Buying Tips
There can be a lot of factors to take into account when buying a lift truck. Choosing the best machine could have a big impact on everything from productivity to operating expenses, to machine downtime and worker morale.
When you are thinking of choosing a new or used lift truck, the following is a brief list of things to take into account. There can be several particular questions the sales consultant should deal with in order to help you choose the best alternative that is best for your company.
Step 1: Identify Your Needs
Identifying your requirements will 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 outdoors or indoors or possibly both? How wide are your narrowest aisles to travel through? Correctly answering these questions will make certain that you are happy with the unit you pick.
Step2: New Vs. Second-hand Lift Trucks
You may want to purchase a new model of lift truck if you are intending to use your forklift for more than 4 hours a day. The warranty benefits alone will really be handy. A used choice will more than likely be adequate for infrequent applications and light duty.
Step 3: Fuel Options
Usually, the huge batteries that power electric lift trucks can run for an 8 hour shift. The electric units are best suited for indoor use as they produce no harmful emissions. Though electric models are normally more pricey than other models, they have lower operating expenses. Electric forklifts are a lot quieter to run and do not have fuel storage needs to take into consideration. In addition, these equipment have less moving components so they have a longer life span because they have less components to get worn down.
The electric forklift is not without its disadvantages though. These equipment require recharging stations which may take as much as 8 hours th charge. 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
Forklifts are equipped with either pneumatic or inflated, air-filled tires or cushion tires that are made up of solid rubber. There is certainly also solid pneumatic tires that are a combination of the two. The pneumatic tire style is best suited for outside applications. Cushion tires are perfect to be utilized inside and solid pneumatic tires are the best option for dangerous work settings where there is a risk for standard tires being popped by rough terrain or sharp objects.