Buying Tips
When purchasing a lift truck, there are a lot of things to take into consideration because this decision may impact many things like production, operating expenses, equipment downtime, and even employee morale.
Here is a short list of factors to consider when deciding on a brand new or used lift truck. There can be several specific questions the sales consultant should deal with in order to help you pick the best option which is best for your company.
Step 1: Identify Your Needs
Taking the time to identify your requirements will help ensure that you can find a capable equipment. What size are your average loads? Are they 3,000 pounds to 35,000 pounds or even heavier? How many hours every day will you be utilizing this equipment? Will you be running the equipment outdoors or indoors or possibly both? How wide are your narrowest aisles to travel through? Accurately answering these questions will ensure you are satisfied with the unit you choose.
Step2: Used Vs. Brand new Forklifts
If you are intending to utilize your forklift more than 4 hours a day, you would probably want to buy a brand new unit. The warranty benefits alone would truly be handy. A second-hand alternative would more than likely be enough for infrequent applications and light duty.
Step 3: Fuel Options
The huge electric forklift batteries will allow the forklift to run for around 8 hours. These specific power sources make forklifts uniquely suited for indoor use because they generate no harmful emissions. Although electric models are usually more expensive compared to other units, they have less operating expenses. Electric lift trucks are much quieter to run and do not have fuel storage requirements to think about. What's more, these machinery have less moving components so they have a longer life span because they have less components to get worn down.
The electric lift truck is not without its disadvantages though. These equipment require recharging posts that can take as long as 8 hours th charge. There is an additional 8 hours required for cooling. Recent innovations have made their way onto the market so as to considerably reduce charging time. The fast-charge technology has become a great new thing.
Step 4: Tire Choice
Forklifts are outfitted with either pneumatic or inflated, air-filled tires or cushion tires which are made up of solid rubber. There is certainly 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 used indoors and solid pneumatic tires are the best choice for hazardous work environments where there is a possibility for regular tires being popped by sharp objects on rough terrain.