Buying Tips
When buying a lift truck, there can be lots of factors to take into account as this decision can impact lots of things such as production, operating expenses, equipment downtime, and even worker morale.
When you are thinking of choosing a new or second-hand lift truck, the following is a short list of factors to take into account. There are some particular questions the sales consultant should address in order to help you select the best option that is most suitable for your business.
Step 1: Identify Your Needs
Identifying your requirements would eventually help that you can 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 will you be utilizing this machinery? Will you be running the equipment indoors or outdoors or possibly both? How wide are your narrowest aisles to travel through? Answering these questions accurately will make certain that you are satisfied with the unit you choose.
Step2: Used Vs. New Lift Trucks
If you are intending to use your lift truck more than 4 hours per day, you would probably want to purchase a new model. The warranty benefits alone would come in handy. A second-hand option would more than likely be adequate for infrequent applications and light duty.
Step 3: Fuel Options
Usually, the huge batteries which 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 units are normally more pricey than different other kinds of lift trucks, they have less operating expenses. Electric lift trucks are much quieter to run and do not have fuel storage needs to think about. Furthermore, these machinery have less moving components so they have a longer life span since they have less components to get worn down.
The electric forklift is not without its disadvantages though. These machinery need recharging stations that could take as much as 8 hours th charge. There is an added 8 hours required for cooling. Recent innovations have made their way onto the market in order to significantly reduce charging time. The fast-charge technology has become a great new thing.
Step 4: Tire Choice
Forklifts are equipped with either pneumatic or air-filled, inflated tires or cushion tires which are made up of solid rubber. There is certainly also solid pneumatic tires that are a combination of the two. The pneumatic tire kind is great to be used outside. Cushion tires are perfect for interior applications and solid pneumatic tires are the best option for hazardous work settings where there is a chance for regular tires being popped by sharp objects on rough terrain.