In working with my new client www.worldwideforklifts.com, I took it upon myself to learn as much about the industry and the marketplace as possible. I was somewhat surprised at how huge the industry is and the various factors that one must consider when purchasing a forklift/lift truck/montacarga.
The first thing was to learn about forklifts themselves. The marketing strategies and other considerations will come in time as I learn more about this very interesting industry.
A basic tutorial on Forklifts:
Forklift lift trucks were first invented around 1917 and looked more like a tractor with a lift bucket or platform attached to it. Clark is believed to have invented the first lift trucks and began selling them in 1918. Most of these early forklifts were used for moving machinery around in factories although their uses began to expand dramatically in the 1920’s. Designs began to emerge from the tractor with a platform to the mast with forks as you are familiar with today. In the early 20’s Yale and Baker both entered the market with electric battery powered machines. In the 1930’s Hyster Company moved from it’s traditional role as a manufacturer of logging equipment into the world of forklift trucks.
The World War II war effort saw a number of new manufacturers enter into the forklift industry. The US Armed forces used forklifts to move supplies and materials to the front lines. The emergence of wooden pallets for storage of materials in factories, large grocery chains and transportation of materials by long haul freight carriers added to the emerging uses of the forklifts in many industries
Changes in modern manufacturing methods led to the introduction of the Narrow Aisle Reach truck by Raymond Corporation in the early 1950’s. Other manufacturers, such as Lewis-Sheppard and Crown Equipment, saw the potential of these machines and entered the marketplace with lines of battery powered warehouse and pallet trucks.
As one might imagine, new uses for forklifts were constantly being discovered and in the 1960’s, more sophisticated electric forklifts with electronic controls were being introduced along with many specialty types of forklifts like the ones used in marinas and cherry pickers used by logging firms etc.
In the 1980’s, many changes and consolidations/mergers took place within the industry and the first foreign manufactured forklifts were introduced into the US by Toyota, Nissan and Daewoo. Nissan and Daewoo became serious competitors to the US manufacturers and many consider Toyota to be the top of the line lift truck in the industry today.
Through the 1990’s and on to today, the forklifts have continued to evolve.
Lift trucks with increasing lift capacities have been engineered which allow for movement of cargo containers from ships to uses around a small warehouse for storing supplies and parts. More emphasis has been placed on operator comfort, safety designs, as well as portable attachments that can be installed and/or replaced for specialty applications.
There are basically 5 considerations to be made when considering a lift truck for your business;
Type of fuel: Electric, Gas, Diesel, LP or Propane;
Electric forklifts are generally for indoor use where emissions are a consideration. The pros of Electric forklifts are their low costs to operate, life expectancy, low maintenance, low noise factor and ease of use in tight places and insurance is generally less expensive. The cons of Electric forklifts are their initial cost (higher than gas/diesel); they have to be plugged in to be recharged about every 8 hours making them a 1 shift operational unit and replacement parts costs tend to be higher.
Gas forklifts are generally for outdoor use or in large open warehouse environments where LP or natural gas emissions are not an issue. Diesel forklifts are almost always for outdoor use although dual fuel forklifts exist which can provide an indoor outdoor use where needed (Note: These dual fuel forklifts are no longer allowed to be built or imported by the EPA. Existing dual fuel forklifts are allowed to be refurbished to their ultimate life expectancy and a few dealers carry inventories of used dual fuel forklifts and spare parts www.worldwideforklifts.com .) The pros of gas/diesel/propane or LP lift trucks is their lower initial cost and all you have to do is re-fuel when the tank is empty making it a 24 hour per day productive asset. Replacement parts are also generally less expensive and accessible from many more outlets. The downside is their operating costs tend to be higher, especially as fuel costs rise and they are generally limited to outdoor or limited indoor purposes.
Lifting capabilities-Most forklifts have a lift capacity associated with them generally expressed in thousand pound capacities. A 5 thousand pound lift truck is designed to lift nothing heavier than 5 thousand pounds. Lift trucks upwards of 100,000 pounds exist but the vast majority are in the 5,000-30,000 pound range.
Masts: Just like on a boat, most forklifts have a mast that allows whatever is being lifted to reach greater heights. Most forklifts have 2 or 3 stage masts that extend upwards and each comes with a height capacity similar to its lift capacity. Think of lifting your boat into a high and dry storage facility. The mast lowers to enter through the doors of the storage warehouse yet extends upwards to place your boat on its respective rack once inside.
Fork Length-Most forklifts used in warehouse environments for moving palletized products around have very short forks. Usually long enough to fit a pallet sized package. This gives them extreme flexibility for moving around and operating in tight environments like a Sams or Costco warehouse club environment where operating space is minimal. Other forklifts will have longer forks like those used in marinas where lifting a long boat out of the water is required. There are also specialty forks for picking up cable spools or drums.
Tires There are two types of tires to choose from: cushion tires, which are made of solid rubber, and pneumatic tires, which are inflated with compressed air. For internal applications, cushion tires are the best choice; for outdoor work, you may want more expensive pneumatic tires.
A third option, solid pneumatic tires, are ideal for outdoor environments where there’s a high risk of popping regular pneumatic tires: lumber yards or recycling centers where nails or glass can be scattered around. They combine the solid-rubber construction of cushion tires with the rough terrain capabilities of pneumatic tires. They are also typically are more expensive than the other two types.
There are other considerations to be made when considering a forklift purchase:
- Safety features. OSHA has mandated most of these as standard requirements for manufacturing new forklifts but older models exist that may not have them; Back-up beepers, flashing amber lights, headlights, and other safety features are sold standard with most fork lift trucks. State regulations may vary, but you should always include them in your shopping considerations.
- Ergonomics. Don’t look at them as amenities but rather as considerations for employees who will be using your lift trucks for an entire work shift. Adjustable seats and comfortable controls can reduce the risk of injuries and make for a more productive workforce.
- Attachments. You can tailor your lift truck to better handle specific types of materials: tools to pick up rolls of cable or steel, tongs for handling 55 gallon drums, flat panels for lifting items that aren’t on pallets, and more. Most attachments are standardized and can be used on many different forklifts
- Sideshift. This very popular option which allows the operator to move the load left and right without moving the truck, allowing much more precise placement of loads especially in tight places.
- Tilt mast. The ability to tilt the mast and forks forward and back greatly simplifies loading the truck on uneven ground. Tilting the mast back slightly also provides greater stability while moving a loaded truck. You see this quite often on marina forklifts where the boat is actually 3-4 times the length of the forklift.
Where to buy your forklift- You really have hundreds if not thousands of options to consider. In many cases, you can buy directly from the manufacturer, from a distributor or local dealer. New forklifts are generally distributor/dealer specific (much like car dealers) whereas used forklifts can be procured through many sources.
If you want to buy new, make sure you do your research on which forklift best suits your needs. Read the buyers guides and opinions on various blogs of the different products available. Check local dealers histories, make sure they carry an inventory of spare parts, have service and support personnel or training options. What trade in/upgrade programs do they offer etc.
If you want to lower your cost of entry in buying a forklift for your business, you may want to consider a used or refurbished truck. Be very cautious when buying a used forklift just as you would in buying a used car. Buying from an individual may be fraught with all kinds of problems whereas buying from a reputable dealer/distributor that will provide a guarantee or warranty may save you thousands of dollars in costly repairs. Again, make sure you select a dealer that maintains an inventory of spare parts and has service personnel that can come to your site to make necessary repairs. A day or two of downtime can be very costly for many businesses.
You can find forklifts for sale on Craigs list and even on E-bay but buyer caution is highly advised.
Always test drive your forklift before buying and ask to see the service and maintenance records. Hour meters should also be checked but if a truck has been fully refurbished, this is not necessarily an important factor!
Lastly, consider your point of shipment. Most forklifts are sold FOB from some point of origin. You may find a great price on a forklift in Seattle Washington but if you have to ship it to Nassau in the Bahamas, you may well exceed your cost savings in additional transportation costs. Consider a South Florida dealer/distributor instead even if the price is slightly higher.
Next in this series will be discussions about forklift safety issues, OSHA requirements and some examples of forklift accidents and court cases. If you are planning to buy a forklift (or already own one), it is best you know and understand the liabilities and hazards that come with it!
