Have you ever had a forklift break down mid-shift? It’s a serious headache, especially when you realise the forklift part you need isn’t in your stores. This means you’ve got to order it in, which can take days, while your machine sits idle and money goes down the drain.That’s why keeping the right forklift parts on hand is important. If you’ve got the basics, a simple swap-out can get your team moving again quickly, helping you avoid unnecessary downtime and a fair bit of frustration.
1. Lifting Performance
The mast chain and lift cylinder play a significant role in your machine’s ability to raise and lower loads. A worn chain or leaking cylinder can slow the lift speed and increase risk.
Having a replacement mast chain assembly or cylinder seal kit ready can quickly return your forklift to full speed.
2. Braking & Parking
Having a set of handbrake cables available is always advisable, as they could fail at any time. The handbrake plays a crucial role in minimizing risk of an unattended forklift, or risk when working on a sloped area. If one of these fails unexpectedly, your operations could come to a halt, as the forklift could not operate safely especially under load without fully functioning brakes.
Keeping a suitable replacement transmission component will help you get back to work quickly should these components fail.
3. Engine or Power-Unit Reliability
Starters, alternators, water pumps, and fuel pumps form the backbone of your forklift’s power system. First Forklifts imports major brand spares for the most popular makes and models.
If your forklift fails to start or overheats, having the right spares ready for the engine system will allow you to act fast.
4. Operator Safety and Compliance
Safety-critical spares include items such as lights, hooters, reverse buzzers, and seatbelts. These items may seem secondary until you’re flagged in an inspection or your operators report a malfunction. Having these components ready will ensure constant compliance and help maintain safe operation.
5. Wear and Load Contact Damage
Components like tyres, forks, and hydraulic hoses endure plenty of stress and degrade over time. If a hose bursts or a tyre fails midway through an operation, you’ll be forced to stop work until it’s repaired. You should therefore keep a range of tyres and hoses ready to use in your stores so you can respond quickly to wear-related issues.
If you need to stock up on the right forklift parts for your forklifts, contact First Forklifts today. We have a wide range of parts available for various makes and models.