So, I need a forklift (Buying Advice Requested)

[Lanse]

Hey, guys!

So, as I'm spending more and more time in the shop, and working on larger and larger projects, I've decided to go ahead and buy a secondhand forklift, for safety and productivity reasons...

And as I've used a couple of forklifts, one a fair amount of hours, but never have bought one, I've got a few questions that I wanted to ask, and see if anyone could answer:

1) What should I expect to pay for a 3000 or 5000 pound capacity unit, used, in good shape?
2) If I get one with "smooth" tires, could I easily convert it to "offroad" tires?
3) Anything in particular I should look for, when i inspect a used one? Or if everything works as it should, then it should be fine?

Looking for a nice little Japanese machine. I'm initially somewhat scared by the concept of having something thats battery powered, that sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen. Any insight is appreciated...

[bent]

You have posted the equivalent to "I want a car. What should I get"?

Give us a little more base our suggestions. What is your budget, what is your mechanical ability, what is your timetable, and can you go get it or must it be delivered? What is your area outside your shop? Do you want propane, gasoline, or diesel?

Warehouse tire (rubber band on a iron hub) will be the cheapest. They need concrete. They may be operated on very hard, dry dirt or rock, or cool asphalt sometimes if you are lucky. I think in your country thin asphalt in the summer would be a disaster. They will weigh about 1 1/2 times their lifting capacity. They are shorter and more maneuverable than other lifts.

Pneumatic tire will cost more and have limited improved surface outdoor capacity. They will weigh about twice what they will pick, and will be longer than a warehouse tire machine for the same capacity.

Electric lifts are about scrap price without a battery. New batteries are unaffordable for a casual user. You may be able to find one with a poor battery that could get a hour or so out of a full charge, but don't pay much. The battery is an integral part of the counterweight, so don't plan on powering it with a couple of deep cycles.

Ebay completed sales is your best reference for prices.

Operating a forklift on unsuitable surfaces and getting it stuck can be trying situation for many people. They are very heavy, have little ground clearance, and have little rubber contact patches for their weight. They won't come out easy.

[DSW]

Off road lifts usually have much larger tires, especially up front. The one I have, I wish it had larger tires for use out on out hard packed stone parking area.

Electric lifts often need some serious voltage. Check what the charger runs on before you buy. I'd expect most to be set up for commercial power, not single phase 230v.

Off road lifts you have really two power choices, propane, or diesel. Propane can be run inside the shop without a lot of issues. Diesel units will gas you out if run in any sort of enclosed space. While you may only use the lift outside, just keep this in mind if you want to store it inside. A diesel blowing big clouds of white smoke on start up, or big clouds of black smoke when you load the engine will not be fun indoors.


Control options. Up/down. tilt forward/back are standard. Some lifts allow you to do other things as well. Side shift is quite convenient if you are loading trucks or racks as you can shift the load in tight to maximize the space usage, yet leave yourself room to load/unload easily. Some lifts will allow you to clamp objects, or shift the fork settings without getting out of the lift.

Last option of course is forks for other styles of equipment like skid steers, loaders, Lulls etc. They may give you other options that are useful. I know a lot of guys with forks on skid steers or small rubber tire loaders. They can lift and fork pallets of materials, yet still use the machine with a bucket. Lulls are great if you need to raise beams, columns and stuff and really drive over rough terrain. They take up a lot of space though and aren't well suited for interior work.

[storeman]

Lanse,
You might consider buying a used diesel tractor and putting forks on it. I have a Kubota 3130 and it lifts 1200 lbs without strain and has a lot of other utility. Fits under any door with the roll bar down, about 7' otherwise.
Jerry

[12345678910]

I say propane if you buy used
If you buy used electric, used batteries and electric boards are something that will be big dollars and not serviceable on your own.



Look at liquidation auctions.

Lots of big businesses either go out of business, or rotate equipment here

I've seen nice Toyota propane 2-3000 lb indoor models go for a few thousand.


If you're a fabricator, get side shift.
it will be very useful to move things just a bit this way or that.


ebay is a good source of $ info on completed auctions - in your area



If you're in texas, surely there will be a ton of oilfield equipment

If you want to operate on less than perfect cement, go outdoor type

Zoom Boom
I'd look at that too.




Hydraulic leaks
Are the lift rollar chains in good shape, when do they need to be changed

clutches, brakes are the biggest problems
are the forks straight and undamaged.

Long forks can be useful.




Watch your door height clearance with the forks up.

[camjeep3]

I worked for a guy who bought a cheap electric one. The batteries where on their way out. I was trying to load a trailer, There was a slight incline pulling out of the shop. with the load I had to gun it to make the hill stop short of the trailer and I couldn't get it moving to inch up to the trailer. I had to roll back down and try again. a 3500lb machine should work great for you. Go propane if you can. We have a mitsubishi at the House. Not many hours but it hasn't given any problems. We have a nissan at work with a ton of hours as well as general abuse and it still runs well.

[whtbaron]

If you want it to go outside as well, have you considered a skid steer? A little more money up front but more versatile to work with.

[Dualie]

unless you're on concrete all the time pneumatic tire, propane, in that capacity your looking at $3,000-$9,000 depending on location. Most solid tire forklifts cannot be converted to cushion tire or pneumatic as the frame is configured for barely enough clearance for the the solid tires.

[gimpyrobb]

If you plan on using it inside only, I'd like to add another option. I picked up a "pallet stacker" last year. It lifts 1500lbs up to 10ft in the air. It runs off a 12v battery and is quite handy. I am also debating on a dedicated fork lift, but mine will be used outside so I am holding out for pneumatic tires so it doesn't get stuck every 4ft of travel. LOTS of options for someone in your position. Best thing is to be patient and get what will fulfill your needs.

[Bistineau]

You may want to consider the new Double Reach forklifts for added height extension.

[Lis2323]

You may want to consider the new Double Reach forklifts for added height extension.

I'm pretty certain that's a pic of workers installing the new coffee maker at OSHA's new head office....

[Bistineau]

I'm pretty certain that's a pic of workers installing the new coffee maker at OSHA's new head office....

Then I guess that means it meets or exceeds all applicable safety standards, if it is being used there. For the size of that unit, they must drink alot of coffee.

[dvo]

I got a 3000lb capacity propane outdoor Toyota from the 80's or 70's that I paid $1800 for with no brakes what so ever. Fixed that and it's good to go now. I was looking specifically for outdoor/pneumatic high lift which don't come around very often. Size was perfect but it WILL get stuck unless the ground is pretty solid. Not a big deal though because an F-150 4x4 will easily pull it out. Lesson from owning this one?.....WIDER tires!!!

[Boostinjdm]

From what I have seen. A 3000lb hard surface fork lift with minor issues is going to start at about $2k. Outdoor or better condition will cost more.

[swampwelder13]

Don't get a Mitsubishi forklift. We have one, hate it. Always breaks, always stuck, really slow, and can't keep a leak free hydraulic system for the life of you.

[Lis2323]

.

Here's a pic of my shop forklift on the weekend rearranging my garage/home gym. It's a 6000# diesel Yale with extra wide solids (front) and semi-pneumatic (steer) tires.

I'm kinda spoiled on the farm with 4 rough terrain forklifts, 2 wheel loaders and a telehandler all with forks.

[Kozmo]

A decent forklift holds it's value and has a good market so it's often worth a few extra bucks (ok, more than a few) to "upgrade" to a little better unit. Propane, pneumatic tires as as already been said.

The question I don't see or might have missed is what's the budget? We are happy to spend all your money for you but it would help to know what your budget really is. The difference between a $ 3K unit and a $ 6K unit can be immense in the forklift world. I overpaid a bit due to distant delivery and a professional forklift co. to go through it first but my 1980 hyster 3K pneumatic with side shift and hydrostatic tranny set me back $ 3750

Oh...extension forks. Cheap add on that comes in handy. Won't let you lift more but will stabilize the lighter stuff that short forks don't grab well.

[storeman]

A decent forklift holds it's value and has a good market so it's often worth a few extra bucks (ok, more than a few) to "upgrade" to a little better unit. Propane, pneumatic tires as as already been said.

The question I don't see or might have missed is what's the budget? We are happy to spend all your money for you but it would help to know what your budget really is. The difference between a $ 3K unit and a $ 6K unit can be immense in the forklift world. I overpaid a bit due to distant delivery and a professional forklift co. to go through it first but my 1980 hyster 3K pneumatic with side shift and hydrostatic tranny set me back $ 3750

Oh...extension forks. Cheap add on that comes in handy. Won't let you lift more but will stabilize the lighter stuff that short forks don't grab well.

Making extension forks would make for good video project series. You could show us how a HF 120 volt could build the forks!
Jerry
(Just joking about the HF.)