Purchasing Tips

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Before you make a purchasing decision, you will need to consider a variety of factors. ProLift can help you answer those questions.

Lease Versus Purchase | Facility Survey | Fleet Management | Internal Combustion Versus Electric | Matching Equipment with Application

Lease Versus Purchase

ProLift has the benefit of Toyota Financial Services (TFS) as a strong financial partner for your leases. Our sales consultant will also assist you in considering a purchasing option.

Some factors to consider:

Hours of utilization
Service & repair requirements
Risk/cost of obsolescence
Cash flow & budget
Tax benefits

Facility Survey

ProLift will assist you in evaluating your facility to ensure you have the right units for your warehouse and application. Our goal is to help you capture cost savings and increase efficiency.

Some factors to consider:

Application type & environment
Average travel distance
Max. and average product weight
Max. fork height & clearance requirements
Utilization of asset
Power type – electric, LP, gas, diesel or fuel cell

Fleet Management

Take advantage of cost savings opportunities by right sizing your fleet to run your business efficiently.

Track vital information including:

Utilization
Expenses due to accidents
Tire replacement costs
Normal maintenance expense
Cost per hour by asset & equipment type

Internal Combustion Versus Electric

If you are debating which fuel type to use for your forklift, download this worksheet to insert your company data for ownership, energy and maintenance cost.

Matching Equipment with Application

Selecting material handling equipment can be overwhelming, especially if you have a new or specialized application. Below are highlights of popular types of equipment.

Popular Equipment

Class I - Electric Counterbalanced Forklift (click to open/close)

Use for unloading trucks, moving pallets and other loads
Mainly indoor, warehouse or other smooth surface use
Ideal for areas with poor ventilation
Capacities from 2,500 - 4,000lbs
Electric battery, voltage of 36 or 48 volt
3- or 4-Wheel and stand-up available

Class II - Electric Stand-Up Forklift (click to open/close)

Ideal for applications requiring a rider to use an elevating platform
Used in conjunction with industrial racking
May be used for aisles as narrow as 8.5ft
Capacities from 3,000 - 4,500lbs
Straddle trucks, single- and double-reach trucks available, including order pickers

Class III - Electric Pallet Jacks, Stackers & Tuggers (click to open/close)

Used for transporting loads horizontally and low level order picking
Economical alternative to forklift
Walk-behind or ride-on available
Powered by electric
Capacities from 3,000 - 10,000lbs

Class IV - Internal Combustion Cushion Forklift (click to open/close)

Use for unloading trucks, moving pallets and other loads
Additional power and speed over long distances as compared to electric units
May be used in areas with some ventilation or high ceilings
Capacities from 3,000 - 50,000lbs

Class V - Internal Combustion Pneumatic Forklift (click to open/close)

Use for unloading trucks, moving pallets and other loads
Ideal for traveling on various surfaces, including outdoors
Additional power and speed over long distances as compared to electric units
May be used in areas with some ventilation or high ceilings
Capacities from 3,000 - 120,000lbs

Large Capacity Forklifts (click to open/close)

Use for unloading trucks, moving pallets and other loads
Ideal for specialized applications such as intermodal, lumber, steel mills, concrete pipe & precast, aluminum mills, mining, etc.
Capacities from 18,000 - 120,000lbs

Aerial & Scissor Lift Equipment (click to open/close)

Use for applications requiring people to be lifted
Powered by electric or propane
Lifting capacities from 300 - 750lbs
Working heights from 17 - 50ft

Personnel & Burden Carriers (click to open/close)

Use for moving product or personnel and low level order picking
Can be customized for specialized applications
Powered by electric or gasoline

Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV) (click to open/close)

Increases profits by reducing labor requirements, eliminating product damage and ensuring on-time material delivery
Onboard software allos for multiple routes to be stored in memory
The low profile design allows the AGV to navigate underneath a cart, automatically raise the tow pin and haul the cart away
Optical sensors can be programmed for different zones

Multi-directional Lifts (click to open/close)

Multi-directional capabilities
Available in LP gas, diesel and electric
Suitable for indoor and outdoor use
Extensive range of attachments
Lift heights ranging from 159" - 330"
Capacities up to 30,000 lbs

Very Narrow Aisle Forklifts (click to open/close)

Increases available storage space by up to 50%
Capacities up to 4,400 lbs
Suitable for aisle widths as narrow as 75"
Lift heights up to 488"
Indoor and outdoor use
Available in electric and LPG