Looking at a forklift

[aczlan]

It may be ancient history, but make sure what type of mast lift it has. I think most are progressive hydraulic. But there are a few "rising mast(?)" forklifts out there. Those will punch a hole in the top of a semi it a heartbeat.

Good point, you want the first stage to be free lifting (usually goes with a cylinder that is half the height of the mast in the middle of the mast to lift up the forks themselves), that may be listed as "free lift height" for one of the specs on the unit.

Aaron Z

 

[Sportsman762]

Tomtint, it sounds like most if not all your work would be on hard floors. A non pneumatic forklift will probably be the cheapest option. They are very maneuverable, and compact, as well as less expensive. Look for leaks, if the mast leaks it is a real pain to repack. Also the rear steering cylinder is a pain to get out as well. Make sure the steering is tight and that the machine starts up and runs smoothly. 10K seems a little steep for what your needing. A rough terrain forklift is much harder to use indoors and in tight areas, pneumatic tire forklifts are nice, but cost considerably more than solid tire forklifts most of the time. If you can find one with side shift it is sure a nice feature.

 

[Tomtint]

This is the one I知 looking at

 

[HarryVanderpool]

This is the one I知 looking at

Buy it.
That is a VERY GOOD forklift.
You will be very happy with it.
Remember; it's a machine.
You need to ask for, or purchase the owners and service manual.
As soon as you get it home, give it a complete service.
If you have any worry's about that, call your local Hyster service center and make an appointment for their mobile tech to come out and give it a once over.
YOU MUST BE THERE and watch carefully and ask a lot of questions.
Money well spent!
Buy it!!!

 

[cglaser104]

Those are outstanding machines. I work for a beverage wholesaler and we run those forklifts day and night with outstanding success and reliability. Keep it serviced properly and it'll take care of you.

 

[dougtrr2]

One very small point on the forklift you are looking at. It is a propane forklift. Try disconnecting the tank. It should be a knurled ring and be hand tight. If it takes channel locks to disconnect, then I would replace the connector. I worked in a manufacturing facility with numerous forklifts. On "my" forklift I could change tanks without tools. On most of the others at some point someone used channelocks on the connector and made them egg shaped. From that point on they almost always needed pliers to change tanks. It is a minor aggravation you don't need.

Doug in SW IA

 

[fried1765]

Outdoor forklifts with pneumatic tires are more expensive and harder to find than indoor units with cushion tires. If you are driving on asphalt and concrete then the cushion tires will be fine. Im able to occasionally run my cushion tire 5,000 lb indoor forklift outdoors on hardpack gravel as long as I avoid soft or wet spots. Sharp turns and a lead foot will get you stuck quickly.
I also recommend getting a machine with side shift. Pay attention to lift height. An automatic tranny is good to have as well.
If you are lifting heavy stuff up high Id suggest getting a 5,000 lb forklift because it will still be compact enough to drive around in the shop and give you more comfort and less pucker making the high lifts. I too have a storage platform and I store my implements on pallet racks with the highest shelves at 16 feet.
If you have employees buy an older used certified unit from a dealer and save some headaches.

I would suggest a 5000 lb. unit also.
More flexibility. If you decide to sell/upgrade later, a 3500 lb unit is tougher to sell..
I helped my young buck neighbor find a fork lift here in SW Florida this past Spring.
We found a nice clean 2011 Nissan 5000 lb. lift (in MIA) with under 5000 hours for $9500 from a private party.
Neighbor's needs have already changed, and he expects to sell it for close to 12K now.

 

[4570Man]

I don’t know what you’d need to move that a 3500 pound lift wouldn’t lift. Keep in mind it’s rated to do that to full height every day. It’ll probably lift double that much.

 

[Tomtint]

I don’t know what you’d need to move that a 3500 pound lift wouldn’t lift. Keep in mind it’s rated to do that to full height every day. It’ll probably lift double that much.

Thx, I'm pretty confident in what my lifting needs will be. If it's anything more than the 3k ish area...I can hire someone to do it.

 

[4570Man]

My buddy has a 3500 pound Toyota lift and a Cat that’s quite a bit bigger. For working in the shop I’d rather use the smaller one every time. It’s a lot more nimble and has better visibility. They’re both pneumatic tires but the bigger cat probably does a little better outside. But they both suck for that. They both do fine in the gravel lot and they both get stuck in the grass.