Top 10 Forklifts 2024

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Forklifts Buyer's Shopping Guide

A useful vehicle across different industries, forklifts greatly expedite the process of moving materials or products in a given location. This is because they're designed to lift entire pallets of a unit at a time, the speed of which even a group of employees would have difficulty matching. Not only this, but using a vehicle makes injuries less likely.

Though a retailer might list their forklifts by other names, such as fork truck, lift truck or material handling equipment, all of these labels just refer to the same three kinds of machines:

• Small electric models have a built-in battery that can be recharged.
• Medium propane lifts use propane tanks, which are common and easy to replace when needed.
• Large gas or diesel forklifts are usually meant for construction and lumberyards.

Forklifts aren't a rare commodity; it's easy to find them wherever you look, but it's important to get the one that matches your needs. Besides power, you must consider your budget, the height you need products lifted and how precise movement must be.

Before you start shopping around, consider a typical load you'll need to move. Hand trucks and pallet jacks work well for loads under 3,000 pounds, but anything else up to 120,000 pounds will need a forklift.

Capacity and Height

Before getting started, answer a few simple questions as a starting guide:

• What is the maximum height required to store a load?
• How big and heavy are standard loads?
• What is the size of the narrowest aisles?
• Will you use the vehicle outdoors, indoors or both?

Capacity

To determine the best forklift for your needs, start with standard load weight and size. These vehicles are rated by their maximum weight capacity, which starts at 3,000 pounds and can reach well beyond 35,000 pounds. Most of the forklifts you'll find are either 3,000- 5,000- or 8,000-pound models, though 5,000 pounds is standard for most industries. As far as capacity goes, this is determined by a 24-inch load center. In other words, the distance between the sides of the load and the center of gravity measures 24 inches. Forklifts only carry their maximum weight in a 4-foot cube, to put that into perspective. If you have strangely shaped loads, a forklift might not be the safest bet. Knowing the dimensions and weight of loads will give you hard numbers to bring to sellers to determine the best capacity required. Unless you produce identical items, remember to consider variation in size. A truck with greater capacity puts a little insurance on your future work.

Height

Knowing your product and storage techniques helps you decide how high you'll need to lift. For instance, you will need a forklift just to load products into a truck, then you might not need a truck that goes too high. Unlike the capacity, you're not likely to suddenly need additional height over a period of time, with the exception of renovations. In this case, buy for your current needs. In a warehouse, you might find truck size to be a problem. Normally, aisles need to be at least 11 feet wide to allow enough room to operate a forklift. If the aisle is only eight inches wide, look for a narrow aisle (NA) vehicle. For six inches, opt for very narrow aisle (VNA) vehicles.

Fuel Options

In terms of fuel, forklifts can be broken down into two categories:

• Electric forklifts: These rely on a battery that must be recharged or replaced.
• Internal combustion vehicles: These have a normal engine, just like any other fuel. It may run on different kinds of fuel, including diesel.

More often than not, it's a more costly investment to go electric. Considering your hourly operating costs is critical to learning the true forklift cost. Vehicles will require supplies, maintenance, fuel, batteries and filters.

Electric

Electric trucks use big, heavy batteries similar to what's under the hood of your car, except with even more power and bulk. It's usually possible to make it through a typical eight-hour shift on a full battery charge, which assumes it is used during a full six of those hours. Though more expensive, electric-powered lifts have a couple of advantages:

• Zero emissions. This is especially important for indoor use.
• Economical fuel. Overall, electric-powered forklifts cost less per hour of operation, which offsets the initial investment required to buy it. The difference in price tag can be as much as 40 percent more.

Internal

Internal combustion trucks usually have the power to handle bigger loads. In fact, they're the only option you have if your capacity requirements exceed 15,000 pounds. Their durability makes them better able withstand environmental abuse. Because they're powered like vehicles, internal combustion forklifts often have higher speeds and better acceleration. They're also cheaper to get initially, but the fuel and oil needs push the hourly operational cost up a bit.

Pricing

Bottom line: Most forklifts start at $15,000 and go up. Though prices will vary on needs and industries, it's safe to expect to pay $16,000 to $30,000 for an industry-standard 5,000-pound truck. Internal combustion forklifts will cost less than electric trucks, but electric lifts cost less per hour. The heavier the load, the pricier the forklift will be. If you need a lift to carry 35,000 pounds, it's likely it will cost over $100,000. Of course, it is possible to buy used; this option can cost as little as 50 percent the new priced -- still not cheap, but much better than going new. Remember that used vehicles may require extensive repairs or be on the verge of expensive problems, so get yourself a warranty.

Buying Tips

In addition to these important factors, keep a few additional tips in mind:

• Seek comfort. The driver will need to sit in the vehicle for quite some time, so be sure controls are accessible and the seats are comfortable.
• Train drivers. It's tedious to train to their regulations, but OSHA will investigate in the event of a forklift accident. What may seem like a needless expense now can turn into costly fines by failing to follow procedure.
• Shop around. It's difficult to find the right forklift on the first try without any experience. If you're interested in a model, rent it for a few weeks first to understand whether its strengths outweigh its weaknesses or not.
• Stay branded. Once you've decided which brand and model works best for you, give them loyalty. If you need more than one lift, you'll have one seller for repair and warranty needs by sticking to a single brand. Not only that, but anyone who has to operate a forklift will find it easy to pick up the controls of each one, making them more flexible in what task each operator can perform.