If you’re dealing with a faulty forklift, it’s not always obvious whether you should send it off for repairs or purchase a new one completely. After all, if you plan on spending thousands on a repair and it’s an old model anyway, might purchasing a new forklift completely be the best course of action?

In this post, we’ll discuss when to repair, when to replace, and some different options altogether. Let’s get into it.

If you’re wondering whether to opt for replacing your forklift or forklift repair, here are some factors that can sway your decision.

Much like the mileage on a vehicle, the number of hours a forklift has been used can help determine its remaining lifespan, helping you make an informed decision about your next move.

If your forklift has been used for 10,000+ work hours, it’s coming to the end of its lifespan and should be replaced. If it’s only in the early thousands or even hundreds, consider repairing the model instead, as it should have a good few years of use left in it.

Forklifts that work in extreme heat or cold tend to need replacing more quickly. Consider the environment in which your forklift is used and whether your truck could have been adversely affected by it.

If you do work in extreme temperatures, it’s a sad reality that you’ll have to replace your forklifts slightly more frequently than the norm, so factor this into your decision.

Probably the biggest factor in the decision between repairing and replacing is the cost. Get a quote for forklift repair from a professional and compare it to the cost of buying a new or used forklift. If there’s very little difference between the two prices, it’s better value for money to buy a new forklift entirely.

If a repair would only cost a couple of hundred, it’s still much cheaper to opt for a repair rather than looking at a new model. Repair might also be the better option if you’re working within a limited budget.

How well your forklift has been maintained over the years has a huge influence on whether or not a repair will keep it working well. You should have access to the maintenance history of the truck from the last few years or so, which will give you an insight into the state of the forklift and how likely it is to work well for years to come.

Factor your future business needs into your decision-making around repair vs replace. If you plan on using your forklift less as time goes on, spending thousands on a new model probably isn’t the best choice.

If you’ll be increasing your forklift usage, you might want to consider either upgrading your current one or buying a larger fleet. If neither of those options appeals and you want more flexibility, rental might be for you. More on that later…

The older your forklift, the more likely it is to need replacing in a year or so anyway, ditto if it’s an old model. If it’s a model that’s no longer in production, you might find it harder to get it repaired, too. In these circumstances, purchasing a new forklift or opting for a short-term rental is probably the best course of action.

One reason many forklift owners might feel reluctant to replace a faulty forklift entirely is if they haven’t used the original model as much as they thought they would. This can leave you in a tricky situation, where repair feels too expensive, but you won’t use a new forklift enough to warrant the money.

The solution? Forklift hire.

By hiring a forklift as and when you need one, you won’t need to fork out (pun intended!) on either a new model or the pricey repair costs. Instead, you can hire a forklift as and when you require one.

If neither forklift repair nor forklift hire are right for you but you don’t have the budget for a brand new forklift, consider buying a used model instead.

Need to buy, repair, or hire a forklift? Luckily, we cover all three.

Here at Acclaim Handling, we offer forklift repair, forklift hire, and forklifts to buy, so you can select the one that’s best for your business. With a large fleet of models for every business type, you’ll find the right one for you in our diverse selection.

When it comes to short-term forklift hire, we can cater to both pre-planned and last-minute rental needs, with support from our expert team on each forklift model. Find out more about our services here.