The Dangers of Ignoring Your Forklift's Maintenance and Repair Needs

While your forklifts may get their engines and hydraulic oil levels checked daily, there are dozens of other maintenance points that can quietly become compromised during normal use if not checked on a regular basis. Sure, forklift maintenance and repair can be time-consuming and expensive, but ignoring either can lead to more wasted time and even more expensive repairs. In other words, ignoring your forklift’s maintenance and repair needs is one of the most costly things you can do.

To give you an idea of just how important it is that you keep your forklifts in top shape, here is a look at a few of the dangers of ignoring forklift maintenance and repair:

Unsafe Equipment

One of the most obvious dangers of ignoring forklift maintenance and repair is the fact that it can diminish the safety and stability of your equipment. In turn, this creates an unsafe work environment and increases the odds of a forklift-related accident. It may take a bit of time and money to ensure that your forklift is in good working condition, but ensuring the safety of your employees is worth every penny.

Inefficient Equipment

Another side effect of ignoring forklift maintenance and repair is that it makes your equipment less efficient than it normally would be. Besides wasting fuel, inefficient forklifts can also affect workplace productivity. The bottom line is that an inefficient forklift will end up costing you more in the long run than it would cost you to stay on top of maintenance and repairs.

Unusable Equipment

If you ignore maintenance and repair long enough, your equipment will eventually become unusable. All machines with moving parts will wear down over time, but machines that are ignored will wear down much quicker than those that are cared for and looked after. So if you want to extend the useful life of your forklifts and maximize its residual value, make sure to have them serviced and repaired as needed.