Pallet Truck Build Quality – Good or Bad?
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It can be very difficult when looking at a website or catalogue to assess the build quality of a hand pallet truck. Is it good or bad? If it’s only going to be used rarely, run over perfect floors and dusted down regularly it hardly matters. Unfortunately, the reality is usually somewhat different!
Hand Pallet Trucks – The Warehouse Workhorses
Hand pallet trucks are the workhorses of the warehouse or factory. They’re rarely given a second thought until they break down (usually at the worst possible time)! That’s when the difference between a cheap and a well engineered model becomes evident. If it’s been built down to a price rather than up to a specification, downtime may well be extended. Perhaps more importantly, repairs may not be possible. So how do we assess hand pallet truck build quality?
Component Quality
Let’s start with the hydraulics. Hidden away inside the casing are a number of seals which help keep the oil within a specific area. If the seals leak, the truck will finally fail to lift and seal replacement will be necessary. All well and good, providing the surfaces it’s rubbing against are smooth and manufactured to the correct tolerances. New seals are most likely to resolve the problem. If not, no amount of reseals will work. Scrapping the truck becomes the only solution, even if it’s a few months old.
Connecting the pump unit to the handle is a bracket bolted into place. There are also a series of connectors linking the trigger mechanism to the hydraulics. Do the bolts appear to strong enough for the job? What about the linkages? Are they robust and well designed? Can replacement parts be sourced easily?
Answering these questions isn’t really possible until the truck has been in service for a few months. HallmarkFIX deal with these issues every day. We know from experience which trucks offer good lifetime value. Those are the only ones we sell. Repairs to cheaper trucks may be possible but then we’ll happily advise you.
Conclusion
A good quality machine, serviced regularly, is likely to be a more cost effective solution than a cheap purchase price. That doesn’t mean that a higher purchase price will necessarily reflect good quality. There are expensive trucks that we don’t recommend as well as cheap ones!
So how can you be sure what’s good and what’s not so good? Consider the credibility of the supplier and when you’re confident about them, ask their advice.
Here at HallmarkFIX we’ve supplying pump trucks for over 20 years and we’ve earned an enviable reputation. Call us on 0161 272 1900 to discuss your requirements. We cover the UK mainland.