Are Rental Forklifts Right for Your Business?

So you’re thinking about renting a forklift — After all, your business is still small and you think that a forklift purchase is unnecessary at this point. The good news is that choosing rental forklifts is not a complicated thing. As long as you know what to look for, you can end up with an efficient rented forklift that does not slash a big part of your operational budget.

One of the first things you must do is to know the maximum load capacity you will need. Rental forklifts come with various carry capacities. You must know the maximum carry load you need so you can choose a forklift that can do the job, and keep the operator safe. Before looking through rental forklifts ads, be sure that you have already computed for the estimated maximum load capacity your business needs. Once you have done so, you can then compare forklift options based on how many pounds they can carry.

The second must-do before renting second hand forklifts is to understand the kind of warehouse surface your forklift will most likely be used in. This is important because your rented forklift can either have soft tires or hard tires. Soft tires, like those used in cars, are best used for surfaces that are uneven. Thus, if you think you will be using your forklift on uneven ground (on gravel or soil, for instance), then it is best to go for rental forklifts with soft tires. The downside is that soft tires are usually more expensive (which can add on to the rental fee) as they provide more maneuverability and traction compared to hard tires.

The third most important must-do is to decide whether you would benefit most from a forklift that runs on gas or one that runs on electricity. Rechargeable (electric) forklifts are more affordable, smaller and more environmentally-friendly but recharging can become quite a task if you plan to recharge your machine many times a day. Diesel forklifts can be more on the costly side but they can be used at longer periods of time at each refueling. If you want to get the best of both worlds, your last option can be to use rental forklifts that run by hydrogen fuel cells.