Assessing a Used Forklift Before Making a Purchase

Atlantic Forklifts and Parts sells both new and used forklifts. We also rent out several forklifts a year and have very high customer satisfaction ratings on all of our business ventures. As such, we would like to offer some advice when shopping for a used forklift. Most of our customers that come in looking at new forklifts end up purchasing a used forklift for a number of reasons. In a previous blog, we covered some of the major benefits of purchasing a used forklift in Miami rather than buying a new one. Today, we will talk about some of the things you should be checking before you purchase a used forklift.

On our website, we have made mention that when people hear the word “used,” they immediately think of “old” or “broken.” We know firsthand that this simply isn’t true. We sell and rent out used forklifts daily that are in pristine condition, and a lot of customers keep on coming back. Some of these forklifts are barely used while the more popular ones are always maintained to ensure efficiency. Whether your machine has been around for one or 10 years, if it has received regular maintenance and has been properly cared for, there is no reason it won’t run like it is brand new. That being said, here are some things to be wary of when purchasing a used forklift in Miami. These are things we advise our customers to check for.

1. Be sure to ask the seller how often the forklift was used. On most forklifts, there will be a meter displaying the number of hours that the forklift has been used. When the meter reaches the highest number, it will often restart. If the meter has recently rolled over to the highest hour limit and restarted itself, the buyer could be tricked into thinking that there is way less number of hours on the machine than there really is. If you are buying from an honest dealer, they should be very up front with you about how many hours have been put on the machine, which they should know. Dealers should have asked these questions from the previous sellers. So, before choosing a forklift, make sure to ask this as well.
2. With many used forklifts, it is necessary to remove or replace parts on the machine. Without knowing exactly what work has been done on the machine, it is impossible to know the exact carrying capacity of the lift machine. There is a data plate that will list an approximate capacity during the original time of sale, however this may change greatly due to parts being added or taken off the machine. Before purchasing, try to get a list of all the maintenance and repair works that have been done on the truck to ensure that the carrying capacity that is listed is correct. If the carrying capacity is not clearly specified, have an expert run tests on your machine to see exactly how much it is capable of carrying.
3. The history of a forklift can vary greatly depending on previous use. Before purchasing a used forklift, try to determine exactly what the forklift was used for before. Many trucks previously used as forklift rentals in Miami can be sold with the understanding that they were used once a week in a warehouse, when they were actually used in a fish processing plant that operates 24 hours a day. Depending on the type of work and the frequency of its use, one job can have a much greater impact on the life of a machine than another. Getting an accurate history of the machine will give you a good idea of where the truck is at in terms of usage and what preventive maintenance work needs to be done in the future.

Before making a purchase, these are a few of the things you should discuss with the seller from whom you are buying a used forklift in Miami. Make sure to take a list of questions you want to ask about the machine, as well as asking anything that might be pertinent to the future of your forklift. If you have some queries, feel free to give us a call. Good luck!