There are often many reasons that force you to upgrade your forklift buy used forklift. However, there are many benefits to knowing the right time to upgrade your forklift and improve the quality of fleet. But the decision to retire a forklift can be a tough call because it is hard to get rid of equipment that still has plenty of life.
How often are forklifts replaced?
According to the inspection, the forklifts are replaced on average every seven to eight years. But the question is, how do you know to replace your forklift? To answer this question, read on to learn reasons to upgrade your forklift and how!
1- Your Fleet Has Internal Combustion Forklift
Representing approximately 65% of the market and gaining popularity, electric forklifts better support sustainability efforts by lowering carbon emissions. While electric forklifts can cost more upfront than propane lift trucks, they offer a lower total cost of ownership by compensating for fuel, maintenance, and repair over the forklift’s life. So that’s the reason electric forklift requires less maintenance and repair than propane forklift, cutting costs and keeping your fleet on the floor for superior productivity.
2- Your Forklift Are Seven Years Old And Older
From time to time, everything ends on its expiry date. The age of the forklift can affect the maintenance cost. Major equipment like; motor, drive units, and electronics will need to be replaced, ultimately driving up downtime and increasing maintenance costs. However, how vigilant your operation is about service, eventually, you will start to experience downtime as the fleet ages. So, Track the hours, age, and maintenance cost to see if it is time to upgrade your forklift.
3- You Have High Maintenance Cost
Maintenance costs, including parts and labor, will increase as the forklift ages. You can expect major repairs when the forklift reaches 10,000 hours. There is a good suggestion for you to consider retiring a forklift when the average cost per month approaches or exceeds the monthly payment for a new forklift or is greater than the 10% price of the new forklift.
4- You Are Not Using Updated Technology
Science is updated every day; that’s the reason technologies are updated every day. Updated technology such as fleet management software can truck usage, maintenance, history, incidents, up-time, and productivity, collecting valuable data that can be used to optimize the fleet and ultimately reduce unnecessary costs. The best thing you must know is that; regular consulting provides knowledge for necessary upgrades to your forklift. Besides, it gives you knowledge about the current technology, including advanced telematics systems and new energy storage technologies that will better match today’s needs to increase productivity.
5- You Have Power Issues
Long-lasting power eliminates the need to buy or store spare batteries for dramatic cost savings. Robust and efficient, this technology can enhance efficiency and productivity in demanding applications such as cold storage. It helps maintain an adequate battery charge and increase throughput throughout a six-day workweek. A powerful audit will identify the optimal solution for your operation.
Conclusion
There are many ways to gauge the right time to replace a forklift and many important ways to upgrade your old forklift. We provide you with all the benefits and indications for your thoughts on upgrading the forklift.