Yard and Shop Forklift necessary evil

[oceanobob]

I tried to get by with one forklift, a reachfork 8k. But it doesn't help with loading stuff on pallet shelves in the shop like spares and heavier tools. And if it is on a job (which is good), then it isn't available at the shop/yard.

I am aiming for pneumatic tires, side shift, LP, torque converter. Figuring this better utilization of investment than an older vintage clutch model or no side shift.

Any ideas on these topics:
about how many hours is getting scary - like 7500? 10,000?

brands around here include Mitsubishi, Toyotas, some Hyster and some Yale, older is Clark. Any comments?

can a solid tire machine be converted to pneumatic or is it better to get the pneumatic as original equipment?

One I am looking at is advertised here:
http://www.equipmenttraderonline.com/listing/1995-MITSUBISHI-FG25-112996374

To me, I'd rather to buy one from private party not too far away with all the scratches, not a paint over from an equipment dealer. I am adverse to the auction process.

Thanks

 

[oceanobob]

Update:
Got a referral from an equip dealer to see a local 1995 Mistubishi 5000# lift...8500 hours. Hydraulics no leaks, some pump noise. Had some frothy foam on the engine side oil fill cap. This is a concern as likely oil not changed often (black like asphalt sealer), or worse a cooling water leak into engine. One explanation is this a LP normal situation from combustion blowby? Never heard that proposed before. Not sure on this machine. The dealer sent many pictures and well represented the machine.

Got some pics from a equip dealer in next county - he sent some pics of a mid 80s 5000# Cat with 6300 hours - it has Conti engine and am worried about parts avail, had no side shift (dealer said 'easily added'), also tires weren't pneumatic.....although both these features were stipulated when I inquired. I also noticed the OEM nameplate on the Mitsubishi only listed one type of tire (which was a pneumatic) and this tends to convince me to get a machine that matches the nameplate and keep it that way. This dealer is the typical somewhat pushy cajoling type and focuses on his take of the conversation. No details, only two pics, and doesn't meet my request. Maybe he cant hear>LOL.

Another equip dealer has a Toyota with all features requested....we'll see pics soon.

Rental yard sent a quote but machine is much newer and way exceeds budget.

 

[Andrew_D]

Our shop forklift runs for short periods so the engine (LP) doesn't heat up. The oil always has that chocolate milk look to it. We only put on maybe 20-25 hours of engine time per year, but I still change the oil once a year.

Andrew

 

[Delmer]

Had some frothy foam on the engine side oil fill cap. This is a concern as likely oil not changed often (black like asphalt sealer), or worse a cooling water leak into engine. One explanation is this a LP normal situation from combustion blowby? Never heard that proposed before.

That wouldn't bother me at all. ANY engine that doesn't reach operating temperature will have some condensation, and even if it does get warm the pipe sticking out from the engine is one of the last places to get dried out (there will be the same foam/sludge stuck to the top of the valve cover usually). If you're worried about the engine leaking coolant into the oil, take an oil sample, that's the good thing about old oil, it will tell the tale if you take the time to sample it.

 

[oceanobob]

Agree on oil sample and lab will be able to id the water ... when buying a used machine it is difficult to reduce risk. If actually buying, I make my offer regarding price and then ask if I may pull samples as a "subject to".

 

[oceanobob]

To update: a few said that a yard n shop forklift should cost around 2 or 3k, or if you get lucky maybe $1500. I started to notice the folks that actually had searched and then bought some type of shop forklift said more like at least $5k if you want all three of these: LP, pneumatic, side shift. Craiglist (w/i easy drive) has a few forklifts but few if any meet the three criteria.

Last week, a reseller / mechanic about 125 miles away found such a machine, a Toyota for $7900 delivered with 5k hours.

About 400 miles away saw one with 3500 hours for $5800 ... they also offer financing and the pic shows the entire mast, carriage and forks have all new paint while the balance of the machine looks remarkably clean with minimal fade and no rust. Maybe the machine was laid over and the mast had to be replaced? Was also thinking perhaps this was a repo unit due to the offer of financing and pics show no other machines etc....will call on this one when work week begins.

 

[oceanobob]

The $5800 machine is sold. Was a craiglist ad, and suffice to say there was a sense of weirdness.
*
The high hour (8500) machine had a price reduction to $5300 from $6200.

The $7900 machine went to the paint shop so that price will move up.

**
Lots of machines w/o side shift and or pneumatic tires. Clearly these items makes the machine more desirable. Likely will need to raise the bar on $.

 

[Dualie]

just missed a nice 97 5K with rubber tires for $2000 less than 4000 hours on it. I was two hours to late, but they are out there.

 

[caterpillarmech]

We have had our Mitsubishi for as long as I can remember. FD25 great machine. Gets hammered on every day by our yahoos and still is strong. We use it for everything. Parts, man basket, machine assembly, hell, we have pushed broken dozers in and out of the shop with it! What a machine.

 

[lantraxco]

I tend to look for older pnuematics, Hyster in my part of the world, or Clark. Don't be afraid of the continental engines, they run forever and there seems to be lots of parts still out there, they made millions of each model usually. Don't get hung up on the sideshift, it's convenient if the machine already has one, but they're available at reasonable prices, just make sure any machine you consider already has the extra hydraulic valve and lever for the sideshift. Same with LP, it's not dirt cheap, but you can convert any gas machine to propane in a few hours usually.

 

[ReXoR]

I need help!

I got a Terex TW050313 fortlift with fuel problems.
I working in Nigeria and mechanics or hard to find and I'm no mechanic. I just replace the injector pump and nozzles and it work fine for a week but then it wouldn't start again. Then my Nigerian mechanic said it was a bad fuel pump so I got a new one but no luck the same result.
So what now new pump but it will not produce enough pressure to flow through the nossels but it new. The reson I change the one that was a week old.
HELP ME PLEASE