Buying Tips
When purchasing a forklift, there are numerous things to take into account because this decision can impact lots of things such as productivity, operating costs, equipment downtime, and even worker morale.
When you are thinking of choosing a new or second-hand forklift, the following is a brief list of things to take into consideration. There are actually several particular questions the sales consultant must address in order to help you pick the best option which is most suitable for your business.
Step 1: Identify Your Requirements
Identifying your needs will ultimately help that you could find the best most capable forklift for your business. How large are your standard load sizes? Are they 3,000 pounds to 35,000 pounds or even heavier? How many hours every day would you be utilizing this equipment? Would you be running the machine outdoors or indoors or possibly both? How wide are your narrowest aisles to go through? Answering these questions correctly would make certain that you are satisfied with the unit you select.
Step2: New Vs. Second-hand Forklifts
If you are intending to utilize your forklift more than 4 hours a day, you will probably want to buy a new unit. The warranty benefits alone will come in handy. A used choice will probably be enough for infrequent applications and light duty.
Step 3: Fuel Options
The big electric forklift batteries would allow the lift truck to run for roughly 8 hours. These specific power sources make lift trucks uniquely suited for indoor use as they generate no harmful emissions. Though electric models are usually more expensive compared to other models, they have lower operating costs. Electric forklifts are a lot quieter to run and do not have fuel storage needs to think about. Additionally, these types of machines have less moving components so they have a longer life span since they have fewer components to get worn down.
One of the disadvantages of the battery operated lift trucks 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 considerably reduce charging time. The fast-charge technology has become a great 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 which are a combination of the two. The pneumatic tire style is best suited for outside use. Cushion tires are great to be utilized inside and solid pneumatic tires are the perfect option for hazardous work environments where there is potential for regular tires being popped by rough terrain or sharp objects.