When choosing a forklift with the right tonnage, you should take many factors into consideration. In terms of the working environment and cargo characteristics, if you are in an indoor warehouse with limited space, such as a small retail store warehouse or an office file storage area, and mainly carry light cargo, such as office supplies and small commodities, a 1-2 ton micro or small forklift is usually a more suitable choice. This type of forklift is small in size and highly maneuverable, and can be flexibly operated in narrow passages. In addition, the smaller tonnage can meet the needs of indoor light cargo handling, and the ground pressure is not large, and the operating space will not be affected by the large size of the forklift. In the second-hand forklift market, some second-hand dealers will provide carefully selected and tested small forklifts for indoor working environments. They will check whether the forklift's mobility components are flexible to ensure that it can be used normally in narrow spaces.
For large outdoor yards, such as construction material yards or port cargo yards, if you need to carry heavier cargo, such as construction steel, large containers, etc., you may need a large or super large forklift of 10-45 tons. These forklifts have sufficient carrying capacity and power to efficiently carry heavy objects in open outdoor spaces. When handling such forklifts, second-hand dealers will focus on checking the forklift's load-bearing structure and power system to ensure that it is competent for outdoor heavy object handling work.
From the perspective of cargo type and weight, if the cargo being handled is small but dense, such as metal castings, heavy machinery parts, etc., the tonnage of the forklift should be selected according to the actual weight of the cargo. For example, if the cargo weight is around 5-8 tons, you have to choose an 8-10 ton forklift to ensure that the forklift has sufficient carrying capacity and can safely and stably carry the cargo. For large but light cargo such as foam and plastic, choose a forklift with a relatively small tonnage but suitable fork length and lifting height according to the total volume of the cargo and the stacking method. Second-hand dealers will recommend second-hand forklifts that meet the requirements in terms of load capacity and structural design to customers based on the characteristics of the cargo.
In terms of operation frequency and operation duration, in places such as express sorting centers, cargo handling operations are frequent but each operation time is short. If each package is light, a small forklift of about 1-3 tons is generally more suitable. Small forklifts are flexible to operate, can move quickly in various sorting areas, and efficiently complete frequent cargo handling tasks. When providing such forklifts, second-hand dealers will ensure the sensitivity of their operating components so that the forklifts can operate stably in high-frequency operations. At some large industrial project construction sites, long-term cargo handling may be required, but the operation frequency is relatively low. For example, in the construction of large bridges, heavy steel beams and other components need to be transported. At this time, large forklifts with a large load capacity of 10-45 tons can be selected. Although this type of forklift has high purchase and maintenance costs, the operation frequency is low and the handling capacity requirements are high, and it can stably complete tasks in long-term operations. When selling this type of forklift, second-hand dealers will evaluate the long-term performance of the forklift and provide customers with reliable equipment.
When considering cost and cost-effectiveness, if the company has a limited budget, it should give priority to cost-effective forklifts on the premise of meeting basic operating needs. For example, a small manufacturing company mainly handles raw materials and semi-finished products, and the weight of the goods is generally 3-5 tons. The budget is about 100,000-150,000 yuan. It can choose a 3-5 ton medium-sized forklift. The market price of this type of forklift is relatively affordable and can also meet the daily production and handling needs of the company. Second-hand dealers will provide some affordable and quality-tested medium-sized forklifts, allowing companies to meet their handling needs at a lower cost.
From the perspective of long-term use costs, if the company's cargo handling business volume is large and continues to grow, then when choosing a forklift, you can consider a forklift that slightly exceeds the current required tonnage. For example, the company currently mainly handles 5-7 tons of goods, but it is expected that the weight of the goods may reach 8-10 tons after the future business volume increases. At this time, a 10-ton forklift can be selected. Although the initial investment is large, as the business develops, there is no need to frequently replace the forklift. In the long run, it can reduce the cost of equipment renewal and improve the overall cost-effectiveness. Second-hand dealers will also analyze the pros and cons of forklift tonnage selection for customers from a long-term perspective to help customers make more economical and reasonable decisions.