Roughly 60 percent of the forklift market consist of electric units. These units derive their power from extremely heavy lead-acid batteries. Because of their immense weight, these batteries naturally provide much of the counterweight.
Counterbalanced trucks are classified by the ITA as Class 1 forklifts. Class 1 also includes other electric trucks made for general use and stand-up counterbalanced trucks. Although the initial expenditure of an electric forklift is more than internal combustion lift trucks, electric models are less expensive to use eventually. This is due to their lower maintenance and fuel costs.
The majority of the electric rider trucks made and designed within North America are made for moving material within 4 walls. Electric forklifts have usually been limited to indoor use with surfaces that are smooth and clean. With the launch of some new Class 1 items, it is becoming more and more possible to utilize electric rider units in certain outdoor operations.
When compared to IC lift trucks, the electric trucks are typically selected for indoor use due to the fact they produce no harmful emissions, can often complete a full 8 hour shift on one battery charge and are really quiet to operate. Electric unit batteries weigh around 3,000 pounds. The job of recharging, reloading and removing the batteries can be burdensome and time consuming. This situation often occurs at a battery charging post or an area which is specially designed for handling batteries. There are developing fast charging technologies becoming available on the market and these new systems are changing the battery charging process.
The Right Fit
Utilizing the correct size of lift truck to complete the specific operation is important to any business application. The application itself should always dictate what product is chosen.
Customers are striving to find reduce operating costs and more effective ways to reduce operating expenses, all the while increasing their overall production, especially because the economy becomes more complex and competitive. Utilizing the wrong size of lift truck can greatly slow things down and have a big effect on the bottom line and success of a company, while negatively affecting the production on the jobsite.
If you are uncertain about what specific type of lift truck you need, a respectable dealer would be able to ask you the right questions that would enable you to make a proper selection. Numerous dealerships offer rentals of their machines as well and this is a very good way to try before you commit to such a big purchase. It is also a nice way to try different models out to see which ones you and your drivers are the most comfortable with and which ones bring you the best productivity.