Narrow Aisle Forklifts
Some lift trucks are particularly designed to fit down very narrow aisles in a warehouse. These models are referred to as narrow aisle forklifts. They could easily negotiate smaller aisles and enable you to enjoy some advantages. Like for instance, the increased amount of area to store things could significantly increase the overall available stock of a business.
Narrow aisle lift trucks can maneuver easily also. These equipment have been particularly designed to move without much space. Their unique design has eliminated a lot of the things that are squished up into the main body of the traditional lift truck design.
These lift trucks are really slow in comparison to standard forklifts which is among their key disadvantages. If you have to move things across large areas, the narrow aisle lift truck is not the best. In terms of speed they would not be a reliable alternative. If you also have a standard lift truck, this will not be a problem. You can simply use the narrow aisle forklift to transport the load to a central location and after that hand it off to a standard lift truck that could travel the bulk of the distance in an efficient and timely method. Usually, narrow aisle forklifts cannot handle as much lifting weight; therefore, outside of smaller loads they are not going to be really helpful.
Electric Forklifts
Traditional gas lift trucks are not a suitable option for indoor operations such as warehouses or stores. They would not be as safe due to their fumes, or as helpful or cost-efficient compared to an electric powered unit. Electric lift trucks are usually designed to work and look a lot like gas ones, but they use electric batteries which should be recharged, instead of gasoline fuel.
The electrically powered lift truck has become more common and for a variety of reasons. These machinery can help businesses save costs on fuel. Electric models will first cost more, but will ultimately save you more over time. For instance, when gas prices increase, you will not be affected and would save a lot of cash. Electric models tend to last quite a bit longer compared to gas powered units as well. This is partially because of the fact they are mostly utilized inside and therefore don't get as dirty or work in as harsh environments as the gas powered ones. Electric units are healthier to utilize in areas that are poorly ventilated like warehouses and indoor operations as they don't emit noxious fumes. It could be very dangerous to use gas or diesel forklifts inside.
One of the major disadvantages to electric lift trucks is the fact they can usually only work for one 8 hour shift before the battery needs to be charged for another shift. Many businesses get around this condition by purchasing an extra battery so they can have less downtime and continually cycle them. There are fast charge batteries emerging on the market that are also reducing the charging time.