Working in warehouses or large plants requires lots of moving various trash, materials, or other products. It can be tough to move these efficiently while avoiding the risk of losing items along the way. If you’re currently moving materials by manpower, a forklift hopper will drastically enhance your productivity. Most of the forklift dump hoppers on the market are safe, durable, efficient, dependable, and easy to use. They come assembled, ready to use right out of the box.
Picking the right hopper for your needs is important. As there are so many on the market, getting the right hopper for you and your workplace takes adequate research. To ease that process, we’ve condensed extensive information here for you.
Types of Forklift Hoppers
Self-Dumping Forklift Hopper
These hoppers all fall under the umbrella of self-sufficient dumping. More on the mark is that they operate on hydraulics to dump properly and then return to their spot where they lock into place. They’re built to keep all the materials inside while sitting upright, and when dumped, they all fall out over the front, not the sides. They’re built for ease of use, rather than make someone dump the materials and lift the hopper back up. All you need to is release a latch and your materials hopper dumps and comes back to start. These are the most common category of forklift hoppers due to their ease of use. They come in many models, shapes, sizes, and capacities.
Under the category of a self-dumping hopper for forklift use attachments comes some variations. Some hoppers can come built out of plastic for general waste management, whereas others are built out of steel for tougher materials. There are also bumper-release hoppers where the hoper is dumped when a bumper is pressed against the dumpster.
Stretch Hoppers
Stretch hoppers are like self-dumping forklift hoppers since they’re primarily used with forklifts. Stretch hoppers are built much differently than most other hoppers, however. They’re designed to hold long materials, hence the name “stretch”. This means the hopper has open sides, rather than being a closed container where items are inserted from an open-top. These hoppers are highly-effective at carrying wood, large sheets of metals, or other materials with similar dimensions.
Low-Profile Hoppers
Low-profile forklift hoppers have a similar design to self-dumping hoppers. However, they’re low to the ground, have short sides, and a tapered front lip. This purposeful build is so they can be placed underneath machinery to catch any falling debris. This allows the act of cleaning up machinery and warehouse messes much easier. With the low-profile hopper placed underneath a machine, most of the cleanup is already being done with no hands-on work. This design is ideal for catching metal scraps, shrapnel, shavings, wood chips, scraps, etc.
Galvanized Steel Hoppers
The galvanized steel hoppers are similar in design to the standard self-dumping hoppers as well. They’re built with an open top and a bit of a lip for easy dumping. The difference, however, lies in the material and use of these hoppers. Galvanized steel lines the outside of the hopper to ensure nothing can leak through the hopper. This variation is typically used in waste management, fisheries, agriculture, or other we material industries.
De-Watering Hoppers
De-Watering Hoppers have the same basic blueprint build but come with perforations to allow drainage. Most of these hoppers are built out of steel with small holes lining the sides and bottom to let water or other liquids drain away from the solids in the hopper. Some even come with stainless steel mesh to give a finer drain. This forklift hopper attachment is a very niche use; you won’t find these in your everyday warehouse. They’re found primarily in sewage treatment plants.
Best Forklift Hoppers
1. Wright 20055 Cu Yd Gray Medium Duty Self-Dumping Forklift Hopper
This self-dumping forklift hopper is built for everyday use safely and efficiently. They’re typically seen in factories and warehouses. It’s the best forklift hopper on the market as it’s built with the user in mind. When the hopper fills up, it’s balanced build allows it to roll forward, dump its contents, and return to its original position. Upon return, the hopper is locked into place. The hopper comes with extended sides, continuous welding, and a smooth pouring lip.
Main Features:
· 64 inches long, 46 inches high, 57-3/4 inches wide
· 2 cubic yard capacity
· 4000-pound capacity
· 38-degree dump angle
· 584 pounds
2. Wright Low-Profile Self-Dumping Forklift Hopper 10077LP
This low-profile steel hopper is the most convenient hopper for forklift use. As it has a low-profile, this hopper is meant to be placed within reach of your forklift offering easy access and waste transportation. The forklift driver can solely operate this hopper by pulling a 3’L steel chain that reaches to the forklift seat. Upon pulling the chain, the hopper dumps 90-degrees to empty itself. Finally, the hopper returns back to its upright, locked position.
Main Features:
· 55-3/4 inches long, 24 inches high, 63-1/2 inches wide
· 1 cubic yard capacity
· 5000-pound capacity
· 90-degree dump angle
· 515 pounds
3. 2 Cubic Yard Self-Dumping Steel Hopper with Bumper Release D-200-MD
This self-dumping forklift hopper offers the ultimate ease of use experience. The forklift pockets are 7-1/2” wide by 2-1/2” high. When picked up filled, the hopper can be dumped in two ways. The hopper design includes a bumper release that automatically dumps the contents when the bumper comes into contact with a dumpster. Alternatively, there is a four-foot-long cable that the forklift driver can use to dump the hopper. Once the contents are dumped, the hopper comes back to its locked, starting position.
Main Features:
· 56 inches long, 51-3/16 inches high, 68-5/16 inches wide
· 2 cubic yard capacity
· 4000-pound capacity
· 68-degree dump angle
· 655 pounds
4. Series 90 1 cubic Yard Gray Extra Heavy Duty Self-Dumping Hopper
The Series 90 forklift hopper attachment is perfect for dumping material that is wet, damp, sticky, or viscous. It dumps a full 90-degrees, allowing for the contents to be completely emptied from the hopper. The hopper is fully-welded to ensure no leakage can occur. The attachment also comes with extra-deep forklift slots for easy lifting. The hopper comes with top lips that are formed to eliminate any sharp edges. The forklift driver will have a cable attached to a spring-loaded latch to dump the hopper a full 90-degrees before it returns to its upright position.
Main Features:
· 55 inches long, 29 inches high, 51 inches wide
· 1 cubic yard capacity
· 6000-pound capacity
· 90-degree dumping angle
· 440 pounds
5. Bayhead Blue Plastic Self-Dumping Forklift Hopper with Caster Base
Another self-dumping hopper built for the working man, this hopper comes with a plastic build, rather than steel. The plastic hopper is rugged and smooth. It’s made from polyethylene which prevents and rusting, corroding, or denting of the hopper. This plastic hopper is built on top of a steel frame with forklift pockets for easy moving. Additionally, it comes with 6” rubber wheels for quick moving and extra versatility. When ready, the user can pull the safety latch allowing the hopper to tilt 40-degrees to dump its contents. It’ll return to its upright position, automatically, upon completion of dumping.
Main Features:
· 71 inches long, 53-1/2 inches high, 31 inches wide
· 1.1 cubic yard capacity
· 1000-pound capacity
· 40-degree dump angle
· 6” rubber wheels
· Caster base, plastic construction
Forklift Hopper FAQ
What forklift hopper is best for me?
The best forklift hopper for you depends upon your needs. What kind of supplies do you need to hold? Wet material, small scraps from machinery, everyday trash, or something else? To find the best forklift hopper for your situation, you must know your exact needs. From there, you can consult the various types of hoppers and the best hoppers we’ve listed above.
Why do I need a forklift hopper for my work?
If you work in a warehouse or similar workplace, using a forklift hopper can save time and manpower. Rather than having people move materials and trash all around and to the dumpster, take advantage of a forklift hopper. They are affordable, easy to use, and can reduce the time and energy it typically takes to accomplish the task at hand.
Where can I buy forklift hoppers?
Forklift hoppers can be purchased online from various websites. The best site we’ve found is the Global Industrial. They have a wide selection of forklift hoppers with various models and styles to meet all your needs. Whether you need something for wet materials or lightweight recycling, Global Industrial has you covered.
Conclusion
There are countless makes, models, and sizes of forklift hoppers. Most common are the self-dumping forklift hoppers due to their ease of use. Go to any warehouse, factory, or large plant and you’re sure to find many self-dumping hoppers in use.
If you’re considering purchasing a hopper for your place of work, hesitate no further. Take advantage of the durable, efficient, forklift attachments, make your employees happy, and increase your work’s productivity instantly.