Forklift with pneumatic tires loading palletized cartons onto a flatbed truck on unpaved outdoor ground

Forklift Tire Types

Pick the right tire the first time.

Forklift tires come in five builds: cushion, solid, poly, foam-filled, and pneumatic. Which one you need depends on three things: the surface the machine runs on, the load it carries, and how many hours a day it runs. Get those right and the tire lasts. Get them wrong and you are buying tires twice.
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Which Tire?

Start with the surface, then the load

THE FIVE TIRE TYPES, COMPARED

Solid cushion press-on forklift tire Cushion/Press-on Tires Best for smooth solid surfaces, mainly indoor with light outdoor duty. Solid pneumatic resilient forklift tire Solid Tires Resilient and puncture-proof; the indoor-outdoor workhorse. Polyurethane forklift tire Polyurethane Tires Polyurethane tires designed for electric lifts and high load-bearing applications. Pneumatic air forklift tire Pneumatic Tires Softest ride. Foam-filled forklift tire Foam-Filled Tires A pneumatic ride that can’t go flat.

SOLID, FOAM-FILLED, OR AIR

Tire Types

Solid tires

A solid tire has no air in it at all, so it cannot go flat. That is the whole argument. Solid tires carry heavy loads, resist cuts and punctures, and hold their shape under sustained duty. They ride firmer than air, which matters more to the operator than to the machine. For most Georgia operations running mixed indoor and outdoor surfaces, solid pneumatic tires are the default answer.

Foam-filled tires

A foam-filled tire starts as a pneumatic casing and is filled with polyurethane foam that cures solid. You keep the ride profile and ground clearance of an air tire and lose the flat. This is the answer for yards, scrap sites, and anywhere nails and rebar live. Foam-filled tires are the most requested outdoor solution we fit.

Pneumatic air tires

Air tires ride softest and cost least up front. They also puncture, and on a job site a puncture is a stopped machine. Air makes sense in a narrow set of clean outdoor applications, and in most others we will point you to foam-fill or solid instead. We will tell you honestly which one you are. See pneumatic air tires.

COMPOUND, DUROMETER AND COLOR

Our Tire Makes

Forklift tires come in five builds: cushion, solid, poly, foam-filled, and pneumatic. Which one you need comes down to the surface the machine runs on, the load it carries, and how many hours a day it runs. This page compares all five.

Natural rubber forklift tire compound

Rubber Compound

Rubber Compound gives you shear resistance, load-bearing capability, and cut resistance, with a durometer rating of roughly 60 to 70. Durometer is simply a measure of hardness: a higher number means a harder tire. Rubber Compound is available in standard black and in non-marking compounds.

Polyurethane forklift tire compound

Polyurethane Compound

Polyurethane Compound runs harder, roughly 80 to 95 durometer, so it carries heavier loads at lower rolling resistance. That combination is why poly is the standard fit on electric lifts, where battery draw matters.

Non-marking tire color options

Standard black and non-marking

Rubber compounds come in universal black and in non-marking gray or white for clean-floor facilities. Polyurethane is different: every poly tire is non-marking by construction, and the color is a manufacturer's own identifier for durometer or a specialized compound rather than an industry-wide scale. If your floors are sealed, coated, or inspected, you need non-marking tires.

READING YOUR TIRE SIZE

The numbers on the sidewall

Industrial tire sizes are written as three numbers, and the format tells you what kind of tire it is. A press-on reads outside diameter x width x wheel diameter, like 18x7x12⅛. A pneumatic reads section width and rim diameter, like 7.00-12. Get the size wrong and the tire will not seat.

Pull the numbers off the sidewall or the wheel and check them against our forklift tire size chart. If the sidewall is worn past reading, send us a photo of the wheel and the machine's data plate and we will identify it

Jump to your machine

TIRES BY EQUIPMENT TYPE

Forklift tires Forklift Tires Skid steer tires Skid Steer Tires Telehandler tires Telehandler Tires Scissor lift tires Scissor Lift Tires Boom lift tires Boom Lift Tires Track Loader Rubber Tracks

TIRE TYPE QUESTIONS WE HEAR MOST

Forklift Tires

What type of tires do forklifts use?
Most forklifts run one of three types: cushion press-on tires for smooth indoor floors, solid pneumatic tires for mixed indoor and outdoor work, and foam-filled tires for rough outdoor ground. Poly tires are used on electric lifts and pallet trucks. Air tires are used in a narrow set of clean outdoor applications.
What are forklift tires made of?
Industrial tires are made from either a rubber compound or a polyurethane compound. Rubber compound runs 60 to 70 durometer and handles cuts and shear well. Polyurethane runs 80 to 95 durometer and carries more load with less rolling resistance, which is why it suits electric equipment.
What is the difference between cushion and solid pneumatic tires?
Cushion tires press onto a smooth band and are sized for smooth indoor floors and tight aisles. Solid pneumatic tires mount on a standard pneumatic rim, carry a deeper tread, and handle both indoor floors and outdoor yards. If your machine goes outside at all, solid pneumatic is usually the better fit.
Can any forklift tire be made non-marking?
Non-marking is a compound, not a tire type, so cushion, solid pneumatic, and poly are all available in non-marking gray or white. Non-marking compounds wear slightly faster than standard black. If your facility has sealed or coated floors, the tradeoff is worth it.
How do I know what size I need?
The size is printed on the tire sidewall and often stamped on the wheel. Press-ons read as outside diameter x width x wheel diameter. Pneumatics read as section width and rim diameter.

NOT SURE WHICH TIRE YOU NEED

Tell us the machine and the floor

Give us the make, model, and what the machine runs on all day. We will tell you which tire fits, quote it at wholesale, and fit it at your site.

Get an Estimate Call 770.446.6467