Buying Tips
There are actually lots of things to take into consideration when buying a lift truck. Deciding on the best machine could have a huge effect on everything from production to operating costs, to machine downtime and employee morale.
Here is a brief list of things to consider when deciding on a new or used forklift. There are actually several particular questions the sales consultant should deal with in order to help you choose the best alternative that is most suitable for your business.
Step 1: Identify Your Requirements
Identifying your requirements will ultimately help that you could find the best most capable lift truck for your business. How big are your typical load sizes? Are they 3,000 pounds to 35,000 pounds or even heavier? How many hours each day would you be utilizing this equipment? Would you be running the machine 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 model you select.
Step2: Brand new Vs. Second-hand Lift Trucks
If you are intending to utilize your forklift more than 4 hours a day, you would probably want to buy a new unit. The warranty benefits alone would come in handy. A second-hand choice will probably be adequate for infrequent applications and light duty.
Step 3: Fuel Options
Typically, the big batteries that power electric lift trucks could run for an 8 hour shift. The electric models are best suited for indoor applications since they produce no harmful emissions. Even if electric models are normally more expensive compared to various other kinds of forklifts, they have less operating expenses. Electric forklifts are a lot quieter to run and do not have fuel storage requirements to take into consideration. Also, these types of equipment have less moving components so they have a longer life span as they have fewer components to get worn down.
Among the disadvantages of the battery operated forklifts is that they require battery recharging posts and this can take roughly 8 hours. There is an additional 8 hours needed for cooling. Recent innovations have made their way onto the market in order to considerably reduce charging time. The fast-charge technology has become a wonderful new thing.
Step 4: Tire Choice
Common forklifts use cushion tires made up of solid rubber or they would be outfitted with pneumatic or air-filled, inflated tires. Several forklifts would use a solid pneumatic tires, that is a combination of the two kinds of tire. The pneumatic tire style is perfect to be utilized outdoors. Cushion tires are best to be used indoors and solid pneumatic tires are the best option for dangerous work environments where there is a possibility for standard tires being popped by rough terrain or sharp objects.