Telehandler Spreader Bars

Spreader Bar for Telehandler and Forklift Carriages

One attachment sits in this collection, so the buying decision is narrow: does the Star Industries 1150C fit your machine and your picks? It is a heavy-strength steel telescopic spreader bar that slides onto fork pockets spaced 39 in. on center and needs a carriage at least 48 in. wide. Length adjusts from 8 to 12 ft. It carries three capacity ratings — 8,000 / 6,400 / 5,000 lbs — so confirm which rating applies to the length setting you plan to run, and rig to that figure rather than the highest one. Empty weight is 545 lbs.

Two checks come before purchase. First, fitment: the 39 in. pocket spacing is fixed, so your forks have to sit at that spread. Second, the machine. A variable-reach telehandler's capacity falls off as the boom extends and as the load center moves forward, and the bar's own 545 lbs plus the extra standoff it creates both come out of what the machine can pick. Read the load chart for the boom angle and extension you will actually work at, not the machine's headline rating.

Standards That Apply to Spreader Bar Forklift Attachments

ANSI/ITSDF B56.6 is the safety standard for rough terrain forklift trucks, including variable-reach telehandlers, and OSHA 1910.178 covers powered industrial truck operation and operator training in general industry. OSHA 1910.178(a)(4) requires the manufacturer's prior written approval for modifications or additions that affect capacity or safe operation, with capacity plates updated to match — clear the attachment against your specific machine. Where the load hangs in slings beneath the bar instead of resting on forks, ASME B30.20 addresses below-the-hook lifting devices and ASME B30.9 governs slings; in construction, OSHA 1926.1400(c) pulls powered industrial trucks under the crane standard when they are configured to hoist, lower and horizontally move a suspended load. Our product data lists this bar as OSHA and ANSI compliant.

Who This Suits

Crews handling long or awkward loads — steel, trusses, roof and wall panels, glazing crates, pipe bundles — where two forks would point-load and damage the piece, or where sling angles need opening up to cut compression on the load. The 8 to 12 ft adjustment earns its cost when pick lengths change from day to day. If every pick is the same size, a fixed-length bar is cheaper. If your carriage is under 48 in., this one will not fit.