Manufacturing businesses and warehouse operations rely heavily on the ability to move materials and finished products easily within the facility, and forklifts are often the best way to do that. Whether you are buying new or used forklifts, there are some things that you need to consider ad you look at options for your business. 

Fork Lift Size

New forklifts come in many different sizes and load capacities, allowing you to select a machine that will work well in your situation. The forklift needs to have the ability to reach the height you need and still be stable and safe while making the lift. 

If the forklift is too small, it may lift the load but not have enough counterbalance weight on the machine, causing the forklift to tip forward as the weight is raised off the floor. Because of this, it is essential to know what the average weight is of the pallets you lift regularly so you can find a forklift that exceeds that weight by a few hundred pounds. This will help keep the machine stable when moving materials around.

Forklift Design

When looking at new forklifts for sale, you will find several different styles from which to choose. The traditional design, where the operator sits, is stable and better for heavy loads.  The stand-up design is smaller and easier to maneuver in and around pallet racks and shelving. 

Both designs work well in a specific space. You may even need to have both styles in your facility. The jobs these machines do are very different, and when used together, they often can speed up the process of moving shelved materials down and to other parts of the facility.

The stand-up forklift operator will pull the materials down and move them to the end of the row, and the sit-down forklift operator can pick up and move several pallets where they are needed simultaneously. This makes the entire process much more efficient than trying to squeeze a large traditional forklift into a space it doesn't fit. 

Power Source

Determining the power source for the fuel type used in your new forklifts is essential. Electric forklifts are a great option for companies that can buy multiple machines, but if you are only going to buy one or two forklifts and they will be running long hours, you may want to consider propane fuel. 

Propane burns clean, so you can run the forklift inside your warehouse or facility with no effect on the people working in the area and it doesn't need recharging overnight. When the fuel is low, the tank is changed, and the machine can go back to work.

To learn more, contact a company like Lift Solutions, Inc. near you.