Choosing the capacity of a hydraulic lift table looks like a one-line decision: weigh the load, add some margin, pick the model. In practice the rating on the label is only half the story, because the table also has to bring the load to the right height, and on every lift table the two requirements pull against each other. This guide explains what the rating really covers, and how to work out which of our BD series models fits your job.
What a lift table capacity rating actually covers
The tonnage on a lift table is its rated load: the weight it is designed to raise on the platform, distributed reasonably across the deck. It is not a breaking strength and it is not a licence to put four tonnes on one corner of a two tonne table. Load distribution matters as much as the total, and a load sitting entirely on one edge of the deck loads the scissor arms and the hinge points very differently from the same weight spread across the middle.
The BD series range
Our stationary lift tables run from 0.5 t to 4 t, with raised heights from 1,000 mm to 1,700 mm and a closed height that stays low enough for a pallet truck or a trolley to roll on. The table plate thickness rises with the tonnage, which is the clearest sign of where the extra weight actually goes.
| Model | Rated load | Raised height | Closed height | Table plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BD0501 | 0.5 t | 1,000 mm | 205 mm | 4 mm |
| BD0801 | 0.8 t | 1,000 mm | 205 mm | 5 mm |
| BD1001 – BD1008 | 1 t | 1,000 – 1,500 mm | 205 – 240 mm | 6 mm |
| BD2001 – BD2008 | 2 t | 1,000 – 1,500 mm | 230 – 250 mm | 6 mm |
| BD4001 – BD4008 | 4 t | 1,000 – 1,700 mm | 300 mm | 8 mm |
Two things are worth noticing in that table. First, the table plate goes from 4 mm at 0.5 t to 8 mm at 4 t: the deck itself is part of the load path, not just a surface. Second, the raised height is not fixed within a tonnage group. A 1 t table is available with 1,000 mm, 1,200 mm, 1,300 mm or 1,500 mm of lift, and each of those is a different machine underneath.
How to work out the load you actually have
Start with the true weight, not the nominal one. A pallet of steel bar weighs what the delivery note says. A pallet of components does not, and neither does a trolley load that has grown over the years. Weigh it if there is any doubt.
- Add the handling equipment. A pallet truck left on the table is part of the load, and so is the operator if anyone stands on the deck.
- Allow for impact. A load lowered onto the table by a forklift is not a static load. The dynamic effect of a hard landing can be well above the weight on the label, which is why the rated capacity is not the figure to design right up to.
- Check the distribution. Long or one-sided loads put more load on one pair of scissor arms. Tell us the shape of the load, not just the weight.
- Decide the duty cycle. A table that lifts twice a day and one that cycles every two minutes are the same tonnage but not the same specification.
Raised height and capacity pull against each other
A lift table raises its deck by extending scissor arms, and the higher it goes, the more leverage the load has over the structure. That is why the raised height and the tonnage have to be chosen together rather than in sequence. If you need 4 t at 1,700 mm, the table is built heavier than a 4 t table at 1,000 mm.
Because the closed height stays low, the deck also has to fit under whatever feeds it. If the load arrives on a standard pallet truck, check the truck’s fork height against the closed height of the table you are considering, not against the height of the table you were quoted last year.
Choosing between 1,000 kg and 4,000 kg
For most workshop and warehouse positions, a 1 t table with a 1,300 mm raise covers pallets, crates and machine parts, and it is the most economical way to bring goods to a comfortable working height. A 2 t table is the common choice where the load arrives on a heavier pallet truck or in a stillage that stays on the deck.
A 4 t table is a different proposition. It is chosen when the load is genuinely heavy, or when a forklift places it rather than a pallet truck, and it comes with a thicker deck and a heavier structure. Buying 4 t when you handle 800 kg costs money on every component and does not make the table safer, because the safety comes from the load being within the rating.
When a lift table is the wrong machine
A lift table raises goods to a working height, usually one to one and a half metres. It does not move goods between floors. If the goods have to reach another storey, you need a cargo lift instead, and the deciding numbers change completely: floor to floor height, platform size to match the floor opening, and a pit of around 300 mm so the deck finishes flush.
The test is simple. If the goods only have to come up to a bench, a conveyor or the back of a van, it is a lift table and capacity is the main question. If they have to reach another floor, it is a cargo lift and the measurements matter more than the tonnage.
Frequently asked questions
How much margin should I leave on the capacity?
Choose the smallest standard rating that comfortably exceeds the heaviest realistic load, including the truck and any impact from how the load arrives. Designing right up to the rated figure leaves nothing for the day someone loads it slightly differently, and a much larger table does not protect against an overload either.
Does the table plate thickness matter?
Yes. It runs from 4 mm on the 0.5 t model to 8 mm on the 4 t model, because the deck carries the load into the frame. A heavier plate resists the local denting that comes from point loads such as machine feet or a stillage corner, which is why heavy tables are not just bigger versions of light ones.
Can I get a lift table for outdoor use?
Yes, with the right finish and a suitable power supply, but it must stand on firm level ground. Tell us that the table will live outside, because the surface treatment and the electrical enclosure change, and a table specified for an indoor workshop will not last in a yard.
Next step
Tell us the weight of the load, how it arrives on the table, the working height you need and whether the table will be used indoors or outdoors, and we will size the model, the raised height and the deck thickness for you. See the stationary lift table range for the full model list, or the cargo lift range if your goods have to travel between floors instead.