About sixty percent of the lift truck market is made up from electric models. These models derive their power from extremely heavy lead-acid batteries. Because of their immense weight, these batteries naturally offer a lot of the counterweight.
Counterbalanced trucks are classified by the ITA as Class 1 forklifts. Class 1 also includes other electric trucks designed for general applications and stand-up counterbalanced trucks. Although the first expenditure of an electric forklift is more than IC lift trucks, electric units are cheaper to utilize in the long run. This is because of their lesser fuel and maintenance expenses.
Most of the electric rider trucks made and designed within North America are made for transporting material within 4 walls. Electric forklifts have usually been limited to indoor applications with smooth and clean surfaces. With the launch of some new Class 1 items, it is becoming increasingly possible to utilize electric rider units in some outdoor applications.
When compared to IC forklifts, the electric trucks are typically selected for indoor applications because of the fact they provide no harmful emissions, could normally complete a full 8 hour shift on one battery charge and are really quiet to operate. Electric unit batteries weigh roughly 3,000 pounds. The job of recharging, reloading and removing the batteries can be burdensome and time consuming. This situation normally happens at a battery charging post or an area that is specifically designed for handling batteries. There are developing fast charging technologies that would be available on the market and these new systems are changing the process of charging batteries.
The Right Fit
Utilizing the right size of lift truck to do the specific operation is vital to any business operation. The application itself must always dictate which product is chosen.
Clients are always looking for means to lessen their operating expenses and find more efficient work practices that help reduce these costs, while also improving their productivity. Using the wrong size of forklift could really slow things down and have a big impact on the bottom line and productivity of a business, while negatively affecting the productivity on the jobsite.
If you are unsure about what particular type of lift truck you require, a reliable dealer would be able to ask you the right questions that would enable you to make a correct choice. Lots of dealerships provide rentals of their machinery as well and this is a very great way to try before you commit to such a big purchase. It is also a nice way to try different models out to see which ones you and your operators are the most comfortable with and which ones bring you the best production.