Buying Tips
There can be a lot of things to take into account when buying a lift truck. Choosing the right equipment can have a huge effect on everything from production to operating expenses, to machine downtime and worker morale.
When you are thinking of choosing a brand new or used lift truck, the following is a brief list of factors to take into account. There can be several particular questions the sales consultant must deal with to be able to help you select the best alternative that is right for your business.
Step 1: Identify Your Requirements
Identifying your needs would ultimately help that you could find the best most capable forklift for your business. How big are your normal load sizes? Are they 3,000 pounds to 35,000 pounds or even heavier? How many hours every day would you be utilizing this machine? Would you be running the machinery indoors or outdoors or possibly both? How wide are your narrowest aisles to go through? Answering these questions correctly will ensure you are happy with the model you choose.
Step2: New Vs. Second-hand Lift Trucks
If you are intending to utilize your lift truck more than 4 hours per day, you would probably want to purchase a brand new model. The warranty benefits alone would come in handy. A second-hand alternative would more than likely be adequate for infrequent applications and light duty.
Step 3: Fuel Options
The big electric lift truck batteries will allow the lift truck to run for about 8 hours. These specific power sources make forklifts uniquely suited for indoor use as they generate no harmful emissions. Though electric units are normally more expensive than other units, they have lower operating costs. Electric forklifts are much quieter to run and do not have fuel storage requirements to consider. Moreover, these machinery have less moving components so they have a longer life span as they have less parts to get worn down.
One of the disadvantages of the battery operated lift trucks is that they require battery recharging stations and this can take around 8 hours. There is an additional 8 hours required for cooling. Recent innovations have made their way onto the market in order to significantly lessen charging time. The fast-charge technology has become a wonderful 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 inflated, air-filled tires. Several lift trucks would utilize a solid pneumatic tires, that is a combination of the two kinds of tire. The pneumatic tire kind is great to be used outside. Cushion tires are best to be used inside and solid pneumatic tires are the perfect alternative for dangerous work settings where there is potential for standard tires being popped by sharp objects on rough terrain.