Checklist: buying a used forklift – what to look for
A used forklift can work reliably for years – if you check the right points before buying. This checklist guides you through the viewing, from the first look to the test drive. It comes from our own workshop practice: these are the same points we check on every truck we buy in.
Before the viewing: the usage profile
- What load capacity do you need – including a reserve for the heaviest load?
- What lift height must be reached, and how high is the lowest passage (overall height!)?
- Indoors, outdoors or both – this decides the drive type and the tyres.
- How wide are your narrowest aisles? This determines the truck type.
At the truck: the technical checklist
- Read the operating hours and set them in relation to the year of manufacture – and check whether the hour meter looks plausible.
- Forks: check for wear, cracks and bending – worn fork heels are a safety risk.
- Mast and lift chains: smooth travel without jerking, chains evenly tensioned, no worn-out rollers.
- Hydraulics: are cylinders and hoses dry? An oil film or drip marks are warning signs. A raised load must stay up without sinking.
- On electric trucks – the battery: have its age, cell condition and charging behaviour shown to you; a worn battery can make a supposed bargain expensive.
- Tyres: tread or wear limit on solid rubber, even wear pattern.
- Brakes, steering, lights, horn: test them on the test drive – in reverse and with a load as well.
- Frame and weld seams: look for cracks, fresh paint over repairs, signs of accidents.
The paperwork
- UVV inspection: is there a valid test badge and the test report? When is the next inspection due?
- Maintenance history: a truck with a traceable history is worth more than one without papers.
- Operating manual and CE marking present?
The easiest way: buy inspected
You do not have to check all of this on your own. Every truck we sell has been through our workshop inspection – and you can view any truck in Ludwigsfelde and have it demonstrated before you buy. Feel free to bring this checklist along: we will go through it together with you.
