Buying Tips
When purchasing a lift truck, there is certainly many things to take into account as this decision may impact many things like productivity, operating expenses, equipment downtime, and even worker morale.
Here is a brief list of factors to think about when deciding on a new or used lift truck. There can be several specific questions the sales consultant should deal with in order to help you pick the best alternative that is most suitable for your business.
Step 1: Identify Your Requirements
Making the time to identify your needs will help ensure that you could find a capable machine. What size are your average loads? Are they 3,000 pounds to 35,000 pounds or even heavier? How many hours each day will you be using this machinery? Would you be running the machinery indoors or outdoors or possibly both? How wide are your narrowest aisles to travel through? Correctly answering these questions will ensure you are happy with the model you select.
Step2: New Vs. Second-hand Forklifts
If you are planning to utilize your lift truck more than 4 hours per day, you would probably want to purchase a new model. The warranty benefits alone will truly be handy. A second-hand choice would more than likely be enough for infrequent applications and light duty.
Step 3: Fuel Options
The large electric lift truck batteries would allow the lift truck to run for around 8 hours. These particular power sources make lift trucks uniquely suited for indoor use because they produce no harmful emissions. Though electric units are usually more pricey compared to different other types of lift trucks, they have less operating costs. Electric lift trucks are a lot quieter to run and do not have fuel storage requirements to consider. What's more, these kinds of equipment have fewer moving parts so they have a longer life span because they have less parts to get worn down.
The electric forklift is not without its disadvantages though. These equipment need recharging stations that can take as much as 8 hours th charge. There is an additional 8 hours required for cooling. Recent changes have made their way onto the market so as to considerably lessen charging time. The fast-charge technology has become a great new thing.
Step 4: Tire Choice
Forklifts are outfitted with either pneumatic or air-filled, inflated tires or cushion tires that are made up of solid rubber. There are actually also solid pneumatic tires which are a combination of the two. The pneumatic tire style is great to be utilized outside. Cushion tires are best for indoor use and solid pneumatic tires are the perfect alternative for hazardous work environments where there is potential for regular tires being popped by rough terrain or sharp objects.