Like just about anything in this world, your forklift will eventually wear out. It’s the circle of life. So… how long should a forklift last?
With proper maintenance- regular checkups according to the manufacturers recommendations, oil changes, grease applications and run-of-the-mill usage, etc- a new forklift should last about 10,000 hours. Assuming a 168-hour month (that’s 8 hours a day for a month) your lift will run for five years.
After that, you can have your unit rebuilt and it can run like a champ for another 6,000-8,000 hours more.
You can tell if your forklift is beginning to show its age if the engine starts burning through oil faster than it used to, if the transmission starts slipping a bit, if the mast components start wearing out, or if the steering axle fails. Any one of these can be spotted just by paying attention to your forklift or through regular inspections, which you should be performing anyway.
If your forklift is nearing the end of its days, you’re going to want to be ready. Its replacement may already be in stock at our facility, but if you have any special requirements your lead time on a new unit could be as long as 14 weeks. That’s a long time to be without a forklift if you don’t plan accordingly.
It’s worth noting that electric forklifts tend to last longer as they have fewer moving parts, but their batteries (customarily lead-acid) only last about five years.
How long should a forklift last? Like your car or just about anything else mechanical if you take care of it, it will last a good long time. Your forklift is no exception. Keep it maintained, have us come out every now and again to take a look, and you will get a good long run out of your forklift.