How to choose your forklift?

1. Operating environment
This is the first consideration when purchasing a forklift, whether it is operated outdoors or indoors.
2. Indoor warehouse forklift
For indoor handling, such as in a warehouse, electric forklifts are more advantageous. Compared with internal combustion forklifts, their main advantages are low noise and no pollution. Although the price of electric forklifts is higher than that of internal combustion forklifts, the operating cost is lower. The main reason why electric forklifts save money is that they do not require fuel, oil, and components such as plugs and sockets. The maintenance cost of electric forklifts is only 2 to 6 yuan per hour for a normal life cycle (a forklift runs one shift per day and is used for about 1700 hours per year). When using an electric forklift, you must always pay attention to the battery condition, check the water level, and avoid the battery drying out.
3. Choose a forklift model
The most important factor in choosing a forklift is to consider its application and the actual situation of the warehouse. If the forklift is used to load and unload trailers, a front-wheel drive, sit-down counterbalanced forklift is more suitable. If the forklift is used to shuttle goods to trailers, a factor to consider is the issue of "free lift", that is, the forks can be raised without raising the mast. The width of the warehouse aisle is another issue that needs to be considered when choosing a forklift. Three-wheeled ride-on forklifts require a 10ft (1ft=0.304) wide aisle, while four-wheeled forklifts require more space, 12-13ft wide aisles. In narrower aisles, users prefer reach forklifts, which are equipped with outriggers for retrieving pallets and can operate in aisles of about 8ft wide.
4. Capacity
A factor that must be considered when purchasing a forklift. It is recommended to purchase a forklift with a larger capacity than usual. If the forklift is to carry a pallet load of 900KG, it is more appropriate to choose a forklift with a capacity of 1300KG.
5. Price vs efficiency
Price is only one factor, and the ability to provide spare parts and maintenance services is as important as the price of the vehicle itself. It is recommended that users consider the total cost of the forklift's "lifetime", not just the purchase price. Most experts are against buying used forklifts unless they are used as spare parts for auxiliary work. If the user only needs a forklift, you can buy a used forklift, but you must confirm that the quality is up to standard. Therefore, the user should consider the efficiency of the forklift, the support of the manufacturer, and the number of various forklifts needed in the future. For savvy users, both long-term and short-term benefits should be taken into consideration.