Buying Tips
There can be a lot of things to take into account when buying a forklift. Deciding on the right equipment could have a huge effect on everything from production to operating costs, to machine downtime and worker morale.
When you are thinking of choosing a brand new or used lift truck, the following is a brief list of things to take into consideration. There is certainly several particular questions the sales consultant must address to be able to help you pick the best alternative which is most suitable for your company.
Step 1: Identify Your Requirements
Making the time to identify your needs will help ensure that you can find a capable machinery. What size are your standard loads? Are they 3,000 pounds to 35,000 pounds or even heavier? How many hours each day will 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? Answering these questions accurately would ensure you are happy with the model you select.
Step2: Used Vs. New Lift Trucks
You might want to purchase a new unit of lift truck if you are intending to utilize your lift truck for more than 4 hours per day. The warranty benefits alone would come in handy. A used option would probably be adequate for infrequent applications and light duty.
Step 3: Fuel Options
The large electric lift truck batteries would allow the lift truck to run for around 8 hours. These particular power sources make lift trucks uniquely suited for indoor application since they produce no harmful emissions. Although electric models are generally more pricey than different other kinds of forklifts, they have less operating costs. Electric lift trucks are much quieter to run and do not have fuel storage requirements to think about. Additionally, these machinery have fewer moving components so they have a longer life span as they have less parts to get worn down.
One of the downsides of the battery operated lift trucks is that they require battery recharging posts and this can take about 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 great 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 types of tire. The pneumatic tire style is perfect to be used outside. Cushion tires are perfect to be used inside and solid pneumatic tires are the best choice for dangerous work settings where there is a chance for standard tires being popped by sharp objects on rough terrain.