Buying Tips
When buying a lift truck, there can be many things to take into consideration because this decision could impact lots of things such as productivity, operating expenses, equipment downtime, and even worker morale.
Here is a brief list of factors to consider when deciding on a new or second-hand lift truck. There is certainly several specific questions the sales consultant must deal with to be able to help you select the best alternative which is best for your company.
Step 1: Identify Your Needs
Making the time to identify your requirements would help ensure that you could find a capable machinery. What size are your typical loads? Are they 3,000 pounds to 35,000 pounds or even heavier? How many hours each day will you be using this machine? Will you be running the machine outdoors or indoors or possibly both? How wide are your narrowest aisles to travel through? Correctly answering these questions would ensure you are satisfied with the unit you select.
Step2: Second-hand Vs. New Forklifts
You may want to purchase a new unit of lift truck if you are planning to utilize your lift truck for more than 4 hours per day. The warranty benefits alone will truly be handy. A second-hand choice will probably be adequate for light duty and infrequent applications.
Step 3: Fuel Options
Usually, the big batteries that power electric forklifts could run for an 8 hour shift. The electric models are best suited for indoor use as they produce no harmful emissions. Although electric units are usually more pricey compared to various other kinds of forklifts, they have lower operating costs. Electric forklifts are a lot quieter to run and do not have fuel storage needs to take into consideration. Furthermore, these kinds of machinery have less moving components so they have a longer life span since they have fewer components to get worn down.
One of the disadvantages of the battery operated lift trucks is that they require battery recharging stations and this could take approximately 8 hours. There is an added 8 hours required for cooling. Recent innovations have made their way onto the market in order to significantly lessen charging time. The fast-charge technology has become a great new thing.
Step 4: Tire Choice
Forklifts are outfitted 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 kind is best suited for outdoor use. Cushion tires are best for interior applications and solid pneumatic tires are the best choice for dangerous work environments where there is potential for regular tires being popped by rough terrain or sharp objects.