Roughly 60 percent of the forklift market is made up from electric models. These units derive their power from extremely heavy lead-acid batteries. Because of their massive weight, these batteries naturally supply a lot of the counterweight.
Counterbalanced trucks are classified by the ITA as Class 1 lift trucks. Class 1 also includes other electric trucks made for general applications and stand-up counterbalanced trucks. Even if the initial expense of an electric lift truck is more than IC forklifts, electric units are less expensive to operate in the long run. This is due to their lesser maintenance and fuel costs.
The majority of the electric rider trucks made and designed in North America are made for transporting material within 4 walls. Electric lift trucks have traditionally been limited to indoor applications with clean and smooth surfaces. With the introduction of several new Class 1 items, it is becoming more and more possible to utilize electric rider units in certain outdoor applications.
Due to the fact that electric lift truck units produce no harmful emissions, they are normally selected for indoor applications when compared to Internal Combustion lift trucks. Electric units can complete a full 8 hour shift on one battery charge and are very quiet when in operation. The batteries for electric units weigh about 3,000 pounds. The job of reloading, recharging and removing the batteries could be cumbersome and time consuming. This situation often occurs at a battery charging post or an area that is specifically utilized 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 Proper Fit
A main factor associated with any kind of lift truck is using the correct size of unit to do the particular operation. The application itself should always dictate which product is selected.
Customers are striving to find lessen operating expenses and more effective methods to reduce operating expenses, all the while increasing their overall production, especially as the economy becomes more complex and competitive. Utilizing the wrong size of lift truck could greatly slow things down and have a big impact on the bottom line and success of a company, while negatively affecting the productivity on the jobsite.
A trustworthy lift truck dealer will be able to help if you are uncertain about the specific type of lift truck you require. They will ask you right questions which would allow you to make a proper selection. Lots of dealerships provide rentals of their equipment too and this is a really 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 operators are the most comfortable with and which ones bring you the best production.