When Should You Replace Your Old Forklift?

As with any vehicle, there is a lifespan for an old forklift, and they eventually need to be replaced. Because of this, one of the most delicate tasks for any forklift warehouse involves assessing when a forklift should be repaired or replaced. At any given moment, you need to have as clear an understanding as possible of how much life your lift truck has left in it, as well as how much it will cost to keep the vehicle running successfully. In this post, we offer an introduction aimed at helping you determine whether you should repair your old forklift or get a new one.

Deciding When to Replace a Forklift is Always Tricky

How to determine whether your old forklift is worth saving

It is estimated that a forklift will last around 10,000 pedal hours. This is a rough estimate of how much life you can expect to achieve, but chances are you haven’t documented the exact number of hours your old forklift has been through. In any event, as your forklift gets older, it is necessary to arrive at some understanding of the magnitude of the repairs that may be needed by the lift truck, and determine the frequency with which the vehicle needs repairs. If the vehicle just needs repairs to the radiator or lift chain, this is easy to fix. However, if the lift truck breaks down on a frequent basis you may well be better off just purchasing a new one.

Factors to consider

There are many considerations influencing the lifespan of your lift truck. For example, if the forklift is predominantly used outside in cold weather (or in a freezer), it is to be expected that it will not last as long. Forklifts that are used around brine, poultry, or other

such animal byproducts will have an even shorter life, as the metal will wear away more quickly in such an environment. Finally, it is never wise to use an electric forklift outdoors and electric lift trucks that have been used outside will also suffer an abbreviated lifespan.

When deciding when to get a new forklift, it is crucial to solicit the feedback of everyone who operates the old forklift. They can give the most informed opinions of whether the truck will still be useful after repairs are made. It is also important to consider the quality of the mechanic and whether it might be necessary to take the vehicle to a new mechanic. As a rule to live by, if the forklift costs more than 8% of its initial cost to maintain every year, it is probably best to replace the vehicle.

Deciding when to replace an old forklift is one of the more difficult decisions a warehouse has to make. Make sure to determine the maintenance cost of your old forklift and always maintain the vehicle properly so that you get the most out of your lift truck.