Approximately sixty percent of the forklift market is made up from electric units. These units derive their power from extremely heavy lead-acid batteries. Due to their immense weight, these batteries naturally supply a lot of the counterweight.
Counterbalanced trucks are classified by the ITA as Class 1 forklifts. Class 1 also includes other electric trucks designed for general applications and stand-up counterbalanced trucks. Although the first expense of an electric lift truck is more than internal combustion forklifts, electric units are less expensive to operate eventually. This is due to their lower maintenance and fuel expenses.
The majority of the electric rider trucks manufactured and designed in North America are made for transporting material within 4 walls. Electric forklifts have traditionally been limited to indoor use with clean and smooth surfaces. With the launch of several new Class 1 items, it is becoming more and more possible to use electric rider units in certain outdoor operations.
When compared to Internal Combustion forklifts, the electric trucks are usually chosen for indoor applications due to the fact they produce no harmful emissions, can usually complete a full 8 hour shift on one battery charge and are extremely quiet to run. The batteries for electric units weigh roughly 3,000 pounds. The job of reloading, recharging and removing the batteries can be burdensome and time consuming. This situation usually happens at a battery charging post or an area which is particularly utilized for handling batteries. There are evolving fast charging technologies that would be available on the market and these new systems are changing the process of charging batteries.
The Proper Fit
A main factor associated with any type of forklift is utilizing the right size of model to do the particular operation. The application itself must always dictate what product is selected.
Clients are striving to find lower operating expenses and more efficient means to lessen operating expenses, all the while increasing their overall production, particularly as the economy becomes more complex and competitive. Utilizing the wrong size of forklift could greatly slow things down and have a big impact on the bottom line and productivity of a company, while negatively affecting the productivity on the jobsite.
If you are unsure about what particular kind of lift truck you need, a respectable dealer will be able to ask you the right questions that will enable you to make a correct selection. Many dealerships provide rentals of their machines also and this is a very good way to try before you commit to such a large purchase. It is also a nice way to try various models out to see which ones you and your operators are the most comfortable with and which ones bring you the best production.