Narrow Aisle Forklifts
Some forklifts are especially made to fit down very narrow aisles in a warehouse. These models are known as narrow aisle forklifts. They can easily negotiate smaller aisles and enable you to enjoy some benefits. For instance, the increased amount of space to keep objects could significantly increase a company's overall available inventory.
Narrow aisle lift trucks can maneuver easily too. These machinery have been specially designed to move without much space. Their unique design has eliminated a lot of the things which are squished up into the main body of the traditional forklift design.
The downside of narrow aisle forklifts is that they are really slow compared to standard forklifts. Narrow aisle lift trucks will not work if you need to transport items across large distances. In terms of speed they would not be a reliable alternative. If you also have a regular lift truck, this will not be a problem. You can simply use the narrow aisle lift truck to transport the load to a central location and then hand it off to a standard lift truck that can travel the bulk of the distance in an efficient and timely way. Commonly, narrow aisle lift trucks cannot handle as much lifting weight; hence, outside of smaller loads they are not going to be really helpful.
Electric Forklifts
For indoor use such as stores or in warehouses, conventional gas lift trucks are not a suitable choice. They would not be as safe because of their fumes, or as cost-efficient or useful than an electric powered unit. Electric lift trucks are normally designed to work and look a lot like gas ones, but they rely on electric batteries that must be recharged, rather than gasoline fuel.
The electrically powered forklift has become more common and for a variety of reasons. These equipment could help companies save expenses on fuel. Electric models would first cost more, but will ultimately save you more over time. For example, when gas prices go up, you would not be affected and would save lots of cash. Electric units tend to last somewhat a bit longer compared to gas powered units too. This is partly due to the fact they are mostly utilized indoors and therefore don't get as dirty or work in as harsh settings as the gas powered ones. Electric models are healthier to utilize in areas which are poorly ventilated like indoor operations and warehouses as they don't emit noxious fumes. It can be very dangerous to utilize gas or diesel forklifts indoors.
One of the major disadvantages to electric lift trucks is the fact they can normally only work for one 8 hour shift before the battery has to be charged for another shift. Many companies get around this condition by purchasing an extra battery so they could continually cycle them and have less downtime. There are fast charge batteries emerging on the market which are also minimizing the charging time.