3 Major Disadvantages of Using an Old Forklift

12th Jul 2019

Question: Is it advisable to continue using an old forklift as long as it is still in good condition?

Answer: Well, even though an old forklift that is in good condition can prove productive in some cases, it is advisable to evaluate it and find out whether on an overall basis it's beneficial to your business or it's a liability.

Some of the factors you can use to gauge it are its impact on - your operational costs, efficiency or breakdowns.

When you do this you will, in most cases, find out that the forklift has the following three disadvantages;

1. High Maintenance Costs

Old forklifts tend to have a high degree of wear and tear on their parts. This is due to the fact that they have been in operation for a long time and have experienced increased wear and tear.

If you solely rely on such a forklift then you need to give it special attention in way of maintenance after every operation to ensure it stays in good shape.

Since the damage that has happened on the parts over time is significant, you will have to spend extra to keep the forklift in good shape which is quite costly.

2. Diminishing efficiency

The technology used in heavy material handling equipment has been improving consistently over the years. This shift in innovation has enabled superior forklift models to be manufactured.

Such forklifts play a major role in boosting the productivity of operators and making operations much more efficient.

Old forklifts, however, are lacking when it comes to this new technology and this can be a major disadvantage on the face of changing business needs that impact the nature of your operations.

In most cases, a newer model will give you a competitive edge thanks to the technology that heightens efficiency.

3.Hard To Find Replacement Parts

The parts of an old forklift are also quite difficult to find. As mentioned earlier newer technology is being used to improve most forklift parts making them incompatible with old forklifts

The downside to this is that some parts that are vital to the older forklifts are slowly phased out due to reduced demands. Due to this trend, it can be quite a headache for you as you go out shopping for these spare parts for maintenance purposes.

Such an exercise will have a major impact on both your productivity and efficiency especially if you rely on that one forklift for your operations.

Are there any solutions?

In case you are already experiencing these predicaments you can consider replacing your forklift by either purchasing a new one or leasing one. When you choose to lease you can enjoy some benefits like- reduced tax bills, operational efficiency, reduced maintenance costs and improvement on space maximization.

Therefore even though your old model forklift is still in good condition it is great to be aware of the disadvantages that come with it and the net benefits or drawbacks. Basically, you will incur high maintenance costs, experience reduced efficiency in your operations and headaches when you try to find replacement parts for an old forklift

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