Whether you buy a new or used electric forklift, reach truck, orderpicker, walkie, turret truck or sideloader it will require battery power.  Those batteries can cost as much as $5,000 each.  Learn some basics about their maintenance and they will last much longer and your lift truck maintenance costs will be much lower.

Modern forklift batteries are designed for a cycle of charging, discharging and recharging of around 1,500 times.  Depending on the shifts you run, or your daily usage, this means your battery should last between three and five years.

• No matter the length of the charge your battery is one cycle closer to the end of its life. To maximize the life of your battery do not let the battery discharge more than 80%.    More than 80% and the battery temperature will increase dramatically which causes damage to the forklift components.
• Check the water level every five charges.  Running a battery dry will damage the forklift battery.  When refilling only use distilled water. Always water batteries after charging, but when they have cooled-down.  The old saying goes “Eight hours of use, eight hours of charge and eight hours of rest”.
• Properly maintain the battery fluid level.  Refill only to cover the plates.  Higher than that and the battery will boil-over.
• Carefully rinse off any fluid that boiled out of the battery.  Since it is both conductive and corrosive it will create unwanted heat and corrosion. When the battery boils over due to over-watering it knocks the acid balance out of the battery fluids, which will also make your electric forklift run hotter and reduce the battery’s charge.Overcharging, or charging too frequently, causes the trucks to generate hydrogen gas, often called “off gassing”, which destabilizes the acid/water mixture in the battery.
• Be sure to clean your batteries a few times a year to remove the corrosive acid build-up.  This will also help extend the life of your battery.
• Consider a smart charging system,  or a trickle charger, and an automatic watering system to take the guesswork out of maintaining your electric forklift battery.

1. An Overview Of Electric Forklifts
2. Forklift Fuel Choices – Electric vs. Internal Combustion Engine (I.C.E.)
3. 10 Easy Ways You Can Reduce Forklift Maintenance Costs
4. Forklift Battery changing room “do’s and don’ts”
5. Creative Use for Forklift Batteries
6. Types of Forklifts
7. An overview of electric pallet jacks
8. Raymond Forklift unveils first fuel cell-powered order-picker