Buying Tips
When buying a lift truck, there are actually lots of things to take into account as this decision may impact numerous things like productivity, operating expenses, machine downtime, and even worker morale.
When you are thinking of choosing a new or used forklift, the following is a brief list of things to take into consideration. There are actually some specific questions the sales consultant must address in order to help you pick the best alternative which is right for your company.
Step 1: Identify Your Needs
Identifying your requirements would ultimately help that you can find the best most capable lift truck for your company. How large are your typical load sizes? Are they 3,000 pounds to 35,000 pounds or even heavier? How many hours every day will you be utilizing this machinery? Would you be running the machine outdoors or indoors or potentially both? How wide are your narrowest aisles to travel through? Answering these questions correctly will ensure you are happy with the model you select.
Step2: Brand new Vs. Second-hand Lift Trucks
If you are intending to use your lift truck more than 4 hours a day, you would probably want to purchase a new model. The warranty benefits alone would really be handy. A second-hand choice would probably be adequate for light duty and infrequent applications.
Step 3: Fuel Options
The large electric forklift batteries would allow the lift truck to run for about 8 hours. These particular power sources make lift trucks uniquely suited for indoor application as they generate no harmful emissions. Even though electric units are normally more pricey compared to different other kinds of lift trucks, they have less operating expenses. Electric lift trucks are a lot quieter to run and do not have fuel storage requirements to take into account. Furthermore, these kinds of equipment have fewer moving components so they have a longer life span because they have fewer components to get worn down.
The electric lift truck is not without its downsides though. These machinery need recharging posts that could take as much as 8 hours th charge. There is an additional 8 hours required for cooling. Recent changes have made their way onto the market so as to significantly reduce charging time. The fast-charge technology has become a great new thing.
Step 4: Tire Choice
Lift Trucks are equipped with either pneumatic or inflated, air-filled tires or cushion tires which are made up of solid rubber. There are also solid pneumatic tires which are a combination of the two. The pneumatic tire style is best suited for outside applications. Cushion tires are great to be used indoors and solid pneumatic tires are the best choice for dangerous work settings where there is potential for regular tires being popped by rough terrain or sharp objects.