Choosing between used heavy duty vs medium duty rack comes down to one question: what are you actually storing? (New to used racking altogether? Start with our complete buyer’s guide.) These two rack types look similar but are built for very different loads — and picking the wrong one either wastes budget on unnecessary capacity, or risks overloading a system that wasn’t designed for it. Here’s how to tell which one fits your warehouse.
| Attribute | Heavy Duty Rack | Medium Duty (Longspan Shelving) |
|---|---|---|
|
Load Capacity |
1000–3000KG per level |
Up to 500KG per level |
|
Loading Method |
Palletised (forklift access) |
Hand-stacked |
|
Typical Height |
Up to 7500mm |
1200mm–6000mm |
|
Best For |
Bulk palletised storage |
Bulkier, hand-loaded items |
The short version: if a forklift is placing pallets on it, you need heavy duty. If people are manually placing boxes, cartons, or irregular items on it, medium duty (longspan shelving) is usually the better fit — and the more cost-effective one.
Yes — and many businesses do. It’s common to use heavy duty racking for bulk palletised stock near loading areas, while using medium duty longspan shelving for hand-picked, smaller inventory elsewhere in the same facility. Mixing rack types based on what’s actually being stored is usually more cost-effective than defaulting to heavy duty racking throughout, since medium duty systems cost less while still handling their intended loads safely.
Medium duty (longspan) racking is generally the more affordable option per bay, since it’s built for lighter loads and simpler configurations. However, choosing based on price alone can backfire — if you undersize your racking for the actual load, you either overload it (a safety risk) or need to replace it sooner than expected. The right choice depends on matching capacity to your actual inventory, not just minimizing upfront cost. See our full cost-benefit analysis for used vs new racking overall.
Whichever system fits your warehouse, Hunter & Cycle stocks both — inspected, SIRIM-certified heavy duty pallet racking and adjustable longspan shelving, ready for delivery or self-collection from our Rawang warehouse.
Not directly — the two systems use different structural components rated for different loads. If your storage needs grow beyond what medium duty can handle, you’d need to add or replace with heavy duty units rather than modify existing longspan shelving.
Not necessarily overkill, but often unnecessary cost if your inventory doesn’t require palletised, forklift-loaded storage. Medium duty racking is usually sufficient — and more cost-effective — for hand-stacked inventory regardless of warehouse size.
Estimate the heaviest realistic load per shelf or pallet position, including packaging. If you’re unsure, contact us with your inventory type and we can help recommend the right rack type.
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