​Top Three Factors That Will Affect The Longevity Of A forklift

7th Jul 2021

The longevity of your forklift is beneficial for your operations as it offers you more value for your money in the long term. Even though taking great care of your forklift is the secret to longevity, innovation has also seen to it that forklifts are manufactured with fewer parts that reduce wear and tire thus boosting longevity. A good example of this is the electric forklifts that come with fewer parts.However, in most cases, the longevity of your forklift is not always guaranteed thanks to several preventable factors. In today's article, we look at the top three factors that will affect the longevity of your forklift.

What Work Do You Use it For?

The kind of application that you subject your forklift to has a direct impact on its longevity. For instance, forklifts that are used in rough terrains or harsh weather conditions are much more exposed to frequent damage which wears them out faster compared to the forklifts used in warehouses.

The kind of load your forklift is used to carry is also a key factor especially when it comes to weight. Forklifts that are overloaded on a daily basis are more open to wear and tear damage which reduces their life cycle.

What Is The Length Of The Hours Of Operation?

It's tempting to subject a forklift to longer hours especially if you run a busy operation with only one or few forklifts. However, this has proven to be a sure way of reducing the life of your forklift. The reason for this is that forklifts scheduled to operate for more hours tend to experience more wear and tear that makes them age faster.

Eventually, it will prove costly when it comes to maintenance as you will have to spend more either to replace worn out parts or the forklift itself in case of extreme damage. It is therefore important that you match the number of forklifts that you need to the demands of your operations. In the long run It is less costly.

What Is The Frequency Of Maintenance?

Since they normally handle very heavy loads, forklifts usually experience a high level of wear and tear. When the forklifts are left to operate for longer periods without any form of maintenance the rate of wear and tear is magnified making them irredeemable. In no time such forklifts will be put out of service since they become very unsafe for normal operations. This will have devastating effects on your business if you consider the cost of replacing the forklifts or just the downtime. You should, therefore, ensure that you take your forklift for frequent maintenance to avoid this.

As you can see it is very easy to determine the longevity of your forklift. You need to ensure you put in the right measures that protect it against rapid wear and tear despite its application. Another way you can reduce the level of wear and tear is to ensure you control the number of hours a single forklift is placed in operation. Maintenance is also key if you want to use your forklift for a long period to come. 

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