Retiring a forklift can be an overwhelming thing to do as a warehouse owner, because not only does it mean you’re a vehicle down, it also means that you’ll have to deal with the expense of buying a replacement. But if you choose Refurbished Forklifts to provide you with a high-quality used forklift that’ll make short work of your operations, regardless of the industry you’re in, then you can expect to pay a reasonable price for robust equipment.
All of the machines Refurbished Forklifts have available have been rigorously safety checked for your absolute peace of mind and all supporting paperwork can be presented to you upon request and/or upon purchase of the vehicle. This way, you’ll be replacing an essential asset for a fraction of the cost of a brand new forklift.
So is now the time to retire an existing forklift you have? If one or more of these signs apply to you, then it could be time to trade your old one in for a durable, reliable replacement – something Refurbished Forklifts are able to supply you with.
The forklift is suffering wear & tear
If you’re constantly calling out a professional to come and diagnose and repair issues with the forklift, then it could be time to retire the forklift. Prolonged, heavy use of this type of material handling equipment can take its toll on the parts and components that make up the forklift, so it’s important to know when they’re failing so that a replacement can be found.
It can be hugely expensive to keep having your forklift fixed, especially if it breaks down on a regular basis. Instead, you should save yourself time and money in the long run by switching your old forklift for a more reliable alternative, such as the used forklifts that are available from Refurbished Forklifts.
You’ll even be able to offload your old forklift onto the team at Refurbished Forklifts. They’ll strip the machine of its useful parts and recycle what they can to get other machines working. Alternatively, they might even be able to get your old machine up and running again with the help of their dedicated engineers.You’re losing time & money
Although we have already touched on this briefly, there’s slightly more to it than just having to have the forklift repaired regularly. Time and money can be lost in other ways by means of experienced downtime. If the forklift spends more time broken down than it does on the warehouse floor, then it’s time to swap it out for a more high-quality alternative.
In addition to this, if your forklift is old, then it might not be as fuel-efficient anymore, so you’re wasting money having to refuel it more often than you did initially. Diesel forklifts aren’t very eco-friendly, either, so electric forklifts or LPG forklifts might be more appropriate for an age where climate control and caring for the environment is a popular cause to promote.
Investing in a forklift that’s powered by alternate means will also ensure you’re saving money as diesel, especially currently, is extremely expensive in comparison to LPG or even electricity.
More accidents are occurring
The older your forklift is, the more unsafe it becomes. This is usually heightened by owners not having it properly maintained throughout its life, but if you have, then, eventually, you’ll still start to experience accidents in the workplace.
For the most part, these accidents aren’t serious, but even something as simple as dropping a load can have severe consequences for anyone nearby. If you’re starting to notice even the slightest problem with your old forklift, then it’s important that you swap it for a more modern alternative as soon as possible to prevent more serious accidents from happening.
The safety features are outdated
This relates, somewhat, to the previous point about an old forklift slowly becoming unsafe to operate. This could simply be down to the lack of seatbelts (dependent on the age of the forklift), reducing visibility or the absence of alarms when the vehicle is reversing, for example. If you find that your forklift doesn’t have the same safety features as newer machines, then you should think about replacing it as soon as you can.
Other reasons to retire your forklift
In addition to the main reasons as to why you should retire your forklift, there are several other signs you need to look for that will indicate whether or not the time has come for you to remove the vehicle from your fleet, including the following:
- The forklift has been operational for over 10,000 hours
- The cost of forklift maintenance has become more expensive
- Your operators are complaining about clunky or noisy engines
- The forklift has more downtime than uptime
- The forklift has had four or more work orders on it in the last twelve months
Refurbished Forklifts are highly-experienced professionals in the material handling industry. With over three decades of knowledge and expertise to draw upon, together with a skilly, qualified team of engineers at the helm of everything they do, you’ll always be able to rely on them to provide you with high-calibre used forklifts and second-hand warehouse equipment that’ll stand the test of time. For more information about how they can help you today, get in touch with a member of their team – they’re always happy to hear from you.
