Buying Tips
When purchasing a forklift, there is certainly numerous things to take into account as this decision could impact a lot of things like production, operating costs, machine downtime, and even worker morale.
When you are thinking of choosing a brand new or used lift truck, the following is a brief list of factors to take into consideration. There are actually some particular questions the sales consultant should deal with to be able to help you select the best alternative which is most suitable for your business.
Step 1: Identify Your Requirements
Identifying your requirements will eventually help that you can find the best most capable lift truck for your company. How big are your standard load sizes? Are they 3,000 pounds to 35,000 pounds or even heavier? How many hours every day will you be using this machine? Will you be running the equipment indoors or outdoors or potentially both? How wide are your narrowest aisles to travel through? Answering these questions correctly would ensure you are happy with the unit you select.
Step2: New Vs. Used Forklifts
If you are planning to utilize your forklift more than 4 hours per day, you will probably want to buy a brand new model. The warranty benefits alone will come in handy. A used option will more than likely be enough for light duty and infrequent applications.
Step 3: Fuel Options
The big electric lift truck batteries will allow the forklift to run for about 8 hours. These particular power sources make forklifts uniquely suited for indoor use because they produce no harmful emissions. Even if electric models are normally more pricey compared to different other kinds of lift trucks, they have less operating expenses. Electric forklifts are a lot quieter to run and do not have fuel storage requirements to consider. As well, these types of machinery have less moving components so they have a longer life span because they have fewer components to get worn down.
Among the downsides of the battery operated forklifts is that they require battery recharging posts and this could take approximately 8 hours. There is an added 8 hours needed for cooling. Recent innovations have made their way onto the market in order to significantly reduce charging time. The fast-charge technology has become a wonderful new thing.
Step 4: Tire Choice
Forklifts 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 type is great for outside applications. Cushion tires are best for indoor applications and solid pneumatic tires are the best alternative for dangerous work environments where there is potential for regular tires being popped by rough terrain or sharp objects.