The UK lift truck market is ‘flooded’ with cheaply refurbished used forklift trucks, but buyers are warned that ‘second life’ trucks that appear to be a bargain often turn out to be anything but.
“It is very easy to get your fingers burnt if you don’t know what to look for when buying a used forklift,” said Neil Warren, Jungheinrich UK’s used equipment and short term rental director. “Many used trucks which are offered for sale as ‘refurbished’ have merely been cleaned, serviced and repainted and their performance levels can often leave a buyer feeling short changed.
“Because most forklift truck users are not fully trained to spot signs of wear and tear – perhaps around the mast and the axle – I advise anyone looking for a used truck to find a certified lift truck Thorough Examination engineer to look at it before you buy.”
“It’s not unusual for equipment offered for sale on the global market and imported into the EU for the first time to be more than 10 years old,’ said Warren. This means that both EU and ISO standards could have been revised twice since the original date of manufacture.”
“We are fiercely protective of the brand image of Jungheinrich ‘second life’ trucks,” said Warren.
Used Jungheinrich trucks are refurbished to the highest standards at the Group’s Dresden factory where every machine is dismantled and worn or defective parts are replaced, the truck is cleaned inside and out and repainted before being reassembled and safety tested. Trucks that have been through the refurbishment process are marketed in the UK as the Ready2Go.
