Before you purchase a forklift here are some tips.

First let's look at the following machine types. This is something that you'll need to know before you purchase your forklift truck.

• Reach truck
• Rider low lift truck
• Rider stacker
• Rider order picking truck
• Towing Tractor
• Walkie stacker
• Walkie low lift truck
• Walkie order picking truck
• Narrow aisle truck
• Slip sheet machine
• Electric truck
• Counterbalance dropped (IC
• Telescopic handler
• Hand pallet truck

It's very easy to overspend unless you are a well informed buyer. You may be buying options on your forklift that you will never use.

Before you go purchase a forklift new or used write down everything that you expect your forklift to do including how many hours a day you plan on running your forklift.

Toyota Corporation, Kion Group, Mitsubishi, NACCO Industrious, and Jungheinrich are the top five forklift manufactures today.

Most likely you will be buying one of their products. Once you have decided which to forklift to buy, make sure you shop around before you purchase. Prices will vary and you can make deals with the manufacturer just like buying a car.

Try to visit at least two or more retailers for a good price comparison. Don't forget to ask what the full price will be before you sign.

You can figure on spending about $15,000 for a forklift that has an internal combustion engine. The prices will go up the heavier the truck and the more accessories you want.

If you would rather have a green forklift which is electric, they usually start out around $20,000 and you will also have to spend extra money on batteries and battery charger.

When you're looking for a forklift that's over 35,000 pounds this would be considered a heavy-duty forklift and you can expect to pay $100,000 or more.

If you do not want to spend this kind of money you can buy a used one. Just make sure you do your homework first. Make sure you determine how many hours you are planning to be using the forklift and what the operating cost is.

If you plan on using a forklift on a daily basis for 2-8 hours a day you may want to think about the maintenance and breakdown cost because it could cost you more money than buying a new one.

You also could lease a forklift. A lot of companies prefer leasing their forklifts because of the warranty. The warranties cover the length of the lease.

Knowing what you need the forklift for, knowing how long you're going to use it each day and knowing if you need electric or an internal combustion engine will help to decide what type of forklift to purchase.

Remember when purchasing a new forklift or a used a forklift you can make deals with the salespeople. So don't be afraid to make an offer. Think about it like you're buying a new car. You want the best deal, the best warranties and the best maintenance package you can get on your forklift.