If you need to rent a forklift and haven’t done such a thing before, you may be surprised that it’s not as easy as simply reserving one. There are different types of forklifts, and not all of them will work for all projects. You’ll need to have an idea of what you’ll need to do with your forklift before you decide which one to rent.
Capacity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Forklift_classes.JPG
How much weight will you need the forklift forks to support? This is very important. Some forklifts are designed to carry a large amount, while others are designed to carry lighter loads but move over rough terrain more easily. If you try to lift a heavy object with a forklift that isn’t designed to lift that much weight, the forklift forks may break. This can be very dangerous, so be certain you rent a forklift that can lift the correct weight.
Lift Height
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:STS132_Main_Engine_Installantion3.jpg
Another thing you must consider is how high you need to lift the pallet. Some forklifts are only able to lift pallets to a certain height, so you need to know exactly how high you’ll need to position your products. In addition to final position height, you’ll also need to know how high the ceilings and doorways are so that the load won’t scrape or bump the ceiling.
Width of the Forklift
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Forklift-Truck.jpg
Likewise, if you have a very narrow area to move products through, you’ll need to make certain the forklift will fit. You also need to take into account how much space the forklift will have to turn around. Some forklift forks are extra-long, which can be great when carrying large packages but may make turning very difficult. If you’ll be working in a narrow space, make certain the forklift you rent can fit.
Where will you use the Forklift?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Reach_truck.jpg
There are differences in indoor forklifts and outdoor forklifts. This is actually determined by the power source. If you’ll only be using the forklift indoors, you will want to get an electric forklift. This way, there are no exhaust fumes. This is especially important if you’ll be moving pallets of food. If you have to have a forklift with an internal combustion engine for your warehouse, propane is the best fuel because it burns cleaner than gasoline. If you will be using the forklift forks to lift very heavy loads, you may need the extra power that a gas or propane engine provides because lifting heavy loads will drain a battery very quickly.
Another factor to take into consideration is the terrain. This will determine the type of tires you need. Indoor, hard surfaces require cushion tires, while outdoor areas or soft terrain will require pneumatic tires, which are larger and have better traction.
Accessories
Finally, determine which accessories you’ll need. You can find a list of these attachments on websites like Intella Liftparts. Decide which attachments you need so you can be certain you rent a forklift that can use them. While many attachments can be used on most models, some do require forklifts with specific capabilities.
Author Bio : Marcel Vandentop is an authorized dealer of superior quality forklift forks, forklift seats and all types forklift spare parts for major brands of lift truck Fork with same day shipping.
