Buying Tips
When buying a lift truck, there is certainly many things to take into consideration since this decision can impact lots of things like productivity, operating costs, machine downtime, and even employee morale.
Below is a brief list of things to think about when deciding on a new or second-hand forklift. There is certainly some specific questions the sales consultant should address to be able to help you select the best alternative that is most suitable for your company.
Step 1: Identify Your Needs
Identifying your needs will eventually help that you could find the best most capable forklift for your company. How large are your typical load sizes? Are they 3,000 pounds to 35,000 pounds or even heavier? How many hours every day would you be utilizing this machine? Would you be running the machinery outdoors or indoors or potentially both? How wide are your narrowest aisles to go through? Correctly answering these questions would ensure you are happy with the model you select.
Step2: New Vs. Used Forklifts
If you are planning to utilize your lift truck more than 4 hours per day, you will probably want to buy a new model. The warranty benefits alone will truly be handy. A second-hand choice will more than likely be adequate for infrequent applications and light duty.
Step 3: Fuel Options
Usually, the big batteries which power electric forklifts can run for an 8 hour shift. The electric units are best suited for indoor applications as they generate no harmful emissions. Even though electric models are generally more pricey than various other types of lift trucks, they have lower operating expenses. Electric forklifts are a lot quieter to run and do not have fuel storage needs to think about. Also, these types of machines have less moving components so they have a longer life span as they have fewer components to get worn down.
One of the disadvantages of the battery operated forklifts is that they require battery recharging stations and this could take around 8 hours. There is an additional 8 hours needed for cooling. Recent innovations have made their way onto the market so as to significantly lessen charging time. The fast-charge technology has become a wonderful new thing.
Step 4: Tire Choice
Forklifts are outfitted with either pneumatic or air-filled, inflated tires or cushion tires that are made up of solid rubber. There are also solid pneumatic tires which are a combination of the two. The pneumatic tire kind is perfect for outdoor applications. Cushion tires are great to be utilized indoors and solid pneumatic tires are the best alternative for dangerous work settings where there is potential for regular tires being popped by rough terrain or sharp objects.