When purchasing a used forklift, you’re making a substantial investment. This machine is either going to make your life easier or give you constant mechanical problems. Even if you buy from a trusted dealer, you shouldn’t ever feel bad or awkward about performing a physical inspection of the unit.
Wear is inevitable with material handling equipment, so knowing what to inspect can help you avoid costly repairs down the road. Checking the frame, hydraulic components, and safety features of any used material handling equipment will tell you if the unit is ready for work.
1. Mast and Chains | Vertical Stability
Think of the mast as the heart of your forklift. Before moving on to smaller components, raise the mast all the way up and listen for smooth operation. Inspect the rails thoroughly for cracks or poorly executed welds that could fail during a lift. Damage to the mast is a structural weakness that can’t be repaired.
Check the lift chains for “leafing” or stretching. If there is space between the links of the chain, it has stretched out and is nearing the end of its fatigue strength. Any rusting on the chain is another tell-tale sign that it will need replacing soon.
Don’t forget to check the mast rollers. These should be perfectly round, and spin freely. Rounded out or stuck mast roller will bind up the mast and cause strain on the hydraulics. Check for sloppy movement or wobble in the mast as the carriage moves up and down. Excessive mast shake is commonly caused by worn wear strips or bushings. These should be replaced before operation.
2. Hydraulic System and Leaks | Hidden Problems
The hydraulic system on any forklift deals with enough force to lift tons of material. If this system isn’t fully functional, walk away from the sale.
Begin by inspecting all of the hydraulic cylinders — lift, tilt, side-shift — for signs of moisture or wetness. While a film of oil may not seem like much, it is likely that seal is going out. All small leaks will eventually lead to loss of pressure and failure to maintain height while lifting a load. As the mast slowly lowers under load, it puts extreme pressure on the seals and will cause more leaks.
Inspect hydraulic hoses for cracks, kinks, and bubbled casing. These rubber hoses carry extreme amounts of pressure and can explode under normal use if they’re damaged.
Pop open the engine/battery compartment and inspect the main control valve and hydraulic pump for large collections of dirt and oil. Dirty or oily buildup means there’s been a slow leak somewhere that has gone unnoticed or is just neglected by the previous owner.
3. Forks and Carriage | Wear Indicators
A set of forks take a beating day-in and day-out. Use a caliper or fork gauge to measure the thickness of the fork blade and heel.
If there’s less than 90% of material left on the fork, it’s time to retire them. Checking the ends of the forks will tell you if the carriage is bent or if one fork experienced an impact.
Inspect the carriage for any cracks, paying close attention around the load backrest and where the forks latch on to the carriage. Forks and carriage should be free of any “home-cut” welds. Any addition welds on these components has compromised the heat-treated metal making it brittle and more likely to snap off under heavy loads.
4. Engine or Battery | Ignition Components
Internal Combustion Engines
Give the engine a thorough once-over by starting it up cold. Blue smoke means oil burning, black smoke is soot (fuel diluted with oil), and white smoke is coolant leaking into the combustion chamber. All of these conditions are catastrophic failures of internal engine components.
Listen for knocking or high-pitched whistles which could indicate manifold leaks or bearings going out. Finally, inspect the fluids. Milky oil means blown head gasket and dirty hydraulic fluid means debris contamination of the hydraulic system.
Electric
The biggest variable when purchasing an electric forklift is the battery. Look for crystallized deposits around the battery terminals known as “sulfation.” Once a battery starts to sulfate, it hasn’t been maintained with regular watering or charging.
Ask for a battery load test report if available. This will tell you how well the battery retains charge under load.
Physical bloating of the battery or melted connectors can indicate overheating, which happens when batteries aren’t exercised regularly by charging and discharging on a schedule. Expect to replace the battery soon after purchase, which could cost you up to 1/2 the value of the used forklift.
5. Tires and Brakes | Getting Stuck
Knowing the type of tires your forklift uses will clue you into the previous operator’s upkeep. Cushion tires should be inspected for chunking (sharp pieces of rubber missing), or flat spots that can occur when slamming on the brakes.
If the wear bars are gone, it’s time to replace the tires. Forklifts should never be driven with tires past the safety mark (look for the 60 second markings on many tires).
If tires are worn more on one side of the machine, this could indicate alignment issues or a bent axle.
Brakes should always be tested before buying. Drive the machine at walking speed and slam on the brakes. The forklift should come to an immediate stop and stop straight. Listen for any grinding as the brake pads are applied.
Brakes can also be tested by engaging the parking brake on an incline. If the parking brake cannot hold the weight of the forklift on a slight ramp, then linkage is stretched or brake shoes are worn down.
6. Operator Compartment and Safety Features | Operator’s Well Being
Having intact overhead protection is required to operate a forklift safely. Check for any bends or welds that look like they weren’t there when it left the factory.
A damaged overhead guard would make a forklift “out of service” as any falling objects could strike the operator directly. Inspect the operator’s seat to ensure it’s bolted down properly, and that the seatbelt retracts and locks into place when pulled.
All of the lights and sirens should function as well. Backup alarms, horns, and strobe lights are necessary for safe operation inside a warehouse.
You should also check the wheel for steering play by pulling the wheel towards you while the tires are stationary. If there’s a lot of movement in the steering before the tires react, your steering linkage or cylinder bushings are likely shot. This means steering will be very difficult and risky in tight warehouse aisles.
7. Maintenance Records and Hour Meter | Quality Check
Maintenance records let you know if the previous owner(s) took care of scheduled maintenance. A forklift that has 5,000 hours on it but shows servicing every 250 hours is a better investment than one with only 2,000 hours that has never been serviced.
Inspect the hour meter to ensure it works and appears to have not been messed with. Look for old stickers from prior service providers to see who else may have maintained the machine.
10 Second Inspection Tip | Fluid Levels
- Pull the dipstick and check the fluids for color and uniformity.
- Look underneath for any fresh leaks after the engine has been running.
- Check the radiator for blockage or buildup that’s “pushing” on the fins.
- Sniff the transmission fluid, if it smells burnt, your clutch plates are slipping.
Used Forklifts from 4K Lifts
Picking out the right used equipment can be difficult, but having a methodical process will help weed out the lemons and ensure your purchase will return value through reliability and productivity. Never allow a salesperson to rush you through these inspection steps. If they get irritated when you ask to perform these checks, something is probably wrong. A well-running machine has nothing to hide, so your thorough inspection should never anger an honest seller.
At 4K Lifts, we understand that your business relies on operational equipment to function. That’s why we guarantee every piece of used equipment we sell on our website by performing multi-point inspections before listing them for sale. If you’re looking for a company that cares about your uptime as much as you do, look no further.
Browse our inventory to see what we currently have in stock, or give us a call if you have any questions regarding which forklift is right for you and your warehouse.
FAQs
Q. How Many Hours is too many hours, for a Used Forklift?
The lifespan of a forklift is generally between 10,000-15,000 hours. Although factors such as maintenance can extend the life of any forklift. An IC engine with 5,000 would be considered mid-life, while electric forklifts can push 10,000 hours if the battery was well taken care of.
Q. Should I Buy a Used Forklift From a Dealer or Private Seller?
Private sellers usually have lower prices because you assume all risk when the machine breaks down. Buying from a dealer will usually net you a refurbished machine with a limited warranty and ongoing support from their technicians.
Q. What repair do used forklifts need the most?
Typically hydraulic seals and tires. Both of these are maintenance items that shouldn’t cause major problems down the road. However, both can cause catastrophic failure to the mast and transmission if left unaddressed.