Anyone buy a forklift for their shop?

[Travis Conner]

I'm thinking about how useful a forklift would be when everything needs 2 or 3 people to move stuff around. Say like if I want to rearrange the shop and want to move the workbench over here, just pick it up. lol Move trailers around quickly etc. Is my idea of buying a forklift crazy or not really? I think the thought of being about to grab the boat with it real quick and pull it out is definitely a plus imo. I'm just trying to keep it in the $5k range. They go for about $35k brand new.

[Travis Conner]

I don't really see why I wouldn't get my money back on it either. Forklift pricing is all over the map. One guy wants $11,000 for his 2004 cat then another wants $5k for the same one.

[Jim Becker]

I've seen a number of folks with larger shops opt to have a forklift or equivalent available to help with moving bulk materials and occasionally machinery. One can often get a nice deal on something used that has more than enough life for light-duty use, too. So, yes, it's a good idea if you have a shop/other-needs that can benefit from it, IMHO.

[Jim Koepke]

Don't forget to figure in the room it will take up to park it and tend to its needs.

jtk

[Rod Sheridan]

Don't forget to figure in the room it will take up to park it and tend to its needs.

jtk

Yes along with at least annual maintenance and recertification by a licensed mechanic, the costs add up...........Rod.

[Mark Bolton]

And unless you get lucky, most of the 5K machines will be more headache than theyre worth. Other things to consider is how flat is the area your going to be using it. A warehouse machine, hard tires, wont handle any off camber at all smoothly and can be really dangerous.

Small or garage shop one of the smaller walk behind electrics would be handy but same deal. Any of the cheap ones you will find are usually lemons, batteries are roached, charge controllers on the way out, and so on.

Start watching places like IRS auctions for auctions near you. Probably one of the better options to pick up a cheap lift though your not going to get much data on in unless its close enough to go take a look ahead of time.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Son bought one for his shop. He works on heavy equipment, where a transmission can weigh several thousand pounds

[Mike Chance in Iowa]

I say if you get a forklift, you will find more and more uses for it depending upon what you do in your shop. Another option is forklift attachments for a tractor. There are several types of attachments available. We picked up some clamp-on pallet forks that attach to our Kubota bucket and they have come in handy for a lot of different light-to-medium-duty needs and easily remove and store when not in use. We have also been keeping an eye on GSAAuctions (https://gsaauctions.gov/gsaauctions/aucindx/)and other sites for forklifts on sale, but the timing hasn't worked out to buy one.

[Bill Dufour]

A used $2-3,000 electric forklift a battery will cost $5,000. A little electric pallet jack can use $200 in truck batteries for light use. How about a manual straddle lift?
Bil lD

[John K Jordan]

I say if you get a forklift, you will find more and more uses for it depending upon what you do in your shop. Another option is forklift attachments for a tractor. There are several types of attachments available. We picked up some clamp-on pallet forks that attach to our Kubota bucket and they have come in handy for a lot of different light-to-medium-duty needs and easily remove and store when not in use. We have also been keeping an eye on GSAAuctions (https://gsaauctions.gov/gsaauctions/aucindx/)and other sites for forklifts on sale, but the timing hasn't worked out to buy one.

I have quick-connect forks for both my tractor and skidsteer and I use them a lot around the farm and sawmill. But in a shop? Maybe in a shop in a warehouse-sized building with a lot of empty space, but one would still have to contend with the diesel fumes. Most forklifts I've seen indoors were powered by propane.

I know a guy with a hardwood business that uses a forklift to deal with stacks of lumber, unloading and sorting and such. The open isle down the center of his warehouse is probably 15' wide and still the maneuvering can be tight. A very nice thing about a "real" forklift is the flexibility of the controls to spread and narrow the forks, shift the load from side to side, etc. Every time I need to change the fork width on my tractor/skid steer forks it's a physical effort.

As someone implied, buying used may be buying someone else's problems. Some machines have been abused or are just flat worn out. For example, I was warned by several people if I bought a used excavator for say $10,000 I might easily spend another $10,000 repairing and replacing things that were worn out. And repair costs can be HIGH. Replacing the seals in just one of the two big bucket cylinders on my skid steer cost me over $500 a few weeks ago. When I bought an excavator recently I decided to get a new one with a warranty. That way I can make sure it has all the scheduled maintenance and is treated with care.

If buying an old forklift maybe do like a friend did and buy two the same. He took parts from both and made one good one.

JKJ

[Travis Conner]

Yeah so when it says cushion tires I guess those are the stiff bumpy kind that like to get stuck if the ground isn't even? I usually never got suck, but one wheel would go up in the air and then I would have to back up and come at a different angle.

[Ronald Blue]

They normally will state all terrain if they have pneumatic tires. One thing to remember the same physical size machine with solid tires will be rated for a couple thousand pounds more. So if it's 5,000 for all terrain same basic model with solids will be 7-8,000. But if you want to go outside on gravel you want all terrain. They are still easy to get stuck. Check it out and if everything functions correctly and engine starts good you will likely be okay. Run it for a little while if that's an option. Get it warmed up well. If no leaks or smoke you should be good. Test lift something. Check the steering for tightness and make sure the brakes work. Side shift forks are nice but not a necessity.

[Jim Becker]

Something to think about...if your need is really only occasionally, it may be a better move to just rent one for specific jobs.

[Matt Day]

Maybe you should start with a pallet jack and engine lift. Do you have those?

[Mike Chance in Iowa]

I have quick-connect forks for both my tractor and skidsteer and I use them a lot around the farm and sawmill. But in a shop? Maybe in a shop in a warehouse-sized building with a lot of empty space, but one would still have to contend with the diesel fumes. Most forklifts I've seen indoors were powered by propane.


Agreed. But a "shop" can be defined so many different ways. Are we talking a hobby shop, machine shop, woodworking shop, downtown or rural location, etc. Depending upon the environment of where the shop is located and what you are doing inside the shop, a tractor can be just fine with the shop doors rolled up. In the case of our shop (my LOML and I) we have multiple ways to deal with any exhaust fumes when the tractor is needed. Another neighbor has a forklift attachment on the rear of their tractor and they keep their 14' doors rolled up when they need to use it in their shop.

[Thomas L Carpenter]

Your neighbors would appreciate it. I can think of a bunch of times I wish my neighbor had one.

[Scott T Smith]

Travis, I've owned a used Crown reach type forklift for about 8 years. It's a great asset in my shop. It's designed to extend up, and then extend out for loading pallet racks and it will pick up several thousand pounds.

These are smooth surface only machines; I can't take it outside on the gravel. However, it is much more maneuverable in tight spaces than one of my tractors or skid loaders.

Unfortunately it's time for a replacement battery. A good used or refurbished one will set me back around 3,500 and last about 5 years. Still worth it though.

[Darcy Warner]

I have 3. Two 12k pound units and a 6k pound.
I would like one more, but not sure if I want a 18k or a smaller 5k pound machine. All mine were bought used, one 12k is is a 1963 clark, one a 70s hyster riggers special and my 6k pound yale was my first, it's a 1952.

All have hard tires, but all have been used outside in a hard packed gravel lot, inside, going up ramps, etc.

A 3500 pound unit is great for most people, short, compact machines.

[Travis Conner]

So if you have crushed concrete driveways, then fully pneumatic tires are best? I bought a shop out in the sticks and a concrete driveway is nowhere to be found out here. Inwouldnt need a Fork lift often, but firnthose times you buy a new piece of equipment where they drop it off at the end of the driveway, they aren't going to be able to roll a pallet jack up a crushed gravel drive.

[Jim Becker]

Travis, I'd do pneumatic for that. As an alternative, something like a skid-steer with forks could be a useful consideration since it can be used for more things, like land maintenance, merely by changing what's attached up front.

[Brian Elfert]

I worked for a fairgrounds that had a small hard tire forklift most often used around the shop to unload deliveries and the like. However, it could travel on the roads and in buildings since they all have concrete floors. One day in the spring we got a dusting of snow. That forklift just spun its tires trying to go up a curb cut due to the little bit of snow. Luckily, they had two larger forklifts with big pneumatic tires that could go anywhere in almost any weather.

[Bill Dufour]

For a small shop a walkie stacker might make sense. Only need one or two car batteries to make it work. For many small shops a worn out electric forklift battery is good enough if it can run for 20 minutes at a time between charges.
My dad made us kids a go cart using an old washing machine motor and about 50 feet of cord.
Bil lD