Narrow Aisle Forklifts
There are specially made forklifts which operate in narrow warehouse aisles. These machinery are normally known as narrow aisle or very narrow aisle forklifts. They could negotiate smaller aisles easily and enable you to enjoy some benefits. For instance, the increased amount of space to keep stuff could significantly increase a company's overall available stock.
Narrow aisle lift trucks are able to maneuver easily also. These machines have been specifically engineered to move without much space. Their unique design has eliminated many of the things which are squished up into the design of the conventional forklift's main body.
The disadvantage of narrow aisle forklifts is that they are really slow compared to standard forklifts. Narrow aisle forklifts will not work if you have to transport items across long distances. In terms of speed they will not be a reliable option. If you also have a regular lift truck, this will not be a problem. You can simply use the narrow aisle lift truck to transport the load to a central site and afterward hand it off to a regular forklift which can travel the bulk of the distance in an efficient and timely manner. Commonly, narrow aisle forklifts cannot handle as much lifting weight; hence, outside of smaller loads they are not going to be very helpful.
Electric Forklifts
Conventional gas lift trucks are not a suitable alternative for indoor operations like warehouses or stores. They would not be as safe due to their fumes, or as useful or cost-efficient than an electric powered model. Electric lift trucks are usually designed to look and function a lot like gas ones, but they depend on electric batteries which have to be recharged, instead of gasoline fuel.
Electric forklifts are popular for a variety of reasons. For starters, they would save you lots of money on fuel expenses. Initially, electric units may cost more but eventually, they make up for this in the long run. Like for example, when gas prices go up, you would not be affected and will save lots of cash. Electric units tend to last quite a bit longer compared to gas powered units too. This is partially due to the fact they are mostly used inside and thus don't get as dirty or work in as harsh environments as the gas powered models. Electric units are healthier to use in poorly ventilated places like indoor operations and warehouses as they don't emit noxious fumes. It can be very dangerous to utilize gas or diesel forklifts indoors.
Among the major disadvantages to electric forklifts is the fact they can generally just work for one 8 hour shift before the battery needs to be charged for another shift. Many companies get around this condition by purchasing an extra battery so they could have less downtime and continually cycle them. There are fast charge batteries available on the market which are also minimizing the charging time.