Buying Tips
There is certainly a lot of things to take into account when purchasing a lift truck. Deciding on the best machine can have a big impact on everything from production to operating costs, to machine downtime and employee morale.
When you are thinking of choosing a brand new or used lift truck, the following is a brief list of things to take into account. There can be several specific questions the sales consultant needs to deal with to be able to help you pick the best option which is best for your business.
Step 1: Identify Your Requirements
Identifying your requirements will eventually help that you could find the best most capable lift truck for your company. How large are your standard load sizes? Are they 3,000 pounds to 35,000 pounds or even heavier? How many hours every day would you be utilizing this machinery? Will you be running the machine outdoors or indoors or potentially both? How wide are your narrowest aisles to go through? Answering these questions accurately would ensure you are happy with the model you select.
Step2: New Vs. Used Lift Trucks
You may want to purchase a brand new model of forklift if you are planning to utilize your lift truck for more than 4 hours per day. The warranty benefits alone will really be handy. A used choice will probably be enough for infrequent applications and light duty.
Step 3: Fuel Options
The huge electric lift truck batteries would allow the forklift to run for about 8 hours. These specific power sources make forklifts uniquely suited for indoor use because they produce no harmful emissions. Even though electric units are generally more pricey compared to other units, they have lower operating expenses. Electric lift trucks are a lot quieter to run and do not have fuel storage requirements to think about. Moreover, these machines have fewer moving components so they have a longer life span as they have fewer components to get worn down.
Among the disadvantages of the battery operated lift trucks is that they require battery recharging posts and this could take about 8 hours. 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
Common lift trucks use cushion tires made up of solid rubber or they would be equipped with pneumatic or air-filled, inflated tires. Several lift trucks would utilize a solid pneumatic tires, which is a combination of the two types of tire. The pneumatic tire type is best suited to be used outside. Cushion tires are best to be used indoors and solid pneumatic tires are the perfect choice for dangerous work settings where there is potential for standard tires being popped by sharp objects on rough terrain.