Buying Tips
When buying a lift truck, there can be a lot of factors to take into consideration since this decision may impact many things like productivity, operating expenses, machine downtime, and even worker morale.
Below is a brief list of things to think about when deciding on a new or second-hand forklift. There are actually some specific questions the sales consultant should address in order to help you choose the best alternative which is right for your business.
Step 1: Identify Your Requirements
Taking the time to identify your needs would help ensure that you can find a capable machinery. What size are your typical loads? Are they 3,000 pounds to 35,000 pounds or even heavier? How many hours each day would you be using this machinery? Would you be running the machinery outdoors or indoors or possibly both? How wide are your narrowest aisles to travel through? Correctly answering these questions will ensure you are happy with the unit you select.
Step2: Second-hand Vs. New Forklifts
You may want to buy a brand new unit of lift truck if you are intending to use your forklift for more than 4 hours a day. The warranty benefits alone would come in handy. A used choice will more than likely be adequate for light duty and infrequent applications.
Step 3: Fuel Options
Normally, the huge batteries that power electric lift trucks can run for an 8 hour shift. The electric models are best suited for indoor applications as they produce no harmful emissions. Even if electric units are normally more expensive compared to other units, they have lower operating expenses. Electric forklifts are a lot quieter to run and do not have fuel storage requirements to consider. In addition, these machines have less moving parts so they have a longer life span since they have less parts to get worn down.
Among the disadvantages of the battery operated forklifts is that they require battery recharging stations and this could take roughly 8 hours. There is an added 8 hours required for cooling. Recent changes 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
Lift Trucks are equipped with either pneumatic or air-filled, inflated tires or cushion tires which 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 outdoors. Cushion tires are best for interior use and solid pneumatic tires are the best alternative for dangerous work environments where there is potential for standard tires being popped by rough terrain or sharp objects.