About sixty percent of the lift truck market is made up from electric models. These models derive their power from very 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. Even though the initial expenditure of an electric forklift is more than internal combustion forklifts, electric models are less expensive to operate eventually. This is due to their lesser maintenance and fuel expenses.
The majority of the electric rider trucks manufactured and designed within North America are made for moving material within 4 walls. Electric forklifts have usually been limited to indoor applications with clean and smooth surfaces. With the introduction of some new Class 1 items, it is becoming increasingly possible to utilize electric rider units in certain outdoor applications.
When compared to IC forklifts, the electric trucks are usually chosen for indoor applications because of the fact they provide no harmful emissions, can usually complete a full 8 hour shift on one battery charge and are really quiet to run. The batteries for electric models weigh approximately 3,000 pounds. The job of recharging, reloading and removing the batteries could be cumbersome and time consuming. This situation normally happens at a battery charging station or an area that is particularly designed for handling batteries. There are developing fast charging technologies becoming available on the market and these new systems are changing the battery charging method.
The Right Fit
Utilizing the right size of forklift to complete the particular application is important to any business application. The application itself must always dictate what product is chosen.
Clients are striving to find lessen operating costs and more effective means to lessen operating costs, all the while increasing their overall productivity, particularly because the economy becomes more complex and competitive. Utilizing the wrong size of lift truck can greatly slow things down and have a huge impact on the bottom line and productivity of a company, while negatively affecting the production on the jobsite.
A good forklift dealer will be able to help if you are unsure about the specific type of lift truck you require. They will ask you right questions that would enable you to make a proper selection. Numerous dealerships offer rentals of their machines also and this is a great way to try before you commit to such a huge purchase. It is also a good way to try various models out to see which ones bring you the best productivity and which ones you and your drivers are the most comfortable with.