Buying Tips
There are many things to take into consideration when buying a forklift. Choosing the right machine can have a huge impact on everything from production to operating costs, to machine downtime and employee morale.
When you are thinking of choosing a brand new or second-hand forklift, the following is a brief list of things to take into consideration. There are actually some particular questions the sales consultant must deal with in order to help you pick the best alternative that is right for your company.
Step 1: Identify Your Requirements
Identifying your requirements would ultimately help that you can find the best most capable forklift for your business. How big are your typical load sizes? Are they 3,000 pounds to 35,000 pounds or even heavier? How many hours each day will you be using this machinery? Will you be running the machinery indoors or outdoors or possibly both? How wide are your narrowest aisles to go through? Answering these questions correctly will ensure you are satisfied with the unit you choose.
Step2: Brand new Vs. Second-hand Forklifts
You might want to purchase a new unit of lift truck if you are planning to utilize your forklift for more than 4 hours a day. The warranty benefits alone would really be handy. A used option would probably be enough for infrequent applications and light duty.
Step 3: Fuel Options
The large electric lift truck batteries will allow the lift truck to run for roughly 8 hours. These specific power sources make lift trucks uniquely suited for indoor application because they generate no harmful emissions. Even if electric units are usually more expensive than other models, they have lower operating costs. Electric forklifts are a lot quieter to run and do not have fuel storage requirements to think about. What's more, these kinds of equipment have fewer moving components so they have a longer life span since they have less parts to get worn down.
Amongst the downsides of the battery operated lift trucks is that they require battery recharging stations and this could take roughly 8 hours. There is an additional 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 wonderful new thing.
Step 4: Tire Choice
Lift Trucks are equipped with either pneumatic or air-filled, inflated tires or cushion tires which are made up of solid rubber. There can be also solid pneumatic tires which are a combination of the two. The pneumatic tire style is best suited to be used outside. Cushion tires are great for indoor applications and solid pneumatic tires are the best choice for dangerous work settings where there is potential for standard tires being popped by rough terrain or sharp objects.