There comes a day in every operational manager’s life when they have to decide on retiring the forklift from their duties. Due to the number of years of experience, a manager knows when and how to halt usage of apparatus and tools that might damage the operations of the business. Also, the security of the employees will also get insecure if it is continued to be used. It is considered the common issue with forklifts since they are the most commonly used material and heavy objects handling equipment. When a forklift gives clear signs of getting out of service, yet you continue to use it, then it can lead to serious injuries to the employees dealing with heavy objects handling equipment.

So how do you know when a forklift has touched the end of its useful lifespan?

The answer is really simple if you know what you are looking for, but for identifying the real reason for it a certain amount of experience is required. This article will explain the five main points that make it apparent for any fleet operational manager that it is now time to replace a forklift with a new one.

5 Signs Your Forklift Is Ready To Retire

Let’s talk about some major signs that reflect the replacement of forklift with the new one.

The reduction in working life

The working life refers to the total time; the forklift actually employs in operational activities. However, the functional life of the forklift decreases every minute and second by standing in an idle position. It occurs due to wastage of time and performance.  It leads to the breaking down of vehicles and has to spend more time in repairing. It is to be noted carefully that the age of your forklift is not measured in years, but in hours. Hence, the average age of a forklift is 12,000 to 15,000 hours. However, the life span may vary in some forklifts, like the Moffett forklifts, it may increase from the average and have an extensive functional life. It has also been observed when the forklift’s functional life reduces, it starts disturbing the economy of the respective country as well.

The Economic Life Imbalance

Even if you see the forklift is operating all the time, it does not really mean its economic and monetary life is balanced. The costs being suffered on the forklift get increased at a much-advanced rate since it does not perform well as it used to do. The day-to-day expense exceeds when the forklift breaks down and needs to get mended on regular basis. By doing so, the rate of consumption becomes very low, which is a clear-cut sign that the machine is about to retire from its services.

Increase in Number of Orders

When the forklift is having a larger number of work orders, it becomes explicit that it will retire soon. If you want to consider a number, then it is four. If you have to place more than four work orders annually for the same forklift vehicle then it is time to get it retired.

Above the Limit

It is mentioned before; the average cost spent on a regular forklift is 12,000 to 15,000 hours. However, Moffett forklifts have a tendency to live longer; hence a useful factor for their endurance goes to the ultimate supplier from which you buy the forklift. For example, a reliable and most trustworthy dealer is Moffett Forklift that will sell you the finest Forklift for your business needs. On the other hand, a forklift bought from a fake supplier might not even last the average time span. You can easily determine whether the forklift has reached its total time span by just calculating the number of hours it has been worked. If the number you get is near 15,000 hours then it is surely time to retire the forklift.

Obsolete Features

If you notice the better and advanced features in the newer forklifts, as well as much secured safety features than your older forklifts, then the time has come to retire the older ones. When there are forklifts available for use that are much safer, then it would be considered mandatory to make the operators use them. A better example of the standard for safety features is Moffett equipment for sale as it is always updated with all the modern improvements and features.

Now, let’s see some frequently asked questions:

Frequently Asked Questions

1-     What is the most important part of a forklift?

The most essential part of a forklift is its operator.

2-     By which names forklift is known in the market?

There are many names of forklifts, including truck lift, jitney, fork truck, fork hoist, and forklift truck.

3-     What is known as the Forklift’s mass?

The portion of the forklift that lifts, lowers, and positions the load is called the mast of the forklift.