Many businesses rely on forklifts to do heavy lifting jobs such as moving large materials and hauling away broken-down equipment. The efficiency of your business operation will suffer if you can no longer rely on your forklift. Good luck trying to move these heavy materials without a functional forklift.

The problem with this, obviously, is that forklifts are expensive. It’s not as simple as picking up a new one from a hardware store when they stop working. Your business may not have money in the budget for the purchase of a new forklift. For that reason, forklift repair might be the more appealing option when it comes to correcting a broken forklift issue. But will forklift repair fully fix your forklift for good?

In many cases, forklift repair will simply be a band-aid fix that doesn’t completely solve your problem. You may continue to run into problems with your forklift that will cost you additional money in repairs, as well as time and production lost due to your forklift being out of commission. So, how do you know if it’s time to replace your forklift, rather than having it repaired? 

Guidelines for Forklift Replacement 

Knowing all the facts about your forklift will help you make a decision on whether to repair or replace said forklift. Therefore, you’ll have to gather as much data and information about the condition of your forklift as possible. For instance, it’s important to consider not how many years old your forklift is, but rather how many hours it’s been used. Your forklift may be just a couple of years old, but if it’s been overused during those few years, it may be nearing time for replacement. According to the Doosan Industrial Vehicle America Corporation, the average lifespan of a forklift is between 10,000 and 12,000 hours of use. It doesn’t matter if you’ve had your forklift for two years or seven years, if your forklift is at 10,000 hours of use, it’s time to consider replacing it.

If you don’t know how many hours your forklift has logged, you can guess how close your machine is to the end of its lifespan based on the make and model of your forklift. For example, a manual forklift will last longer than forklifts with internal combustion engines because manual forklifts don’t have an engine that experiences wear and tear. Therefore, manual forklifts last longer. Also, there may be some older models of forklifts that have discontinued parts, which make them nearly impossible to repair.

The weather your forklift is operating in can also affect its true age. If your forklift is spending a lot of time outside in extremely hot or cold temperatures, it is more likely to be worn down and damaged. Weather will rust and corrode your forklift’s parts and shorten the overall lifespan of your machine. If your vehicle has spent a lot of time outside in extreme weather, it may be time to replace it completely.

When to Have Your Forklift Repaired

By contrast, your forklift may simply just need repairs if it has not experienced many work hours. Any forklift with less than 10,000 hours on it is still young enough to be trusted to work properly if the proper repairs are made. Also, minor repairs and maintenance, such as a belt repair or battery replacement, are no need at all to replace your forklift. These are easy repairs that can be made to get your forklift working again.

Where the repairs begin to be too much for you is when you’re constantly making repairs. This keeps your forklift sidelined, costing you production time and money earned. In cases where your forklift is constantly going in for repairs, you should consider replacing your forklift instead.

 Here for All Your Forklifts Services 

WLC Forklift Services, LLC specializes in all the forklifts services you need, including forklift repair. Our services will meet all your forklift needs, helping you take advantage of the use of these massive machines. If you’re having trouble with your forklift, you can call WLC Forklift Services, LLC for help. We can provide the repairs and maintenance your forklift needs, as well as advice for forklift care going forward. We can let you know if your forklift needs to be replaced or simply needs repairs. Contact us today for all your forklifts services needs in Greensboro, NC; Winston-Salem, NC; Burlington, NC; High Point, NC; Kernersville, NC; and Danville, VA.