When should I service my forklift
Just like cars and trucks, heavy operational machinery such as forklifts should be regularly serviced to keep your business running.
As a vital piece of machinery for many businesses, you want to reduce the downtime as much as possible, while keeping your forklift and business running smoothly.
Avoiding that recommended forklift service or repair could lead to an unexpected fault or an issue that could cost you far more than just servicing costs; it could impact your day-to-day operations and result in lost revenue from delays.
In addition to delays in operations and additional repair costs from broken parts, a forklift that is overdue for a service could also affect the safety of your operators and those on the floor in your warehouse resulting in hefty penalties. Where a PCBU (a person conducting a business or undertaking) or a senior officers' conduct, negligently causes the death of a worker or senior officer, commits industrial manslaughter, a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment for an individual or $10 million for a body corporate applies. Working safely with forklifts can be accessed via the WA state website
How Often Should You Service Your Forklift?
Forklifts are hard-working machines that are regularly exposed to heavy loads, so it is important to keep an eye on the integrity of the forklift’s engine, moving parts and the machine as a whole to maintain safe operations.
However, every forklift is utilised for different operational needs; some forklifts may only be used once a week, while others are used 24/7.
At Lift Equipt, we recommend to have your forklift serviced every six months or at the 500-hour intervals or as per manufacturers specifications & if your forklift works or is stored outside it is exposed to the elements then regular servicing keeps your operation running with minimal downtime.
While six-monthly visits for service and repairs may seem too often, regular forklift maintenance will pick up most problems in your forklift before they escalate and cost you more money in repairs.
Who Can Service My Forklift?
With your forklift, you should only trust a qualified forklift mechanic to undertake any servicing or repairs due to the forklift requiring various checks & adjustments that your normal mechanic would not be trained to do.
Not many businesses have an in-house forklift mechanic, so it is important to find a qualified and reliable external mechanic who understands your business and your forklift.
Lift Equipt is a reputable forklift dealer and servicer, with servicing workshops in Perth, Broome, Karratha, and Port Hedland, we can come to you with our field service technicians at times that suit your business.
What to Look Out For When Getting Your Forklift Serviced
With each forklift service, a qualified mechanic will check through the following aspects of your forklift:
- Oil – should be changed regularly
- Tyres – tread, air pressure, and punctures
- Fluid Levels
- Lubricant
- Breaks
- Steel Axel
- Lift and Tilt cylinders
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The newer forklifts also have many electronic parts that require specially trained technicians to analyse & this is vital to keeping your forklift in working order.
If these things aren’t checked regularly and you wait until it is too late, it can become expensive and time-consuming to get repaired, resulting in wasted operational time and profit.
The Lift Equipt Difference
When you choose to service your forklift with Lift Equipt, you are choosing trained and experienced technicians who are specialists in their field & as we are the dealers in WA for Hyundai material handling, Ferrari and more we can look after your equipment whatever the brand or size.
Lift Equipt is locally owned, with four convenient locations across WA for your servicing needs. More than that, Lift Equipt also hold a wide range of spare forklift parts at their warehouses, ensuring there’s minimal downtime for your business as they undertake a forklift repair and service.
When it comes to servicing your forklift, choose a name you can trust, who understands your operational needs. Contact the team at Lift Equipt today to find out how they can help you.