Buying Tips
When buying a forklift, there are actually a lot of things to take into account as this decision may impact a lot of things like productivity, operating costs, equipment downtime, and even worker morale.
When you are thinking of choosing a new or used lift truck, the following is a brief list of things to take into consideration. There are actually some particular questions the sales consultant should deal with to be able to help you pick the best option which 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 large are your normal load sizes? Are they 3,000 pounds to 35,000 pounds or even heavier? How many hours every day would you be utilizing this machine? Will you be running the machinery outdoors or indoors or potentially both? How wide are your narrowest aisles to go through? Correctly answering these questions would ensure you are satisfied with the unit you select.
Step2: New Vs. Second-hand Lift Trucks
If you are planning to use your lift truck more than 4 hours per day, you will probably want to purchase a brand new unit. The warranty benefits alone will really be handy. A used option will more than likely be enough for infrequent applications and light duty.
Step 3: Fuel Options
Usually, the large batteries that power electric forklifts could run for an 8 hour shift. The electric units are best suited for indoor applications as they produce no harmful emissions. Even if electric models are generally more expensive compared to other units, they have less operating costs. Electric lift trucks are a lot quieter to run and do not have fuel storage needs to take into consideration. Additionally, these kinds of machinery have less moving parts so they have a longer life span as they have less parts to get worn down.
The electric forklift is not without its downsides though. These machines require recharging stations which could take as much as 8 hours th charge. There is an added 8 hours needed for cooling. Recent changes have made their way onto the market in order to considerably 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 which are made up of solid rubber. There can be also solid pneumatic tires which are a combination of the two. The pneumatic tire style is perfect to be used outside. Cushion tires are great to be utilized inside and solid pneumatic tires are the perfect alternative for dangerous work settings where there is a chance for regular tires being popped by sharp objects on rough terrain.