Replies

1. 
   Sphere | Mar 26, 2009 11:17pm | #1

   I've spent a lot of time around Hysters, they seem like the ones used the most in pallet mills I've known. We had Toyota in the guitar shop, but much smaller.

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2. 
   MSLiechty | Mar 26, 2009 11:35pm | #2

   we have 2 Komatsu's here. Have you considered an electric crown lift?

   ML

1. 
   reinvent | Mar 26, 2009 11:43pm | #3

   What is a crown lift?

1. 
   MSLiechty | Mar 26, 2009 11:51pm | #4

   Crown lift trucks. Had a buddy that was tech fro them said they were quiet and quite capable of what your looking for.http://www.crown.com/ML

3. 
   seeyou | Mar 27, 2009 01:28am | #5

   Most of the places I trade that have similar lifts around here have Toyotas. I asked someone about that once and he said he didn't really like Toyotas, but the Toyota dealer had the best service department by far.

   So, I'd look into who does the best repair locally and maybe let that lead me. Now that I've said all that, I have a Hyster.

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4. 
   frenchy | Mar 27, 2009 01:42am | #6

   What do you want to know.. I've sold them for decades.. and please trust me there is no one good brand or one bad brand.. every manufacturer makes a good forklft, a great one, and several that aren't worth a tinkers damn..

      Forklifts come in a confusing variety of styles and types.. each has it's own application and purpose. 

1. 
   reinvent | Mar 27, 2009 03:32pm | #7

   As a matter of education take a look at the link, pick a few of the best and worst examples and tell me what you like and don't like about them.
   What should I be looking for when I am shopping around.Also are there any other sites I should check out.http://www.exfactory.com/equipment.aspx?CatID=FL

1. 
   frenchy | Mar 27, 2009 04:43pm | #9

   I'm sorry you still haven't told me what you need it for..  like I said, there are countless forklifts and each works best in certain conditions.   No one brand is the best, no one brand is the worst. within brands are models..  Clark made some great models and some terrible models..  Same with all of them..

    

     Please never accept hour meter readings.. Unlike cars it's not illegal to disconnect hour meters or even to replace them. Figure an average cost of $35.00 to replace an hour meter.

    Second previous application..  some applications are so abusive to the equipment that you can buy a 2 year old piece of junk..  applications like founderies, slaughter houses, tannerys, sand blast facilities, etc..  those are to be avoided at all costs..

    In addition please avoid places where the owner buys the cheapest.. it's relatively easy to reduce costs on forklifts by failing to spec good options..

     Little things like switches..   there are 9 grades of switches available for forklifts..  the best have gold contacts because they don't erode and cause problems like the cheapest do..  hydraulic seals can be a major expense if speced wrong for the application. even hydraulic fluid can dramatically increase or decrease maintince COSTS..

    Please never limit yourself to one dealer..  I used to work for a dealer who made a point of never advertizing his equipment.. As a result he had the best prices and some of the finest deals around.. By the way wholesalers are just retailers when dealing with forklifts..

     Don't think for one minute that simply because someone calls himself a forklift wholesaler his prices are wholesale..

    

    Finally if you don't know exactly what to look for  you are buying a pig in a poke!

     Fresh paint new tires a new seat and some factory decals are cheap.. make a real pig look like a silk purse.

    buy it and the paint gets dull and flakes off easily, the tires quickly need replacing because they were cheap ones, the fabrick in the seat tears quickly and needs replacing soon.. etc.   but the shop truck will be there and fix all that stuff while he's doing the expensive stuff that will keep it from doing the job you bought it for..

1. 
   reinvent | Mar 27, 2009 05:11pm | #10

   It would be used for lifting lumber, plywood and pallets off a truck. Would also be used to move around said items plus the occasional piece of equipment inside a shop.

1. 
   frenchy | Mar 27, 2009 05:28pm | #11

   OK you'll want a pneumatic tire truck..  Now don't be confused, pnematic tires aren't always filled with air. They can be filled with Foam. or even solid pneumatic.. what they aren't is cushioned tire forklifts.. (please ask if you don't understand) 

      The two best and most reliable brands out there are either the Mitsubushi or the older Hysters..

    Open the hood on the Hyster if you see the V6 made by Chevy that's good!  Now look at the brake pedal. If it's a wide one with forward and reverse on it that's the most durable transission made.. (called monotrol) 

     obviously condition is everything.. (remember what I said earlier about how easy it is to make a pig look like a silk purse)     followed by the dealer..   now you don't need a Hyster dealer or a Mitsubishi dealer.  what you need is a servicing dealer who has quick access to the most common parts  for those.. and a reputation for being a little more expensive  but very good..

    Please do not fall for the cheapest guy idea.. The guy with the lowest hourly cost will quickly run that up running back and forth (on your nickle)  getting parts..

    one other warning..

      Grey market trucks..  Some places take a few year old forklift and bring them into the United states..  while the condition may be beautiful, they will be nightmares..

     Parts won't fit,  they actauly don't meet American standards so there is a liablity issue. Plus  they don't perform as well as their american counterparts.  Manual transmissons and data plates in foriegn languages are two obvious giveaways, however the market is pretty quick to change an $8.00 data plate etc..

5. 
   BossHog | Mar 27, 2009 04:08pm | #8

   I've had good luck with Hyster, Toyota, and Selick. Dealer support is probably the biggest thing to consider.

   Will it be in the shop ALL the time? The tiny little wheels on inside forklifts aren't much good outside.

   I wouldn't EVER want a forklift without side shift. Once you have it it's hard to live without.

   To really tell the truth requires two people - one to speak it, and one to hear it