Buying Tips
When buying a lift truck, there can be many things to take into account since this decision can impact a lot of things like productivity, operating expenses, machine downtime, and even worker morale.
When you are thinking of choosing a brand new or used forklift, the following is a brief list of factors to take into consideration. There is certainly some specific questions the sales consultant needs to deal with in order to help you pick the best option which is best for your business.
Step 1: Identify Your Requirements
Making the time to identify your needs will help ensure that you could find a capable machine. What size are your standard loads? Are they 3,000 pounds to 35,000 pounds or even heavier? How many hours every day would you be using this machinery? Would you be running the equipment indoors or outdoors or potentially both? How wide are your narrowest aisles to go through? Correctly answering these questions would ensure you are satisfied with the unit you pick.
Step2: Used Vs. Brand new Lift Trucks
If you are planning to use your forklift more than 4 hours a day, you would probably want to purchase a new unit. The warranty benefits alone would come in handy. A used choice will probably be enough for light duty and infrequent applications.
Step 3: Fuel Options
Normally, the big batteries that power electric lift trucks can run for an 8 hour shift. The electric units are best suited for indoor use because they produce no harmful emissions. Though electric models are generally more pricey compared to various other kinds of lift trucks, they have less operating costs. Electric lift trucks are a lot quieter to run and do not have fuel storage needs to think about. As well, these machinery have less moving parts so they have a longer life span since they have fewer parts to get worn down.
Amongst the downsides of the battery operated lift trucks is that they require battery recharging stations and this can take about 8 hours. There is an additional 8 hours needed 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 wonderful new thing.
Step 4: Tire Choice
Forklifts are outfitted with either pneumatic or air-filled, inflated tires or cushion tires that are made up of solid rubber. There can be also solid pneumatic tires that are a combination of the two. The pneumatic tire style is best suited for outdoor use. Cushion tires are great for indoor use and solid pneumatic tires are the best option for hazardous work settings where there is potential for standard tires being popped by sharp objects on rough terrain.