one-year warranty, and as always, we offer free shipping!