Been looking around for a 3 to 5K pneumatic tired (gravel and concrete) forklift. Not in a commercial business so not looking for a machine that will work all day, just very now and then. Mainly to move around trails and boats inside my barn and shop. Found several or craigslist and LSN but what would be the things to stay away from? Have rebuilt automatic tanny's, diesel engines and hydraulic systems. So if I found a "needs work" forklift what would be the things to look for and walk away from?
I just bought a Hyster H50XL 5k pneumatic forklift w/sideshift and 6k hrs for $2500 because it wouldn't go forward. It had good valve pressure and went in reverse fine, so it was easy to troubleshoot as a smoked clutch pack. It required to pull the trans and drive axle as a pair after you take the mast off. After that it's easy to do the clutch packs/bearings/piston seals/etc. $500 in parts for all the rebuild parts listed in the manual off the internet shipped to my door. If you're good it's an 8 hour job. Now I'm in a $6500 forklift for around $3k. I'd stay far away form lifts with worn out steering links or newer ones with electrical/computer issues. http://i.imgur.com/6OUR1hV.jpg?1 Greyson EDIT: Pic doesn't want to display from outside host site
Appreciate the info, was kind of thinking they were fairly simple machines, just heavy. Found this one and thought it would be an easy fixed http://evansville.craigslist.org/hvo/5303740425.html
I got a 25,000 lb Hyster for 7500 that needed the lift cylinder and steering cylinder repacked. It wasn't hard to fix, just heavy wrench turning. Now it's one of the few pieces of equipment I own thats actually worth something.
I hear you in the heavy part, these old bones don't mind turning wrench's just wish there were not so big or heavy
Speaking from my experience at a big box store this is the number one thing to avoid. We had a stand up reach truck with one of those handles that has all the controls built in, throttle (it was electric but you know what I mean), lift, sideshift, tilt, pantograph, and horn all on the handle, only thing it didn't do was steering, and that lift went through about 2 handles a year when this switch would go bad or that switch would stick or the tiny plastic supports that hold the buttons would break. But the only thing that needed replacing on the Toyota sit-down propane lift in the 5 years I was indentured there was the seat because the plastic cracked. I understand that something similar is happening with John Deere farming equipment, apparently they claim that since everything is run by computer, and they wrote the code, under the DMCA they own the vehicle and you are buying a LICENSE to use it, and if you modify it in any way, including repairs, without their explicit written consent they will sue you for copyright infringement. The end result is everyone is buying used pre-computer equipment and they cant sell any of that shiny new farm equipment. Seems a strange way to do business to me, driving your customers away with shady and questionably legal business practices, but it must work, they keep doing it.