The Use Cases of Low-Profile Hoppers: When Are They Right for You?

If you find that when lifting a hopper out from under a conveyor you run out of ceiling, you already understand what a low-profile hopper is for. This comes up often in machine shops as well as when working in older buildings with low clearance heights. 

A low-profile self-dumping hopper does everything a standard self-dumping does, just with a wider body and shorter height. While a standard one-yard self-dumping hopper is just under 40 inches tall, the low-profile version stands at 24 inches. The low-profile version still holds a full cubic yard and carries the same 4,000 pounds. 

What Makes a Hopper Low Profile?

A self-dumping hopper is a steel bin that a forklift picks up by its fork pockets, carries, and tips to empty without the operator having to touch the material. The operator releases a latch and the bin tilts forward to dump. It then brings itself back upright and relatches for the next load. Our low-profile line runs 17 inches tall at the small end and 24 inches tall at the large end. A standard hopper of the same one-cubic-yard capacity is 39.75 inches. Check out the following measurements to see exactly how the low-profile version compares to our standard version:

The low-profile version is the same cubic yard, the same 4,000 pounds, but is roughly 40% shorter and about 24 inches wider. 

Why the Height Matters More Than You’d Think

Your hopper’s height is not really the problem. The mast is. The mast is the vertical rail assembly at the front of the forklift, and past a certain point it telescopes. 

That point has a name. Toyota defines free lift as the function that “enables the forks to be lifted to a certain height with the mast at collapsed height.” A shorter hopper keeps the whole lift-and-dump cycle inside the free-lift range. The mast never hits the door header, sprinkler line, conveyor frame, or the bottom of a mezzanine. 

So, where do you go from here? You need to measure to the lowest obstruction over the spot where the hopper has to be lifted and tipped, not to the ceiling. This is often known as clear height. Clear height is the distance from the floor to the lowest hanging object, whereas ceiling height is the distance from the floor to the roof deck. 

When a Standard Hopper Is the Better Buy

Low-profile hoppers are not automatically the best choice. A standard hopper is the better buy when: 

• You need volume – If you’re moving high volumes of material, like over 1.5 cubic yards, low-profile means more trips. Our low-profile line tops out at 1.5 cubic yards, whereas our standard line goes to 6 cubic yards.
• Floor space is limited – Our low-profile hoppers trade height for width, and in a tight space width can be a bigger problem than height ever was.
• You have clearance – If you haven’t had an issue with masts hitting the ceiling or other overhead obstructions, then we recommend the standard hopper. It does the same job and is slightly less expensive.

Order with USA Hopper Shop Today

Not sure what you’re measuring? Reach out, we’ll be more than happy to help. Browse our USA-made low-profile hopper collection to compare models best suited for your environment.