Buying Tips
There can be many things to take into account when purchasing a lift truck. Deciding on the best equipment could have a huge effect on everything from production to operating costs, to machine downtime and worker morale.
When you are thinking of choosing a brand new or second-hand forklift, the following is a brief list of things to take into consideration. There are actually several particular questions the sales consultant should deal with in order to help you select the best alternative that is most suitable for your company.
Step 1: Identify Your Requirements
Identifying your requirements would eventually help that you can find the best most capable lift truck for your business. 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 equipment? Would you be running the machinery indoors or outdoors or possibly both? How wide are your narrowest aisles to go through? Accurately answering these questions will make sure that you are satisfied with the model you select.
Step2: Brand new Vs. Second-hand Lift Trucks
You may want to buy a brand new unit of forklift if you are planning to use your forklift for more than 4 hours per day. The warranty benefits alone will come in handy. A used alternative would probably be adequate for infrequent applications and light duty.
Step 3: Fuel Options
Usually, the big batteries that power electric lift trucks can run for an 8 hour shift. The electric units are best suited for indoor applications as they generate no harmful emissions. Though electric units are generally more pricey compared to different other types of lift trucks, they have less operating costs. Electric lift trucks are a lot quieter to run and do not have fuel storage requirements to think about. Additionally, these machines have fewer moving parts so they have a longer life span as they have fewer parts to get worn down.
The electric lift truck is not without its downsides though. These machines require 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 so as to considerably reduce charging time. The fast-charge technology has become a wonderful new thing.
Step 4: Tire Choice
Common forklifts utilize cushion tires made up of solid rubber or they would be outfitted with pneumatic or inflated, air-filled tires. Several lift trucks would utilize a solid pneumatic tires, which is a combination of the two kinds of tire. The pneumatic tire kind is perfect to be utilized outside. Cushion tires are great for indoor applications and solid pneumatic tires are the best choice for dangerous work settings where there is potential for regular tires being popped by sharp objects on rough terrain.