How to operate
A Cherry Picker
How to Operate a Forklift | Order Picker | Cherry Picker Training
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everyone in this video we're gonna go
over how to operate a cherry picker
forklift check this out everyone in this
video we're gonna be going over how to
operate a cherry picker or order picker
some people call them it's basically a
forklift that you stand on a lot of
times using warehouses where a worker
has to be on the platform with the
pallet as they go up and down to pick
off certain pieces that they might be
loading a pallet with now the first
thing I do want to thank storm Creek
apparel here in Minnesota they're
actually letting us use their warehouse
and their cherry picker so big shout out
to them and then the next piece and
which you've seen I think on every one
of my videos I am NOT claiming to be an
expert I've operated a cherry picker a
few times but I just really want to show
you guys what I've learned I think more
importantly I'd love to have in the
comments below for many people anyone
that runs these maybe daily tips and
tricks or mistakes you might have made
so with that said let's go and check
this thing out okay so the first thing
this video is not we're not we've
already done a pre-op inspection this
machine's already been running for the
day but I think any piece of equipment
you do a pre-op inspection on the piece
as I've said in other videos you don't
get intimidated I feel like I feel get
intimidated because they feel like they
need to be a mechanic or know how to
operate it a lot of it is common sense
if something doesn't look right that's
where you need to investigate further as
with any piece of machinery I'd make
sure you check the manual and know
exactly the different pieces of that so
with this you'll see again the platform
here is where the operator will stand
the forks up front but I'm going around
the machine these are electric so there
are battery packs on here that typically
an electric machine you know obviously
you want to make sure you have full
charge they can't swap out battery packs
on these but that's probably one of the
downsides to an electric machine it can
only run as long as that battery whereas
a propane or other power source can be
swapped again continuing to look around
the machine now typically these cherry
pickers are their three-wheel machines
so with any forklift video you've seen
almost always the pivot point the wheels
are in the front of the machine
that our station are they're fixed
that's your pivot point it's very
important that's the biggest thing to
practice on these it's like it takes a
little bit getting used to driving with
the wheel behind you now this machine is
a single wheel in there which typically
there's either a three wheel or four
wheel model three wheels are in the
center and they have a typically a
tighter turning radius whereas a four
wheel is a little bit wider stance on
the machine but can't typically steer as
tight now with the cherry picker
typically there's two arms on each side
these are safety features basically the
machine won't run with these up so it
definitely won't have those down and
then got a couple pieces here your Forks
are fixed they don't pitch like a
typical forklift they remain flat and
then you'll see kind of a call to
grabber in the center there that's what
actually will lock onto the center of
the palette I'm going to show you those
controls in a moment
now I'm not before I start this up I'm
gonna go over some of the basic controls
with a cherry picker or anything where
the operation be elevated you do need to
wear a harness so and I'll show you that
in a moment but typically coming on with
any of these stand up forklifts they
have I call it a Deadman switch so it's
right down here
basically the machine will not run if
that is not depressed so if any point I
come off of that the machine will stop
now I will warn you
most forklifts that have this that is
not a method you want to use to stop the
machine that is purely an emergency
situation because we'll demonstrate a
little bit if I let off that it will
stop and all start/stop pretty abruptly
and then the other foot pedals here
these are just your locks for the
grabber there so you'll see if I push
down on that that's going to close the
two teeth there and then this is my
release on that and again depending on
the cherry picker they all have these is
different some are different formats a
little bit but those are the two pieces
they're then coming up really it's their
I mean they're fairly simple they're
just a little bit awkward to drive so
this is basically your forward and
reverse so just like this one way or the
other and you'll see that in a moment
and then my up and down is the my thumb
right here and then the final thing
there's a button that's going to be the
horn that were in use if we're changing
direction
and then steering is this on the left
side here other than that we got the key
up there we'll turn it on in a moment
and then lights I'll show you all that
in a moment and that's pretty much it
now I'm gonna get off I'm gonna go ahead
and put the harness on okay so as I get
the harness off I also want to point out
any forklift is going to have you always
want to look at the plate on there that
kind of gives you your weight gear
capacity you always need to know your
machine so that's important to always
understand the weight that you can lift
on the machine and with any thing you're
raising up high I tell people low and
tight to the grounds where you're most
stable so that's the key is you don't
want to be doing a lot of positioning
changing directions when you're up high
generally low and tight to the ground
now with these and again each harness
they're a little bit different typically
kind of put them on like a backpack
almost so you take that
so once you get the top on then
sometimes I've seen buckles on here's a
lot of different ways that these will
connect this one's fairly simple right
there and then it's just grabbing the
leg straps so if you kind of grab right
through now you don't want them
obviously you want them tight enough to
hold you but obviously you're gonna be
moving around a lot so you don't want to
make them too tight this is something
you ideally want to get all set up
before because you definitely know
you're not gonna be adjusting this one
you're up in the air at all so you want
to make sure it's comfortable but that's
your harness again some of these times
you can tighten it up a little bit for
guys that are wearing these all day I'm
sure they've got their own just to have
this on all day it's they have a comfort
level there now after I have that on and
get on the machine here now this is what
we're gonna be strapping into now
there's a couple different types of the
way it'll attach this one actually this
release here it's kind of like a seat
belt on the car if I pull it hard that's
what's gonna stop it going on any for
but if I go slower it'll go as far as I
think it's got a six feet might be but
that's handy when you're up working in
on a pallets up there you need a little
bit of room to be able to go so just
understand that and then just make sure
it's always secure down there and then
the clips the carabiners on these
there's a little safety so right now I
can't open it if you push on the
underside there that's how it's gonna
open up and then typically you're just
reaching over and sometimes if you're
new in this you might have someone that
is there with you but you can feel it
pretty well easily there it's right near
the top and then I'm secured on that
machine so now all we start this with
your foot off the Deadman switch turn
the key one click there it's gonna go
through a series of checks on the
machine got everything there now I might
display here I've got my battery level
and then it also helps you with steering
there's little lights here that can tell
me what way now with my left again this
will turn the steering wheel one way or
the other it's not gonna do anything now
because I know my foot on that Deadman
switch and then my forward and reversed
and then
here it's pretty simple there is a fan
here these guys that are working in the
warehouse that are really hot when they
go up high so you turn that on and then
they got two different lights that you
can use ones right above you and in case
these order Pickers are usually using
something there they're reading a
portable picker a machine basically a
PDA that would be doing that so okay now
the machines on again foot will always
be on the Deadman switch they're your
side's have to be down to move this
machine so again it's fairly simple
you'll see if I and again I can see
before I get started there is an
indicator here that'll tell me which may
my wheel is pointing but again if I just
go nice and studies that way it'll go
forward if I turn the left goes left
turn to the right goes right I find it
easier to go that direction because it's
a little bit more intuitive when I'm
going and then going back looking behind
you now if I just let off you'll see and
I can show let me back up and get a
little bit more speed so with these
things and very similar to others like
stand up forklifts if I just start going
forward and I just let off so my hands
out on that right now it'll keep going
so the way you're gonna slow down is
you're gonna just pull back just a
little bit you'd obviously that's kind
of your it's an electric so it doesn't
have an actual brake on it but if you
pull back that's what's gonna slow that
machine down and then again as hard as I
go knowing that pivot point so my fixed
wheels are up front here my steering is
right in front so that's why if I go
forward here as hard as I turn that it
will just basically do a 360 one way or
if I go to the left it will go 360 that
way
like that now again when I'm going
distances I find it's a little bit
easier to drive this forward I'm almost
leaning a little bit the awkward part on
these things is you're standing up so
you don't just want to be out here in
the open a little bit you want to have
you know something they actually put you
see how this is all recessed with the
hand your hand goes inside there
sometimes leaning up against this a
little bit I find it gives you that
stability when you're driving so that's
driving now all the up and down so again
there is the horn right there on that
same one any time you're changing
direction coming out at the end of an
aisle you want to let people know you're
there and then it's just up and down for
this so if I do that now typically
you're not driving at all so a lot of
times I recommend when you're going up
having that hand on one of these you'll
see there's handlebars on both sides of
course obviously knowing where you're at
up top so you want to know you're
complete how high you can go but then
I'm up there now this is where if I was
next to any kind of Iraq or whatever I'd
be able to have the flexibility to flip
this up and I can do that now it just
won't move and I can go over and
typically I'm gonna have a pallet behind
me there as well and then going down
just pushing down on it gently I always
recommend having that extra hand because
you're not typically gonna be driving
when you're up there you'll see I mean
when I am up there you can if you need
to do little adjustments you'll just I
think it's more important than it's
really being careful when you're going
cuz it's tough to see your base as well
looking down there so usually I
recommend trying to get it where you
need to be and then try to avoid moving
that machine at all once you're up high
and then take your hand off and I'm
going to go back down
obviously most important part there is
looking out where you're coming down and
bringing that all the way down typically
for these because you're not coming down
on there's no limit there it's you're
almost bringing all the way down if you
do have a pallet on there I usually
maybe four inches off the ground on
there but there's no tilt or anything on
these types of machines now those are
all the basic and again if I let my foot
you know you know what I'll show I
didn't go over the Deadman switch here
let's let me back up
a bit I'm gonna do it forward that way
when it stops it pulls me forward not
back
but again if I I'm gonna hold on take my
hand up but if I take this and I just
let off of that you see that's gonna
stop me again you do not want to just
use that dead man as your stop you saw
what it does they can really catch off
so but that's that now from there you
know the biggest thing getting used to
is this maneuvering driving a forklift
and as I said before the only way you
can really get good on that is just
driving you know getting more stick time
I always recommend setting up a practice
area you don't want to learn you know
it's all about learning on the job but
it's not learning while you're actually
trying to pick pallets and everything
like that get some early stick time
wherever your employer has set out we
set out Collins it's really easy I call
it a pivot point drill I think it's
really important to understand where
though that pivot point is on your
machine so if and again it's relatively
easy if I'm leaning forward looking
forward where I'm going it's just
understanding I spin my back you know
that tail end will kick out a little bit
so as I'm going through here I'm going
to a tight point once I know that pivot
point is clear I'm spinning it and I'm
watching for the next one and I know my
pivot point right there over it
same thing I'm looking on the left here
and I know I can go as tight as I can
and I'm just hugging that pivot point
right there
now I can't stress enough don't speed it
comes with time so the biggest thing is
this don't go too fast especially when
you're turning in a large warehouse you
know in a straight line you're
relatively safe to go you know a little
bit quicker pace but when you're turning
maneuvering especially understanding
this thing will roll a little bit
understanding just take it nice and easy
now the other direction you're kind of
looking over your shoulder still no on
my pivot point the key here though is
you can't have to switch looking the
other way
now again I it's very awkward for me to
drive in that positioning especially
understand there's usually gonna be a
pallet on there I recommend starting
without a pallet machine once you get
more familiar then you can really have
that but again I think it's so much
easier to go this straight direction
looking straight out the front
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okay
bring it gently to a stop there and
that's when I can take my foot off so
after your foots off there just turn
that key right there that'll shut it off
I'll shut off the light there and then
after that disconnecting from your
harness right there and then you can
step off
okay so that's how to operate a cherry
picker or order picker again very
entry-level we'll do a future episode
that shows a little bit more technique
when you actually have a pallet on there
like I've said in the beginning not an
expert I would actually love to hear
from people that use these for a living
please comment below share things that
you've learned on there tips tricks
mistakes you've made big shout out again
to Storm Creek apparel for letting us
use their warehouse and their cherry
picker and we'll see you guys next
episode thanks for watching
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