Need a small forklift for use around the shop. Nothing big around the ton to ton 1/2 lifting cap. Several individuals have them for sale locally. Trying to decide on the electric type or the propane fueled type. The small electrics seem to fill my size requirements better, but the battery life and replacement is a concern. Seems most of the batteries cost well into the $1000.00 mark. In general is anyone using the electric (battery powered) type or is the propane type the way to go...

A big factor is how big your workshop is and how much ventilation for the poisonous gases from the exhaust. carbon monoxide binds to haemoglobin and won't let go and you're going to get some of that from exhaust fumes.

I'd get the propane, we had an electric, every time you needed it the battery was low..4-5 hours to charge. when the propane runs out, change the cyl., 5 minutes and your good to go at full power. And like you say, batterys are big bucks and will need changed sooner or later.

I just bought a electric CAT F30 3000 lbs lift. I am using 6 6 volt golf cart batteries. If you are not going to use it for long periods of time the golf cart batteries will do fine. You just need to charge them when they are about 50% discharged and at least bi weekly if just used lightly. I made the battery holders from angle iron. The 6 6volt batteries were $450.00 from Sam's Club. The 3 wheel lifts are small and very manuverable in a my small shop. There is a lot less oil changing and other maintenance on an electric lift.

I think electric is great if you use it enough to justify the battery expense and do not mind maintaining the battery. Mine forklift is propane and with my intermittent use , I would not want electric. My $.002

I have a propane and a diesel fork lift propane is a lot better to use inside less fumes.At the scrapyard I visit there seems to always be more electric forklifts scraped than diesel or propane.I am guessing that they don't hold up as well as the propane or diesel !!! You could do a lot of minor repairs for what a set of batteries cost.

I don't think that's true. In fact most electric forklifts are used indoors and therefore are typically in much better condition when compared to diesels or propane of the same year. They hold up fine, its just that the batteries are so expensive that the whole thing gets scrapped when the battery gets to the point where it won't move the lift. With propane and diesel there's always someway using duct tape or coat hangars to get it to work for one more load or unload so it never actually gets to scrap status. Never the less, electric is sure nice for indoor use, no fumes, quiet, no starting fluid, just turn on and go.

Alan

adh2000 Thanks you just helped confirm they my guess.If the batteries crap and they scrap it thats not holding up very well.If the propane or diesel is usable with a little wire or duct tape. It beats an electric with a set of dead batteries hands down.

If it will see little use during the day go electric. With propane the motor will never get warm and you will have issues.

We have electric and Propane in our shop and most of us prefer the propane over the electric as it operates much smoother.

I've always preferred propane over electric, they seem stronger than electrics of the same rating.

I prefer electric in the under 4000 lb size forklifts...but you need a constant current charger (about $600 new) to revive old batteries.

FWIW a new battery for a 4000 lb electric forklift is in the $3,000 range...but a good used battery around $600...from my battery guy in Jacksonville, FL anyway.

A guy can buy a lot of propane for 600.00

No, not really. I've got an electric forklift with a used battery that has lasted 10 years roughly with no sign of crapping out. Can you run 10 years on $600 of propane?

Alan

Currently looking at a Yale Standup Stacker forklift with what I believe is a 24 volt system. Not sure if the current owner is going to throw the charger in for free or an additional cost is going to come up. The owner of the machine has several different chargers one of which is a 220 single phase charger.

Question I'm currently running a 220 single phase line in my shop but it's only on a 30 amp line (10 3 wire). Do these large chargers need more power to charge the forklifts up.

Also looking at an older Towmotor forklift. Very small machine. Any thoughts on that forklift....gear

You are missing the point.... an electric forklift is just so much more pleasant to operate... no noise, no smell, no vibration, smooth as silk. When you need to hop off to adjust the load or whatever, you just stop and hop off..no need to turn anything "off" and no waste of "fuel" while "idling".

I have both electric and propane and always choose the electric when the load is within it's capacity.

If you are on dead flat fully paved situation the standup style might be fine, but just a warning that if not, the standups are not very good at 'creeping' and not good with inclines.

Part of their creeping issue is they typically don't have a brake pedal that you can push down on gradually, but rather only an emergency release pedal that applies full brake pressure....so going down slight incline with load is problematic, esp if you need to stop at very specific point.

I see your point.... the electric one I used to use had junk batterys, a real pita.

I have a 24v 110v charger if anyone needs it.

That has no meaning without knowing it's amp capacity or at the very least, physical size.