What type of mast should I choose for my lift truck?

Forklift trucks are usually offered with a wide choice of masts. You should find mast tables in the specification sheets or other product literature for the forklift you are considering. Cat lift truck dealers will point you to the ideal mast choice, based on your application’s needs. 

The height to which you need loads to be lifted, or from which you want to retrieve loads, is an obvious question. The mast configuration – simplex, duplex or triplex – is also important. 

A simplex mast is a single-stage mast with a single channel. The mast and the mast carriage rise simultaneously. 

A duplex mast is a two-stage mast with two channels. Its structure contains a simplex mast and a free lift cylinder. The free lift cylinder gives the first stage of mast extension. It raises the mast carriage to a certain height (depending on the mast chosen), and then the inner mast channel extends from there. When fully extended, the main lift cylinder raises the inner mast channels. 

A triplex mast has three stages, with two inner mast channels and a free lift cylinder. You can achieve high maximum fork heights when needed, but keep the overall height of the forklift relatively small when the mast is lowered. In this way, a forklift used with high racking can also be used for low lifting in areas with restricted overhead clearance.