When it comes to owning a forklift, a lot of owner’s forget to think about how to keep their forklift maintained. So we want to take a look at exactly is a forklift PM SERVICE.
A PM service, or a Preventative Maintenance service, is the maintenance schedule that the Original Equipment Manufacturer recommends for the forklift that they manufacture. Quite simply if you think in the terms of your car, you need to get it serviced as per the manufactures recommendation every 15 000 Klms (Or what ever it is), it is the same with your forklift.
One of the major differences is the way it is calculated, generally a forklift is fitted with a Hour Meter instead of a Speedo. Depending on the type of forklift and the recommendations, you can generally expect to be servicing a 2500 KG forklift every 250 hours or every 3 months.
Generally included in a 250 hour service is :
- Changing of engine oil
- Changing of Engine oil filter
- Checking – Drive belt
- Checking LPG system (If fitted)
- Checking Engine Idle Speed
How often should you service your Forklift
The quickest way to work out how often your forklift needs servicing. Is to take a note of the hour meter at the start of the week then again at the end of the week. After determining how much you use your forklift, you can then talk to a service agent about a Preventative Maintenance Service schedule.
Generally most forklift dealers will offer an annual fixed price service schedule for your forklift. Generally most forklift dealers will suggest how often you should have a basic service performed (oil and filter change, battery check, fluids topped off as well as a host of other items).
Generally we suggest talking to a forklift dealer that can set up your service automatically and come out to service your forklift on an agreed regular basis.
Why do Preventative Maintenance Servicing
By servicing your forklift before you have trouble, you can catch many things (a worn belt, for example) that can be taken care of before it becomes a problem and your forklift stops running.
Just remember a Forklift PM service is less expensive than a service call and it will generally only take between one hour to two hours.
