LPG Or Battery Electric Forklift Hire In Melbourne – Which Is The Right Fit For You?

When it comes to forklift hire in Melbourne, ensuring that you’ve made the right choice is essential for the success of your project. Before making a decision, be sure to look closely at the intended tasks – it might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many forklift choices are made based on assumptions and guesswork. The two most popular options are LPG and battery electric – below, we have outlined some of the things to consider.

It’s also a good idea to talk with your operators to determine what their problems are, what they really need, and what they liked and/or disliked about past forklift hire in Melbourne. After all, these are the people who will be required to use the machine for the duration of the hire period. If nothing else, this will get them involved in the decision making process and they’ll have a better idea of why certain decisions have been made.

Why choose an LPG forklift?

•    Provides the flexibility of working indoors and outdoors
•    Consistently provides extra power
•    Superior power-to-weight ratio means better acceleration, as well as faster travel and lifting speeds
•    More cost effective than diesel forklifts
•    Premises will be well ventilated and engine emission levels will not be of significant concern
•    Engines are industrial, which means they are readily understood by technicians and require little to no special tooling

Why might you reconsider?

•    Might be paying for more power than you actually need
•    Might not have the ability to store LPG bottles safely on the worksite
•    LPG can run out quickly; need to have the next bottle ready to go, as fuel gauges are not usually provided
•    Require a higher level of skill to operate than electric forklifts
•    Need to ensure that the level of exhaust is acceptable for your worksite
•    Need to check for adequate rearward visibility

Why choose a battery electric forklift?

•    Best suited for indoor work and where confined spaces are an issue
•    Ensure that your worksite is completely free of exhaust fumes (ideal for food, pharmaceuticals and other sensitive products)
•    Safer if you have a lot of pedestrian traffic
•    Quiet operation, helping to keep the overall noise level down
•    Lowest vibration felt by the operator for greater comfort
•    Costs less to charge batteries than to purchase fuel
•    Easier to drive than diesel and LPG forklifts (only need an accelerator and a brake pedal)
•    Have fewer moving parts, so maintenance is faster, more cost effective and easier to undertake
•    Environmentally friendly (zero emissions and no fossil fuel usage)

Why might you reconsider?

•    Need a battery recharging unit (there are several types available)
•    Cost of the battery and charging unit make them quite expensive upfront (savings come with the whole life cost)
•    Batteries need proper care and maintenance
•    Don’t like uneven floors and gradients (which consume more power)
•    Restricted to indoor use only, as electricals need to avoid wet areas

As you can see, there are a number of things that you need to think about to ensure that you’re making an informed decision when it comes to forklift hire in Melbourne. Be sure that you have taken into account all of the positives and negatives (both immediate and long-term), too. Keep in mind that your application may also involve other variables that have not been discussed here – your best bet is to speak with an expert.