Narrow Aisle Forklifts
Several forklifts are specially made to fit down very narrow aisles in a warehouse. These models are referred to as narrow aisle lift trucks. They could easily negotiate smaller aisles and allow you to enjoy several benefits. Like for example, the increased amount of area to keep stuff can really increase a company's overall available inventory.
The narrow aisle lift truck is manufactured to maneuver rather easily, since they are engineered particularly to work in confined areas. Their unique design has eliminated many of the items which are squished up into the design of the conventional lift truck's main body.
The disadvantage of narrow aisle lift trucks is that they are really slow compared to regular forklifts. Narrow aisle lift trucks will not work if you have to transport objects across large distances. When it comes to speed they would not be a reliable choice. If you also have a standard forklift, this will not be an issue. You can simply use the narrow aisle lift truck to transport the load to a central site and then hand it off to a regular lift truck that could travel the bulk of the distance in a timely and efficient method. Frequently, narrow aisle forklifts cannot handle as much lifting weight; hence, outside of smaller loads they will not be very helpful.
Electric Forklifts
Traditional gas lift trucks are not a suitable choice for indoor applications such as warehouses or stores. They would not be as safe due to their fumes, or as cost-efficient or helpful than an electric powered model. Electric forklifts are usually engineered to look and function a lot like gas ones, but they use electric batteries which should be recharged, instead of gasoline fuel.
Electric lift trucks are popular for a variety of reasons. For starters, they would save you a lot of money on fuel costs. At first, electric models may cost more but eventually, they make up for this in the long run. Like for instance, when gas prices increase, you will save a lot of cash because you will not be affected. Electric units tend to last somewhat a bit longer than gas powered units too. This is partially because of the fact they are mainly used indoors and hence don't get as dirty or work in as harsh environments as the gas powered ones. Electric models are healthier to utilize in places that are poorly ventilated like warehouses and indoor operations since they don't emit noxious fumes. It could be extremely dangerous to use diesel or gas forklifts inside.
The electric forklift does have some downsides like the fact that they can really just work for about 8 hours. Then the equipment would have to be charged for 8 hours and rested for another 8 hours. Many companies get around this condition by buying an extra battery so they could have less downtime and continually cycle them. There are fast charge batteries emerging on the market which are also reducing the charging time.