Buying Tips
There can be a lot of things to take into consideration when purchasing a lift truck. Choosing the right equipment can have a big effect on everything from productivity to operating expenses, to machine downtime and worker morale.
Here is a brief list of factors to think about when deciding on a new or used lift truck. There is certainly several specific questions the sales consultant must address in order to help you pick the best alternative that is most suitable for your company.
Step 1: Identify Your Requirements
Making the time to identify your needs will help ensure that you can 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 will you be using this machine? Will you be running the machinery outdoors or indoors or possibly both? How wide are your narrowest aisles to travel through? Accurately answering these questions will ensure you are happy with the model you choose.
Step2: Brand new Vs. Second-hand Lift Trucks
If you are planning to use your lift truck more than 4 hours per day, you will probably want to buy a new unit. The warranty benefits alone would truly be handy. A used choice would probably be adequate for light duty and infrequent applications.
Step 3: Fuel Options
The huge electric forklift batteries will allow the forklift to run for around 8 hours. These particular power sources make forklifts uniquely suited for indoor use because they generate no harmful emissions. Even if electric models are generally more expensive compared to other models, they have lower operating costs. Electric forklifts are a lot quieter to run and do not have fuel storage requirements to think about. In addition, these types of equipment have less moving components so they have a longer life span as they have less components to get worn down.
The electric forklift is not without its disadvantages though. These machines require recharging posts which could take as much as 8 hours th charge. There is an added 8 hours required for cooling. Recent changes have made their way onto the market so as to considerably reduce charging time. The fast-charge technology has become a wonderful new thing.
Step 4: Tire Choice
Common lift trucks utilize cushion tires made up of solid rubber or they would be equipped with pneumatic or air-filled, inflated tires. Some forklifts would utilize a solid pneumatic tires, that is a combination of the two kinds of tire. The pneumatic tire style is perfect to be utilized outdoors. Cushion tires are best to be used indoors and solid pneumatic tires are the best alternative for dangerous work settings where there is a possibility for standard tires being popped by rough terrain or sharp objects.