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7 Forklift Tips to Save You Time and Money

You’d be surprised how much cheaper it is to operate a forklift with a bit of basic practical common sense and business savvy. Forklift maintenance problems don’t just happen. They’re caused by wear and tear, and you can prevent problems with a bit of onsite organisation.

In-House Forklift Checks

You can do a lot of useful problem prevention in-house:

1. First Check of the Day

Best practice is to carry out thorough spot checks daily, before starting up, for safety.  Expert forklift operators can spot trouble almost by instinct alone. The wrong sound, an electrical system that has its own ideas about starting up, the smell of fluids or a fork that doesn’t respond properly are all they need to see to correctly identify a possible issue.

2. On the Job

While operating, forklifts “behave” either well, or badly, with stop/start glitches. These problems do mean trouble, and you need to take action. Forklifts don’t have problems for no reason. If they’re not working properly, take the hint and get service for your vehicles, ASAP.

3. Management Skills

If you’re managing a fleet of forklifts, you’ll know when to expect problems to start, too – about six months after their most recent service. That time frame, not at all coincidentally, is also the recommended time for regular forklift service.

4. Don’t Guess! Get Help When You Need It!

Some problems are easily identifiable, some aren’t. Many problems, however, also affect other systems. If you’re not sure, but you have an obvious performance problem, get professional help, and DO NOT operate the suspect forklift, which may be actually unsafe. Also – DO NOT attempt to carry out repairs yourself. The problems inside may be much worse than they look from the outside.

5. To Save Money, Get Problems Fixed Fast

The fact is that a small problem now can be a pricey adventure in frustration and spending money you don’t want to spend, later. A rattling chassis, for example, may mean suspension issues, and perhaps a dropped load or a crash if the suspension can’t handle it.

6. Keep an Eye on the Batteries
Battery problems may include old batteries, connection issues, or simply recharging problems. Battery maintenance needs to be carried out by the professionals, to check the electrical situation, but be conscious of the possible issues.

7. Managing Your Forklift Servicing is Easy

Just schedule your regular forklift maintenance schedule every six months, and make sure you keep your forklifts properly serviced at all times. You can set up a forklift maintenance schedule over the phone with your forklift repair service provider. This service will prevent most problems.

NEED SOME HELP WITH YOUR FORKLIFT MAINTENANCE IN SYDNEY?

Aussie Forklift Repairs services the Sydney metro area. If you want reliable service for your forklifts, give us a call on (02) 9679 8992 or visit our website and use our online contact form; we’ll be in touch as soon as possible.