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We have a winner! Phillip DeLuna from Public Steel in Amarillo TX submitted their 1945 Hyster model KD KarryKrane. We’re not affiliated with the Hyster company, we’re just showing some pictures here of what Public Steel company has in their possession. Amazingly they had the operator manual and the brochures from the original purchase.
Public Steel has been in business since 1948 and believe it or not has 3 of this model in their possession. Phillip reports that it still runs and the machine is still used once in a while, they also have a few more modern forklifts they use on a regular basis.
The KD series from Hyster was likely built in their Peoria IL factory (learn more what Hyster was doing in the 1940s with our post here. This model of Hyster will look strange to most modern forklift operators and drivers, mainly because this forklift was built and designed in the era before the modern pallet was invented. Back in the 1940s, pallets weren’t really universally used and the KarryKrane was a sort of pre-cursor to the modern forklift which lifts the omni-present 48×48 inch pallet. “Forklifts” of this time were just used as universal “move stuff around the factory” pieces of equipment.
Phillip from Public Steel wins a Carhart sweatshirt, a $100 gift certificate for Hyster forklift parts at Intella, and a $100 Visa Gift card.
Here are some other images from Public Steel on the other Hyster forklifts from the 1940s they still have.
Intella Parts is the web’s premier source for aftermarket Hyster forklift parts along with parts for most other brands like Yale, Taylor, CAT, Toyota and many others.
Check out some of our other entrants to our 2023 oldest Hyster forklift competition below:
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