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Hand Truck, Walkie, Used Forklift or New Lift Truck?
If material handling is your business or even a minor part of your business, you need material handling equipment. The question is: What equipment do you need? Even if the answer seems obvious to you, it’s worth asking again, because your material handling needs to change over the years and what worked for you five years ago may not be right for you now.
Hand Trucks
Image courtesy of Forklift Accessories. Click to view image.
It’s hard to imagine a workplace that doesn’t need to have at least one hand truck on hand. Even huge warehouses and factories need them for all those little jobs that can’t be handled by automated equipment and are a waste of a forklift operator’s time. A hand truck is ideal for moving anything that is too bulky or heavy to carry by hand but too small and light for larger, powered equipment.
Given the low cost of hand trucks, it’s safe to say every material handling facility needs to have at least one on hand for every workstation. Aside from making work easier and faster, hand trucks can prevent back injuries. Encourage workers to use them by storing them in plain sight near materials they are likely to need every day.
Walkies
Image courtesy of Toyota Forklift – Bahrns ToyotaLift is an award-winning Toyota Forklift Dealership
Walkies have their place in that gray area between hand trucks and forklifts. An electric walkie pallet jack is ideal in a small factory where space is at a premium and a full-sized forklift is not needed.
Let’s look at a hypothetical example. “Joe” started a small business making picket fences in a metropolitan area. He gained a reputation for building and installing quality fences and orders picked up, so he hired two cabinetmakers to help him in the workshop and an installer. To save on overheads, he kept his small factory but bought a walkie so he could stack lumber higher and store supplies on pallet racks. The walkie was small enough to maneuver but powerful enough to do everything he needed it for.
Used Forklifts or New?
Image courtesy of iStock by Getty Images – Photo by aydinmutlu
In “Joe’s” case, a forklift would have been too big for his needs, but if his facility had been just a little bigger and busier, a used forklift might have been a better buy. While he might not have needed a full-time forklift operator, he and a member of his team could get forklift operator training and be responsible for operating the forklift when it was needed.
Why a used lift truck and not a new one? The high cost of a new forklift may not be justified if you don’t use lift trucks full time as part of your daily work activities. If you use one infrequently, an inexpensive guaranteed operational forklift may be all you need. If you need a forklift every day, but not full time, an investment in a Toyota Certified Reconditioned forklift is probably an investment well worth making. For more information about the types of forklifts we sell, read About Reconditioned Forklifts Condition Types.
The bottom line when choosing material handling equipment should always be your bottom line. A hand truck is so inexpensive, that it isn’t even an issue. A walkie is an inexpensive investment and as our example proves, can be a great investment for a number of reasons. If your facility is large enough to require a forklift, the only question is how great investment should you make? If in doubt, contact one of our experienced customer representatives. We’ve been in the material handling business for over 40 years and can help you choose the perfect used or reconditioned forklift for your facility.
