Electric Forklift

I want to get an electric forklift for the bunker.

I'm limited to 5-6000 pounds for the weight of the forklift (since I need to hoist it down).

I only need about 120" for the mast. I don't expect to need more than about 1000# lifting capacity.

I really can't use the kind with the legs pointing forward (outside of the forks).

Any thoughts/recommendations? 24v or 36v? Brands?

I have 4 electric units and also operate propane lifts. The electric units that might be applicable to you are Yale (newer), Raymond (very old) and BigJoe (old).

Is it fair to assume that the lift will be used for short duty cycles? My lifts may be used for hours on end and over 2 shifts some electrics can manage that, some cannot.

The electric Yale I have is a stand up narrow aisle full featured unit, I've had a couple Yale units they are very high quality and stand up to daily use with long duty cycles. The Raymond is the oldest unit (mine is 25+ years old) and the one I know the least about but the brand is a premium brand. Raymond makes a wide range of electrics in all configurations, many of my friends operate Raymond units. BigJoe is a lower priced brand, this is my second BigJoe, it is over 10 years old. BigJoe is an economy brand but it works pretty well with modest duty cycles. It is one of the walk-behind stradle units. Doesn't hold up or have the capacities of the Yale units. I would say it would easily meet your needs if you got one with the proper masts.

You say you are NOT looking for a "stradle" unit? Those are typically the most economical. Are you looking for a stand up riding unit? Are you looking for a sit down driving unit? Why can't you use the 'stradle' type units?

Do you need the added fork extention feature? Whatever you buy, get the "side shift" feature, that is VERY useful and is standard on everything but the lowest priced units.

If you want to get really fancy, and spend a lot of money, look at a Bendi unit. We've got one of those too. I suspect it will be massive overkill for your needs but is more fun to drive than anything else I've ever played with since it is an articulated fork lift. Its sort of like driving a video game.

We just sold several (about 15) Toyotas and Nissans where I work in the $750-$1000 range. Some were only ten years old, all were 36 volt, 2000-3000 pound capacity, most had side-shift.

I wish I would have known you were looking for one a couple of weeks ago... I would have given you a heads up on the auction!

Great info Bob. Thanks.

Yes, it'll be short cycle usage.

The stradle type won't work well for me. Most of the things I want out of the bunker are on elevated sections of floor. I "think" they'll also be in the way when bringing things in.

I was hoping/planning on getting the side shift.

Either a riding or stand-up would be fine. It's not going to get a lot of use so the operator won't get tired standing.

I don't want to get real fancy and would like to keep the cost down.

I might be purchasing about 20 propane forklifts in the near future but don't want to use a fuel burning lift in the bunker. If I don't find/get one soon, I may be looking for a trade if you're interested.

AndyM said:

We just sold several (about 15) Toyotas and Nissans where I work in the $750-$1000 range. Some were only ten years old, all were 36 volt, 2000-3000 pound capacity, most had side-shift.

I wish I would have known you were looking for one a couple of weeks ago... I would have given you a heads up on the auction!

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Dang... I wished I knew... Those were probably exactly what I was looking for.

Brian.......What's your budget ? I don't usually deal in electrics, but I can get you one from one of my dealer contacts. I'll ask around & see what's available.

bczoom said:

I might be purchasing about 20 propane forklifts in the near future but don't want to use a fuel burning lift in the bunker. If I don't find/get one soon, I may be looking for a trade if you're interested.

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Why not? Its just as safe and less maintenance(in my mind, not battery charging and it will be ready when you need it)... We have a BigJoe at most of our training centers and they work well, though we dont use them too often..Batteries arent cheap either..

HGM said:

Why not? Its just as safe

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What about the exhaust?

TOMLESCOEQUIP said:

Brian.......What's your budget?

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Thanks for checking Tom,

Need to check with my partner (but the cheaper the better right now). Without checking things out with him, I'll arbitrarily throw out $1000-1500.

Brian,
Have you checked Ebay yet?

By the way, I'm going to agree with Brian that electric is probably the way to go in this situation. I've worked in buildings as large as 650,000 square feet, and the exhaust still bothers me!

AndyM said:

Brian,
Have you checked Ebay yet?

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Yep. Nothing in particular grabbed my attention.

I'll be watching there but wanted info from the FF members before I bid on something.

bczoom said:

I'll be watching there but wanted info from the FF members before I bid on something.

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We've used everything over the years...
Toyota, Nissan, Yale, Hyster, Crown, Raymond.

The 36 volt Toyota electrics win hands down. There was a period of time in the late 1990's where our entire fleet was in continuous use 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Some of the units would see 60 miles a day, both indoors and driving between buildings. I don't remember how many hours some of them are showing, but I know some are showing over 100,000 miles (switchable digital readout). I remember it caused a big stink back when we bought the first ones, but every time now when we buy something else, we always go back to the Toyotas.

bczoom said:

What about the exhaust?

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Check the 3rd paragraph here.. The rest of the article may be of interest as well... When we taught LPG class, emissions of a running vehicle were the least of our worries... Just food for thought, ever notice most warehouses(like Home Depot and such) run them..