Buying Tips
When purchasing a lift truck, there is certainly lots of things to take into account since this decision may impact lots of things such as production, operating expenses, equipment downtime, and even worker morale.
Below is a brief list of things to think about when deciding on a brand new or second-hand lift truck. There are actually several particular questions the sales consultant must deal with to be able to help you choose the best option which is most suitable for your business.
Step 1: Identify Your Needs
Identifying your requirements would ultimately help that you could find the best most capable forklift for your company. How big 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 using this machine? Would you be running the machine indoors or outdoors or possibly both? How wide are your narrowest aisles to go through? Answering these questions correctly will ensure you are happy with the model you choose.
Step2: Used Vs. Brand new Lift Trucks
You might want to purchase a brand new unit of lift truck if you are intending to utilize your forklift for more than 4 hours per day. The warranty benefits alone will come in handy. A second-hand choice would more than likely be enough 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 specific power sources make forklifts uniquely suited for indoor use because they generate no harmful emissions. Even though electric models are normally more pricey compared to different other types of forklifts, they have less operating expenses. Electric forklifts are a lot quieter to run and do not have fuel storage requirements to consider. Moreover, these kinds of equipment have less moving components so they have a longer life span as they have less parts to get worn down.
Amongst the disadvantages of the battery operated forklifts is that they require battery recharging posts and this could take around 8 hours. There is an additional 8 hours needed for cooling. Recent changes have made their way onto the market so as to considerably lessen charging time. The fast-charge technology has become a wonderful new thing.
Step 4: Tire Choice
Lift Trucks 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 type is best suited for outdoor use. Cushion tires are perfect to be used indoors and solid pneumatic tires are the best alternative for hazardous work settings where there is a chance for standard tires being popped by rough terrain or sharp objects.