3 Key Factors to Consider When Choosing Forklifts for Hire

1. 3 Key Factors to Consider When Choosing Forklifts for Hire When you need to hire a forklift for your business, it’s a great way to get access to a piece of equipment that can really boost productivity. Buying lifting equipment is a significant investment that many smaller companies will struggle with. Perhaps you only need the equipment for a short period and buying a forklift simply doesn’t make economic sense. However, the process can be a little difficult to navigate, so here we will look at three key factors that you may want to consider before you hire your forklift. 1. The Lifting Height Requirements It may seem strange, but you would be surprised at how many people hire lifting equipment without examining the heights that they need to reach. It’s important to work out how high you need to lift your items because this will have a profound effect on your forklift choices. As an example: if you have a need to lift an item to a height of two or more stories you will need a six wheeled forklift. A heavier forklift will be able to lift heavy duty loads, but a smaller forklift would be perfect for unloading vans or trucks or for working in warehouses with a lower height racking system. 2. The Weight Lifting Requirements We’ve already touched on this slightly because the required lifting weight is closely associated with the maximum height that you will be working at. It’s important to know the maximum weights that will be lifted and how that material will be packaged. Will the lifted loads be on a pallet, in boxes or in some other shrink wrapped configuration? This is vital to know because objects that are irregular in size may need special attachments for the forklift. 3. Indoors, Outdoors or Both?

2. The ground surfaces that the forklift is operating on will have an effect on your possible choices. If the forklift is used only outside for unloading vehicles, it may need outdoor tyres to safely navigate in all weather conditions. If the forklift will only ever be used in the warehouse, then it will need different tyres. However, it’s not just tyres that are an issue, a forklift used outdoors could be powered with an engine without polluting the indoor areas with toxic fumes. Whereas a forklift used purely indoors should be an all electrically powered unit that will not pollute the workspace. As you can see, there is a little advanced planning and thought required before you sign any type of forklift rental agreement. Understanding your needs will help you to hire the right forklift to suit all of your needs. In certain circumstances, you may even find that you need more that one forklift to meet your needs fully. If you’re in any doubt about the equipment that you need Access Hire will be happy to offer expert advice. If you’re looking for forklifts for hire, contact Access Hire today. We have a proven track record as a forklift rental company, and we look forward to discussing your needs in more detail.