Are you getting ready to buy your first forklift? If so, then it’s time for you to hop on down to the best forklift dealer around to find the right product that will work for your location’s needs.
However, before you visit the dealer, it’s important that you know the right questions to ask. That way, you can ensure that you get a good machine that meets your expectations and workload, without wasting money on a unit that ultimately won’t work well for you.
Technical Specifications
The first thing that you need to ask about is the technical specifications of the forklifts that they carry in-store. You should already have a good idea of what technical requirements you have. This includes the average and max load that the forklift will carry, dimensions that it needs to be able to fit into, how high the forklift can lift its load, whether it can be used outdoors, et cetera.
Match up your technical requirements with the specifications that the dealer gives you. Find out if there are any discrepancies. If so, you may need to look at another product
Service Schedule
̄All machines fail eventually. No forklift is so bulletproof as to never require any maintenance ever. However, you need to be prepared in the event that your forklift breaks down with quick and ready service.
Otherwise, your whole warehouse’s operations could come to a grinding halt because you don’t have an adequate number of forklifts to move stuff around. Be sure to ask your dealer about their service schedule. Do you need to bring units in or will they send technicians out on-site? How long does it take for them to fulfill a service request? Rest assured that you’ll be dealing with them again, so make sure that they can service their machines quickly and without fuss.
Warranty Specifics
You should always look to get as good of a warranty on your forklift as possible. That way, you won’t be shelling out more money every time the machine needs a part replaced or some maintenance done. Make sure you get your dealer to tell you all about the warranties they offer.
Parts Availability
Last but not least, parts availability will be huge. If you’re talking to a forklift dealer that carries a very unique product that isn’t widely available, chances are that the replacement parts for that unit also won’t be widely available.
This means that when it breaks down, it could be days until replacement parts get shipped in to fix the unit. That could mean significant costs in the delay of operations at your warehouse. So ask the dealer about average delivery times for parts that need to be shipped in and make sure the timing meets your expectations.
Ask Your Forklift Dealer These Questions
There you have it — armed with these questions, you’re well-equipped to buy the right machine from the right forklift dealer.
If you’re in the Nashville market, then be sure to come by our store to check out the many forklifts we have on offer!