Fork lifts buying tips

Here are a few final buying tips that can help you get the most out of a forklift purchase. To learn more about new trends in the forklift industry and what you should look for, check out our new forklift buying videos.

Keep on top of lift trucks training.
OSHA training may seem like an unnecessary hassle and expense, since the rules are not strictly enforced. However if you have a lift truck accident, OSHA will investigate your training and licensing procedures and can levy significant fines if you have not followed all the procedures.

Know your capacity.
Attachments like sideshift, adjustable forks, and spool handlers reduce load capacity of lift trucks. Every lift truck should have a capacity plate attached to it detailing what its capabilities are in its current configuration.

Try multiple brands…
If you aren't familiar with lift trucks, we strongly recommend renting a couple of different models for a month each. You will be able to get a much better sense for the strengths and weakness of different types of lift trucks.

… but stick with one brand once you decide.
If you plan to buy multiple lift trucks, standardizing on one brand gives you the advantage of dealing with one dealer for all your warranty and repair needs. Your operators will also benefit by not having to learn the control and handling quirks of multiple types of forklifts. In some cases, this may not be possible, since not every manufacturer makes every type of fork lift and you may need multiple specialized machines.