Electric lift truck units make up nearly 60% of the whole material handling market. Powering these units are really heavy lead-acid batteries. Due to their immense weight, these batteries naturally offer a lot of the counterweight.
The counterbalanced kind of lift trucks have been classed as Class 1 forklifts by the ITA. Class 1 normally refers to electric forklifts made for general use and stand-up counterbalanced forklifts. Although the first expenditure of an electric forklift is more than IC lift trucks, electric models are less expensive to operate eventually. This is due to their lesser maintenance and fuel costs.
Most of the electric rider trucks made and designed within North America are made for transporting material within 4 walls. Electric forklifts have usually been limited to indoor use with smooth and clean surfaces. With the launch of some new Class 1 items, it is becoming increasingly possible to utilize electric rider units in some outdoor applications.
Because of the fact that electric lift truck units produce no harmful emissions, they are typically chosen for indoor applications when compared to Internal Combustion lift trucks. Electric models could complete a full 8 hour shift on one battery charge and are very quiet when in operation. The batteries for electric models weigh about 3,000 pounds. The job of reloading, recharging and removing the batteries could be time consuming and cumbersome. This situation often happens at a battery charging zone or an area which is specially utilized for handling batteries. There are developing fast charging technologies that will be available on the market and these new systems are changing the battery charging process.
The Proper Fit
A main factor connected with any kind of forklift is utilizing the right size of model to do the specific operation. The application itself must always dictate which product is selected.
Customers are striving to find lower operating expenses and more efficient methods to lessen operating costs, all the while increasing their overall productivity, especially because the economy becomes more complex and competitive. Using the wrong size of forklift could really slow things down and have a huge effect on the bottom line and productivity of a business, while negatively affecting the production on the jobsite.
If you are uncertain about what specific kind of lift truck you require, a reputable dealer will be able to ask you the right questions which will allow you to make a proper choice. Numerous dealerships offer rentals of their machines also and this is a really great way to try before you commit to such a huge purchase. It is also a good way to try different units out to see which ones you and your operators are the most comfortable with and which ones bring you the best productivity.