Extending the life of your battery-powered forklift

Batteries seem to have become a regular part of our hi-tech lifestyles.  At any given time you’re charging several items and something else is running out of juice at exactly the wrong moment.

You pay attention to how to best manage the batteries in your smartphone, but you need to pay just as much attention to your batter-operated forklift to keep it working at peak performance.

For starters, focus on your batteries. Water regularly, perform gravity checks and voltage testing and never over-discharge. Equalize your charge twice a month.  If you own a batter-operated forklift you know about all these processes but if you do have any questions we can certainly help.

Wear and tear on the other parts of the battery-powered forklift are very similar to internal combustion or LP powered.  Consider your battery as the “engine” of the electric lift and keep it watered, etc, and the regular maintenance of the rest of the forklift is the same.

You pre and post-shift inspection for an electric forklift is slightly different. Always inspect your connections on the charger and the battery, looking for cracks and damage to the housings, damaged tips and pits on the contact tips. Check the cables on both the battery and the charger for tears or wear.  Add these steps to both your pre and post inspections every shift, every day.

Remember that your battery is built to last for a finite number of cycles. Pay attention to where you are in the life cycle of your battery. Keep track of every cycle and the end of your battery’s run won’t come as a surprise.

Your battery-operated forklift does have some special needs. If you have any questions about this, our experts have the experience, expertise, and the answers for you.