When Gas Engine Forklifts Trump Electric Forklifts

Warehouse managers know that when it comes to selecting counterbalance forklifts, your choices are limited to electric lifts or gas-engine lifts.

Under certain circumstances, however, the gas lift out trumps the electric. Here’s what I mean.

• Engine forklifts cost less
• Engine forklifts are low maintenance
• Engine forklifts are more powerful
• Engine forklifts are adaptable
• Engine forklifts offer low emissions

Gas Engine Forklifts Cost Less

A major benefit to gas-engine forklifts are their upfront cost. They are generally affordable and you don’t need any additional infrastructure including battery chargers or a stock of batteries. This is ideal for smaller warehouses or other similar establishments that may require one or at most two trucks. Trucks are a one-time acquisition. There is no need for extras.

Gas Engine Forklifts Are Low Maintenance

Gas-engine forklifts are less costly to maintain than electric lifts. Since they’re similar to vehicles forklift operators use outside of work, they’re familiar to drivers and are intuitive to use and fix. It’s possible you have a D-I-Y car buff on your staff that would be familiar with making repairs on a gas-engine lift. This allows maintenance to be an in-house responsibility rather than a sourced out one.

In addition, parts are standardized so they’re swiftly available. If the truck is out of fuel, then the operator need only fill the tank with gas and off he goes. There is no downtime waiting for batteries to recharge.

Gas Engine Forklifts Are More Powerful

Face it; gas-engine forklifts are more powerful than electric lifts. Diesel engines can generate an awful lot of power and can supply a lot of torque. You probably know that diesel engine cars have more torque that gasoline-engine cars and are thus used in bigger vehicles including vans and trucks. There is simply more power generated from a gas-engine lift than an electric lift.

This offers benefits to how the lift works. The load capacity can be much higher than with electric lifts. Electric lifts that can lift a large load are extremely expensive when compared to a gas-engine lift. And you can’t forget about the added expense of the battery.

High torque helps when the lift is operated on inclines or high gradients. An electric lift won’t go up slopes as well as a gas-engine lift because they can overheat when the engine is overloaded.

Engine Trucks Are Adaptable

Gas-engine lifts are also better in a range of different environments. For example, if you run your lifts outside, it will perform well even in wet, dusty or dirty conditions. They adapt better to rough terrain and wear and tear less.

Gas engine lifts also perform well in hazardous environments. If your lifts operate in areas where there is volatile gases including paint, there is always a chance of ignition should a lift create sparks. Gas-engine trucks can be converted in ways that make them explosion proof.

Engine Trucks Offer Low Emissions

Surprisingly, gas-engine lifts are more environmentally friendly than electric lifts under certain situations. It’s true that electric lifts don’t offer fumes, charging the batteries does produce noxious fumes that must be vented.

Especially where cars are concerned, diesel engines often churn out a lot of smoke. However, that’s not the case anymore. Diesel engines now feature clean air engine technology. Gas and diesel engine lifts are also more fuel-efficient than they were in the past and are now Stage V compliant and comply with emission regulations.

Don’t ignore the benefits of gas-engine lifts when considering a lift in general in particular situations.

(Source: tcm.eu)