Buying Tips
When buying a forklift, there can be many things to take into consideration because this decision could impact numerous things like production, operating expenses, machine downtime, and even worker morale.
Below is a short list of things to think about when deciding on a new or used lift truck. There are actually some particular questions the sales consultant should address in order to help you select the best alternative that is best for your company.
Step 1: Identify Your Requirements
Identifying your needs will eventually help that you can find the best most capable lift truck for your business. How big are your normal load sizes? Are they 3,000 pounds to 35,000 pounds or even heavier? How many hours each day would you be utilizing this machinery? Will you be running the machine outdoors or indoors or potentially both? How wide are your narrowest aisles to travel through? Correctly answering these questions would ensure you are satisfied with the unit you choose.
Step2: Used Vs. Brand new Lift Trucks
If you are planning to utilize your forklift more than 4 hours per day, you will probably want to purchase a new model. The warranty benefits alone will come in handy. A used choice will probably be adequate for infrequent applications and light duty.
Step 3: Fuel Options
The huge electric forklift batteries would allow the lift truck to run for about 8 hours. These particular power sources make lift trucks uniquely suited for indoor application as they produce no harmful emissions. Though electric units are generally more pricey than various other types of forklifts, they have lower operating costs. Electric forklifts are a lot quieter to run and do not have fuel storage needs to take into account. Moreover, these kinds of equipment have fewer moving parts so they have a longer life span because they have fewer parts to get worn down.
Among the downsides of the battery operated lift trucks is that they require battery recharging posts and this can take roughly 8 hours. There is an added 8 hours required for cooling. Recent innovations have made their way onto the market so as to significantly lessen charging time. The fast-charge technology has become a wonderful new thing.
Step 4: Tire Choice
Lift Trucks are equipped with either pneumatic or inflated, air-filled tires or cushion tires that are made up of solid rubber. There are actually also solid pneumatic tires that are a combination of the two. The pneumatic tire style is great for outdoor applications. Cushion tires are perfect to be utilized indoors and solid pneumatic tires are the best alternative for hazardous work environments where there is a risk for standard tires being popped by rough terrain or sharp objects.