I'm thinking of buying a large forklift, say 15,000 lb or larger, diesel only, nothing in gas or lp, don't need anything fancy, just sheer bulk lifting with long forks on it, any suggestions as to what to buy or what to avoid, been looking at hyster's and some taylors, but don't know anything about them.
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looking to buy a large forklift
- Thread starter Randy88
- Start date
CM1995
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Randy what are lifting?
I know it's not the same machine but I've got a Gradall 534D6 which is a 6K machine on the yard that is handier that a shirt pocket for all sorts of tasks. Would a larger telehandler fit the bill? The extra reach is nice.
I know it's not the same machine but I've got a Gradall 534D6 which is a 6K machine on the yard that is handier that a shirt pocket for all sorts of tasks. Would a larger telehandler fit the bill? The extra reach is nice.
I've been working on lowboy trailers and am tired of jacking them up and using blocks to crib them on. I'm thinking if I had a large enough forklift, I could just lift them and move the trailers around with that, much faster and safer to set them on cribbing blocks and handle the trailers.
I'm not after the reach at all on this machine, just sheer lifting strength and handling stability is the goal.
I've also been thinking how much nicer it would be to set a flatbed trailer on its side to do sandblasting and repainting of the frame rather than laying under them set on cribbing to do the work.
Last summer when looking at trailers I was at a used trailer lot looking at some lowboys that really were not what I was wanting, but looking just the same and an employee wanted to show me a used trailer they had, I asked about the underside and since it was raining that day, he just went to get the forklift and picked it up enough we could look at the whole underside standing beside the forklift...........slickest thing ever, we never walked under it while it was suspended, but looked from a safe distance to the side. I'll have to say I was impressed by the sheer ease and efficiency in which the forklift picked up the entire trailer, which got me to thinking, why not just buy a forklift myself to do the same thing, for as many trailers as I've laid under all these years, I could screw together some railroad ties for cribbing, and just lift the trailer up on them from a safe distance and in minutes the trailer is set up on safe cribbing and no more laying under the trailer, once done, use the forklift to lift the trailer off the cribbing and back down on the ground.
Might not be the most practical reason to buy a forklift, but after doing some research on sale prices of larger used forklifts, the prices were not that bad and I doubt the value would drop much over the next decade or so on the forklift I'd be interested in buying.
Might need one in the 20,000 plus lbs lifting range more so than the 15,000 lb range.
I've used quite a few telehandlers over the years, they are nice and have many uses, but not really for this job, first off, none are large enough and second, I don't need to lift anything more than 10 feet off the ground and last, I have no need for the reach of a telehandler for this purpose.
I'm not after the reach at all on this machine, just sheer lifting strength and handling stability is the goal.
I've also been thinking how much nicer it would be to set a flatbed trailer on its side to do sandblasting and repainting of the frame rather than laying under them set on cribbing to do the work.
Last summer when looking at trailers I was at a used trailer lot looking at some lowboys that really were not what I was wanting, but looking just the same and an employee wanted to show me a used trailer they had, I asked about the underside and since it was raining that day, he just went to get the forklift and picked it up enough we could look at the whole underside standing beside the forklift...........slickest thing ever, we never walked under it while it was suspended, but looked from a safe distance to the side. I'll have to say I was impressed by the sheer ease and efficiency in which the forklift picked up the entire trailer, which got me to thinking, why not just buy a forklift myself to do the same thing, for as many trailers as I've laid under all these years, I could screw together some railroad ties for cribbing, and just lift the trailer up on them from a safe distance and in minutes the trailer is set up on safe cribbing and no more laying under the trailer, once done, use the forklift to lift the trailer off the cribbing and back down on the ground.
Might not be the most practical reason to buy a forklift, but after doing some research on sale prices of larger used forklifts, the prices were not that bad and I doubt the value would drop much over the next decade or so on the forklift I'd be interested in buying.
Might need one in the 20,000 plus lbs lifting range more so than the 15,000 lb range.
I've used quite a few telehandlers over the years, they are nice and have many uses, but not really for this job, first off, none are large enough and second, I don't need to lift anything more than 10 feet off the ground and last, I have no need for the reach of a telehandler for this purpose.
petepilot
Senior Member
randy - I was just looking on south jersey craiglist a few min. ago was a 25000 listed with 10 f00t forks didn't look for a price but you might look at that
crane operator
Senior Member
I've been looking for one for quite a while too. I'm poor though- so I haven't found one cheap enough yet. I want one with a short mast though so I can get inside buildings, and not super long wheelbase so I can make a corner when I get inside the building.
Most of the old taylor diesels are detroit 4-53's. (In the old ones) Which isn't great in a building, but shouldn't be a problem for you. A lot of the older hysters are perkins.
Just so you know, rating is at 24" off the mast. Some will show a rating at 36" and 48" also, and they lose a lot of capacity as it goes out on the forks. I'd say you need a 20k at minimum, and a 25k would be better. We rented a 15k this winter for a job and I think the chart on it lost 2,000 lbs in going from 24" to 36" away from the mast. I was lifting around 10-12k at 48" and it handled it, but I had my hands full.
I own a old "champ" brand lift that's a 12k and it wouldn't stand a chance at my lowboy trailer. I've got some big steel mats that weigh about 3,500-4,500lbs each (some are heavier than others). They are like 6'x8'x 10", and I can pick up 3 but can't steer, two is fine.
There was a great big taylor south of me in arkansas a while back, I wasn't interested because it was a tall mast. It seems like used ones sell for 15-20,000 at auction, and that is just more than I want to pay for something that is going to sit around most of the time.
I'm a looker at under $10,000, and I'd be a buyer for the right one under $5,000. But like I said- I'm poor- and its not like I don't have a surplus of other lifting equipment. So for me it would just be another tool in the tool box for those once or twice a year jobs, and around the shop. And I can't justify $15-$20,000 for the rare use I would have for it.
I've seen pictures of a trailer sales place in Iowa (on auction time) where they had the trailer picked up with a big forklift. Probably the same place? They had a lot of trailers on Truckpaper and some were rough and they were all high priced when I was looking.
Most of the old taylor diesels are detroit 4-53's. (In the old ones) Which isn't great in a building, but shouldn't be a problem for you. A lot of the older hysters are perkins.
Just so you know, rating is at 24" off the mast. Some will show a rating at 36" and 48" also, and they lose a lot of capacity as it goes out on the forks. I'd say you need a 20k at minimum, and a 25k would be better. We rented a 15k this winter for a job and I think the chart on it lost 2,000 lbs in going from 24" to 36" away from the mast. I was lifting around 10-12k at 48" and it handled it, but I had my hands full.
I own a old "champ" brand lift that's a 12k and it wouldn't stand a chance at my lowboy trailer. I've got some big steel mats that weigh about 3,500-4,500lbs each (some are heavier than others). They are like 6'x8'x 10", and I can pick up 3 but can't steer, two is fine.
There was a great big taylor south of me in arkansas a while back, I wasn't interested because it was a tall mast. It seems like used ones sell for 15-20,000 at auction, and that is just more than I want to pay for something that is going to sit around most of the time.
I'm a looker at under $10,000, and I'd be a buyer for the right one under $5,000. But like I said- I'm poor- and its not like I don't have a surplus of other lifting equipment. So for me it would just be another tool in the tool box for those once or twice a year jobs, and around the shop. And I can't justify $15-$20,000 for the rare use I would have for it.
I've seen pictures of a trailer sales place in Iowa (on auction time) where they had the trailer picked up with a big forklift. Probably the same place? They had a lot of trailers on Truckpaper and some were rough and they were all high priced when I was looking.
Crane Operator, I'd guess the same place I was at looking at junk trailers, you've seen as well, not many around with that much overpriced junk in one place.
The Taylors and Hyster's, are they common and can you still get parts for them.
Next question, how do you haul a large one with such a tall mast, once home its not a big deal, most of my sheds and shop have higher doors. Do you just unhook the mast and lay it flat till you get to where your going?
As for being poor or rich, I tell people I'm iron rich and cash poor pretty well sums it up.
I've got a service pit, which is great, but most of the time it has something on it and is in use, usually waiting on parts so the machine can be put back together and then moved.
I've bought a lot of stuff over the years I'd figure I'd only use once or twice a year, and then after a few years plan to just get rid of it, only to find out, we use it a lot more than just once or twice a year and it usually never leaves once we have it, guess it falls under that, its not worth much and is really handy, so why not just keep it category.
The Taylors and Hyster's, are they common and can you still get parts for them.
Next question, how do you haul a large one with such a tall mast, once home its not a big deal, most of my sheds and shop have higher doors. Do you just unhook the mast and lay it flat till you get to where your going?
As for being poor or rich, I tell people I'm iron rich and cash poor pretty well sums it up.
I've got a service pit, which is great, but most of the time it has something on it and is in use, usually waiting on parts so the machine can be put back together and then moved.
I've bought a lot of stuff over the years I'd figure I'd only use once or twice a year, and then after a few years plan to just get rid of it, only to find out, we use it a lot more than just once or twice a year and it usually never leaves once we have it, guess it falls under that, its not worth much and is really handy, so why not just keep it category.
crane operator
Senior Member
Taylor is still in business. So is Hyster. You know the deal with old machines, some parts are available, most are much cheaper aftermarket. Most other things you can have built cheaper than buy from the factory.
The engine trans and axles are all bought from somewhere else and bolted in. Most of what taylor and hyster make- is the dumb parts that can't break.
When I'm looking, I'm mostly looking at the mast where the rollers ride. Over time- the rollers push the flanges out where they ride - bowing the frame flanges that they ride on. This gives them less of a flat surface to ride on, and they can take out the rollers. You can see it mostly in where the rollers sit when the forks are 2' or so off the ground, where they're bouncing around with a load on.
Side shift is nice, fork positioners is the best, some have individual control, some just move both forks in and out together.
Probably the other thing to look at is the rear axle- steering/ linkages and suspension/ kingpins. The big rubber tire ones are running around with a pile of counterweight on, and it destroys the back axles in a junkyard/ lumber/ warehouse setting with rough gravel yards.
The tall mast ones you can do just what you said- lay down the mast. Pull the tilt cylinder pins and watch the hoses. The really big ones have the mast taken off. Sometimes they come off easier than others. I've pulled several for transport.
The engine trans and axles are all bought from somewhere else and bolted in. Most of what taylor and hyster make- is the dumb parts that can't break.
When I'm looking, I'm mostly looking at the mast where the rollers ride. Over time- the rollers push the flanges out where they ride - bowing the frame flanges that they ride on. This gives them less of a flat surface to ride on, and they can take out the rollers. You can see it mostly in where the rollers sit when the forks are 2' or so off the ground, where they're bouncing around with a load on.
Side shift is nice, fork positioners is the best, some have individual control, some just move both forks in and out together.
Probably the other thing to look at is the rear axle- steering/ linkages and suspension/ kingpins. The big rubber tire ones are running around with a pile of counterweight on, and it destroys the back axles in a junkyard/ lumber/ warehouse setting with rough gravel yards.
The tall mast ones you can do just what you said- lay down the mast. Pull the tilt cylinder pins and watch the hoses. The really big ones have the mast taken off. Sometimes they come off easier than others. I've pulled several for transport.
crane operator
Senior Member
There's a lot of those old forklifts around, and they were mostly all overbuilt, you have to work at it to hurt them. That said, by the time I'm a buyer for them, someone has usually tried to hurt them.
crane operator
Senior Member
If you are looking a little newer, Kalmar is a big player and don't be afraid of one of them. Also the Cat ones- some were the old towmoter, the newer ones are made overseas- I think maybe mitsubishi. I don't think you can get parts for the cat ones from the cat man, you have to go to a forklift man.
OFF
Senior Member
the Hysters are nice & easy to work on. Everything is out in the open.
92U 3406
Senior Member
I quite like Hyundai myself.
