5 Questions to Ask the Hire Company When Looking at Forklifts
If you're moving around heavy items, adding a new building to your property or doing a range of other projects, you may want to rent a forklift. Before you go to the hire company, it's important to understand that there is a huge range of different forklifts for rent. There are also other items or costs to consider. Here are five questions you may want to ask the hire company.
1. Is the Forklift Electric or Petrol Powered?
Generally, forklifts fall into one of these two categories. If you are working inside, you may want to hire an electric forklift. However, if you are doing work outside, a petrol powered forklift may be fine.
If you opt for electric, make sure you understand how long the charge lasts so that you can plan your workflow accordingly. With petrol powered forklifts, you may want to estimate how much petrol you need. That way you can ensure that you have ample reserves on hand and you don't have to stop your project to go get more fuel.
2. What Is the Weight Capacity?
Take some time to estimate the types of loads you need to handle with your forklift, and talk with the hire company about the weight capacity of different forklifts. If you're planning to move uneven loads, you may need a forklift with a higher weight capacity. Talk with the reps from the hire company to see what they recommend.
3. What Tyres Do You Recommend for My Terrain?
Talk with the reps about your terrain and ask which tyres they recommend. If you plan to work on rough terrain outdoors, you may want to opt for forklifts on tracks. Similarly, if you're working indoors, you may want a forklift with tyres that are the best suited to that environment.
4. Does This Forklift Work With Other Attachments?
If you need more than just a forklift, you may want to talk with the hire company reps about potential attachments to your forklift. In particular, ask which attachments are available, find out how to attach them to the forklift and see how much they add to the price.
5. How Do You Transport the Forklift?
Finally, talk with the hire company reps about transporting the forklift. Find out if they deliver or you need to transport it yourself. If you don't have a trailer, ask if the hire company supplies one or if you need to pay extra for that perk. Once you've worked through these questions, you should know exactly what type of forklift is best for your needs.