Questions to Ask Before Buying a Forklift

Buying any new piece of equipment always takes some serious consideration, and this is especially true when it comes to forklift sales. Rushing through the process leads to buying the wrong gear and wasting a ton of your money. So, before you go out to buy a new forklift, ask yourself these questions.

What materials are you lifting?

The first thing to consider is the type of materials you’ll be lifting and transporting with your forklift. We recommend buying forklifts that are rated for heavier loads than you think you might need—it never hurts to have some extra power if a load is heavier than average.

Additionally, if you’re carrying items like food, flammable materials or delicate items, you’ll want to consider an electric-powered forklift as opposed to gas to avoid emissions contamination.

Does your facility have space restrictions?

Knowing your facility’s dimensions plays a major role in the type and size of forklift you should be purchasing. For example, things like low beams, narrow corridors, tight doorways and small loading bays can prevent you from buying a large forklift.

The good news is that forklifts come in all different sizes, and even a compact forklift can get the job done for many businesses. Talk to your forklift sales expert about the right size unit for your company.

Are you operating indoors or outdoors?

Will you primarily be using your forklift inside, outside or a combination of both? This is important because some forklifts are better suited for indoor environments, and some work better for outside jobs.

If you’re primarily working outside or will be both inside and outside, be sure to get a gas-powered forklift with an enclosed cabin and heavy-duty tires. Forklifts designed to be used outside can handle adverse weather conditions that would hinder a forklift meant to be in a warehouse.

Where will you store your forklift?

The questions above primarily dealt with your daily forklift operations—but what happens once all your employees head home for the day? If you don’t have an indoor storage space, be sure to purchase a hydraulic tank heater, block heater and oil-pan heater to keep everything in working order while your equipment sits outside.

What’s your budget?

Last, but certainly not least, you need to think about how much you’re able to spend on your new equipment. Forklifts can come with all sorts of extra features like air conditioning, heaters, fingertip controls and additional lighting. But, of course, all of those add-ons come with a higher price tag.

If you’re working with a tight budget, you may want to consider purchasing a used forklift. As long as you buy from a reputable dealer, you can rest easy knowing it’ll function just as well as a new one.

Where should you buy your forklift?

The final question has an easy answer—always come to V-Bar Equipment Company when you need a forklift. We specialize in new and used forklift sales, only selling the top name brands at some of the best prices in the area. Stop by today or give us a call to see what we have in stock.

Categorised in: Forklift Dealer

This post was written by Writer