Author Topic: Forklifts  (Read 1493 times)

Offline ericheartsu

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Forklifts
« on: August 17, 2014, 09:51:48 PM »
I need to buy a forklift! I have no idea what to start looking for though! I have a budget in mind, of around $2500. We don't have need for one more than 4 times a year, but it's crazy expensive to rent them!

What should I be looking for? I've heard propane ones are best? Is that true?
Night Owls
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Offline Prosperi-Tees

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Re: Forklifts
« Reply #1 on: August 17, 2014, 10:32:58 PM »
Propane is good, it just stinks the place up though if you don't have enough ventilation. Electrics are reliable but you have the added expense of the charger, electrical runs etc. When I used to work warehouse my favorite was the electric stand up kind. More compact, better for tight spaces. For your budget it will probably be electric. Main thing to ask and see if they have records for battery maintenance and when the last time they replaced it. Should be good for 4-8 years if properly maintained and charged correctly.

Offline bulldog

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Re: Forklifts
« Reply #2 on: August 17, 2014, 10:45:23 PM »
I would say propane is probably more popular. Electric is used a lot in food warehouses and freezers. I would personally rather have a propane one. Using only 4 times a year or so you might want to get in the habit of starting it and running it a little every few weeks. I would also have a spare propane tank on hand for when someone runs out of fuel (they will.)

If you get electric and the battery dies on you, you're screwed. You're going to push it back to the battery charger and be waiting hours for it to charge.

When buying one other than checking general things (fluid levels, how it runs, etc) I would raise the forks, preferably with some weight on them, and see if the cylinders leak down. At the very least look for any hydraulic fluid coming out of the lift cylinders. I'd probably take a pallet with me that had a few hundred pounds on it at least and use that as a test and also to make sure it could lift it with ease.

Also, I'd look to see if there is someone close who can service forklifts. Find out the brands they service and narrow it down to that. You don't want to get a forklift that no one around you can work on. Some very common brands are Yale, Hyster, Nissan, Toyota, Clarke, you probably won't go wrong with those.

Offline jvanick

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Re: Forklifts
« Reply #3 on: August 17, 2014, 10:50:33 PM »
If you get an electric one, make sure you always keep it charged and that the batteries are always properly filled with water.

Nothing kills forklift and golf cart batteries quicker than not keeping them watered or charged.

Offline bulldog

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Re: Forklifts
« Reply #4 on: August 17, 2014, 10:54:59 PM »
If you get an electric one, make sure you always keep it charged and that the batteries are always properly filled with water.

Nothing kills forklift and golf cart batteries quicker than not keeping them watered or charged.

And, if I'm not mistaken an electric forklift battery is massive and is not something you're going to easily change yourself and costs mucho dinero.

Offline TCT

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Re: Forklifts
« Reply #5 on: August 18, 2014, 07:21:56 AM »
How much weight does it need to lift? How high does it need to lift?

I ended up getting a walk behind style one because we just needed it to unload pallets off trailers. Mine was like $800 or something like that....
Alex

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Offline Homer

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Re: Forklifts
« Reply #6 on: August 18, 2014, 08:46:35 AM »
...keep doing what you're doing, you'll only get what you've got...

Offline ericheartsu

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Re: Forklifts
« Reply #7 on: August 18, 2014, 08:57:14 AM »
How much weight does it need to lift? How high does it need to lift?

I ended up getting a walk behind style one because we just needed it to unload pallets off trailers. Mine was like $800 or something like that....

That's pretty much all we need it to do!
Night Owls
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www.nightowlsprint.com 281.741.7285

Offline TCT

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Re: Forklifts
« Reply #8 on: August 18, 2014, 09:05:58 AM »
Here, BOTH of these are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay nicer than the one we have! But also a lot less than you have budgeted. I don't know your area well at all but up here is you wait a few weeks one can be found from between $600-$900 pretty regularly.

http://houston.craigslist.org/hvo/4590357042.html

http://houston.craigslist.org/tls/4615789709.html

You should be able to get into a nice one for less than half what you have budgeted, just so you don't end up with a crazy surplus that throws your books off I can PM you my address and you could send a few hundred bucks up my way for the help!  ;D ;)
Alex

Hopefully I'll never have to grow up and get a real job...

www.twincitytees.com

Offline tancehughes

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Re: Forklifts
« Reply #9 on: August 18, 2014, 04:18:58 PM »
Yeah we found a used one for $500. Now, it's a piece of junk, but it gets the job done considering we only use it once or twice a week.


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