Forklift Servicing Questions Answered
Similar to a car, it is important to keep your forklift regularly serviced after purchase. There are many common questions that we get asked when customers are told about the maintenance side of a forklift. When should my forklift be serviced? What is involved in a forklift service? Why should I keep my forklift serviced? In this article, we will answer these commons questions and others regarding forklift servicing.
When Should I Get My Forklift Serviced?
It is recommended that a forklift is serviced every 6 months or 250 hours, whichever comes first. Most new forklifts will have had a check over before being purchased so there is no need to get them serviced as soon as the forklift is bought. Used forklifts, however, may not have been serviced before sale either due to the hours or the months not being at the required amount. This is a consideration to have when buying a used forklift as there may soon be a servicing fee in the near future if it hasn’t been serviced beforehand.
What Is Included In A Forklift Service?
Services typically occur at 250 hours, 500 hours and 1000-hour intervals, with each of these services being different to each other. For a 250-hour service, the oil filter, air filter and spark plugs will be changed on the forklift, along with the fuel filter for diesel forklifts. Coolant and hydraulic fluid levels will also be checked, along with the completion of a safety check. In a 500-hour service, the same checks and changes are completed, in addition to a check of the transmission oil. For a 1000-hour service, while these are not commonly performed any more, they include all fluids being changed, a brake inspection, steer wheel bearing regrease, safety check and are commonly required to be returned to a workshop to have this completed. These checks are mainly completed during previous servicing, with fluids being replaced if they are noted to be contaminated during a previous service.
How Long Do Services Take?
Services typically tend to take around 1-2 hours for most forklifts but can take over 8 hours depending on what service is being undertaken. For a 250-hour service, most electric forklifts will only take an hour for the service, while other combustion forklifts will typically take around 1.5-2 hours for forklifts that are under a 3t lift capacity. Forklifts over a 3t lift capacity will typically take around 2-3 hours for a 250-hour service due to their increased size. For a 500-hour and 1000-hour service, they can take a lot longer. A 500-hour service is typically around 3-5 hours, while a 1000-hour service can take more than 8 hours and may require possible transport to a workshop as well.
Why Should I Get My Forklift Serviced?
It is important to keep your forklift serviced regularly for two main reasons, the first being that it can help to extend the forklift’s lifetime. A properly maintained forklift will be checked regularly and will likely help the owner stay ahead of any mechanical or safety issues that may arise. The second reason is if your forklift has a warranty attached to it. For the warranty to still be valid, an effort needs to be made to keep the forklift properly serviced by a mechanic, otherwise any claims with the warranty company may be voided.
Who Can Service My Forklift?
Most qualified mechanics can complete a service on a forklift, but a forklift mechanic knows the safety checks required. It is always important to check with your forklift provider about their terms and conditions regarding the servicing of the forklift. Whilst any mechanic can technically service your forklift, if the company you bought the forklift from outlines in their terms and conditions that you have to get your servicing done through them, then you will have to adhere to those terms.