Buying Tips
When buying a lift truck, there are many factors to take into account because this decision could impact numerous things such as production, operating costs, equipment downtime, and even worker morale.
Here is a brief list of factors to consider when deciding on a brand new or second-hand lift truck. There are some particular questions the sales consultant has to deal with in order to help you choose the best option that is most suitable for your business.
Step 1: Identify Your Requirements
Identifying your needs would ultimately help that you can find the best most capable forklift for your business. 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 machinery? Would you be running the machinery indoors or outdoors or possibly both? How wide are your narrowest aisles to travel through? Correctly answering these questions would ensure you are happy with the unit you choose.
Step2: Used Vs. New Forklifts
If you are intending to use your lift truck more than 4 hours a day, you would probably want to buy a new unit. The warranty benefits alone will come in handy. A used option will probably be adequate for infrequent applications and light duty.
Step 3: Fuel Options
The big electric lift truck batteries will allow the lift truck to run for around 8 hours. These specific power sources make lift trucks uniquely suited for indoor use as they generate no harmful emissions. Although electric models are normally more expensive compared to other models, they have less operating costs. Electric lift trucks are much quieter to run and do not have fuel storage requirements to take into account. Additionally, these machinery have less moving components so they have a longer life span as they have less parts to get worn down.
Amongst the downsides of the battery operated forklifts is that they need battery recharging stations and this could take roughly 8 hours. There is an added 8 hours needed for cooling. Recent innovations have made their way onto the market in order to considerably lessen charging time. The fast-charge technology has become a great new thing.
Step 4: Tire Choice
Lift Trucks are outfitted with either pneumatic or air-filled, inflated tires or cushion tires which are made up of solid rubber. There are also solid pneumatic tires which are a combination of the two. The pneumatic tire style is great to be used outdoors. Cushion tires are best for interior applications and solid pneumatic tires are the perfect choice for dangerous work settings where there is a possibility for standard tires being popped by rough terrain or sharp objects.