Forklifts
 

Anyone have a forklift that they use to move their boat around while on the trailer. I know dealerships and manufactureres use them. We keep the NT in a wharehouse with a 11'-6" door and it gets a little tight and needs 1-2 spotters when backing it in with the truck. With a forklift it seems it wioll be much easier and possible to do it with 1 person. Where could I find one in the Ft. Lauderdale area? how much do they usually cost? it has a tounge weight of about 1500# so would a 2000# lift be enough to lift it and move it?
thanks
-Rick

Re: Forklifts
 

can't be a lot of help, but I will add what I can....

I have several clients who are boat dealers, every one of them has a fork lift with a ball mounted near the end of one of the forks, the right one as you face the unit, left as you sit on the unit.

They very much make moving the heaviest boats around easy.

I would look on e-bay, I do not know anyone who bought one there, but I know several who have sold them there, and all were good units.

Hope this helped some.....

Re: Forklifts
 

just to move trailer they can be found all day long for 2-3k gas or propane


as dean said check ebay

Re: Forklifts
 

Be sure to buy one with pneumatic tires not solid rubber ones.

Little or no slip on sand, dirt, slick surfaces (water or oil). Also absorbs bumps much better when moving the boats around and over rough surfaces or door aprons ect.

Re: Forklifts
 

Fork lifts traditionally run only on flat, level ground, unless you have an out door or rough terrain model.

The indoor fork lifts usually have poor brakes and low ground clearance and may not be suitable to move the boat up or down an incline and they may "high center" if you go over a crest in the driveway. And with the poor brakes, it may not be able to stop a boat on an incline.

If you have flat ground and don't need super brakes, there is also the "airplane tug". These are pretty compact and heavy duty. Some can be run off an extension cord. Transmission shops often have a car pusher that is battery operated and levers itself under the bumper to get added traction.

I bought a Case skid steer. It is 9500 pounds and 90 Hp. It can push anything and has failproof brakes. Very nice solution, but you would have to run that past the wife before you take over one more space in the garage.

One other thing I though of using is those trenching machines. They go very slow with 4 wheel drive. Brakes can be a problem as they are the same as most indoor forklifts with a dry band type brake on the drive shaft, but they do have four wheel drive.

One last thought, those concrete buggies with a bunch of ballast instead of the hppper section.

It all depends on your operating conditions and constraints. Forklifts are very handy if you have the space and relatively flat and very hard ground.

Re: Forklifts
 

remember one on e-bay might be cheap but you still need it delivered. You dont' just throw a forlift in the back of a truck. Some forlifts weigh more than a truck.

depending on what you are moving and how much you care about it you are not going find a forklift for 2-3K in Lauderdale unless it is a real pos. You defenitely want air tires.

With that kind of tongue weight I would not look at one smaller than 4k pounds.

If you want forkift help in Ft. Lauderdale give me a call and I can help you. You can buy mine for 12k if you want a 6,000 lb diesel Yale in perfect condition. Triple mast side shift. Forklifts in Lauderdale usually keep a street value of around 10k for the good well maintained ones. the 2-3k ones have oil leaks, no brakes, etc. Best thing to do if you are looking for a lower price unit is to find a Marina that is selling one so you know the maintenance history.

I have seen people buy them cheap and spend just as much to keep them running as they paid for them.

Mindi doller mentioned selling her old one a couple months back, might want to give her a call.

Re: Forklifts
 

another option is a smaller tractor with a ball mount on the front something like a kubota b7500 series or any other brand in this range size and lower 4wd 2wd autos sticks you can pickit.

Re: Forklifts
 

Will the B7500 move a boat the size of a 36 Nor-Tech? I have that same tractor, but have always been too chicken to try moving the boat with it. I am building a garage this fall for the boat and was planning on looking for a used fork-lift, but if I don't need to spend the extra $$$$ that would be nice.

Re: Forklifts
 

Thanks for the replys. 10k is way more then i wanted to spend. 2-3 is what i was hoping for. Ill ask Doller when im there on monday to see what they want for theirs.
-Rick

Re: Forklifts
 

My friend uses it to stab gooseneck and bumper pull horse trailers in his repair shop all day long just dont be "speedy" and not lock the ball down on it. A couple of boat yards in TX use a tractor close to size (think older model of the b7500) as a yard tractor. These guys had the extra weight blocks on the front for they didnt have the fron end loader options.

Re: Forklifts
 

Please explain why you would not lock the ball.

Re: Forklifts
 

I think was trying to say DONT take short cuts (speedy) and leave the coupler unlocked.............

Re: Forklifts
 

AHH!!! I miss read it. ( read as dont be speedy and in addition dont lock the ball.) :D

I saw one of my guys have a trailer crest the incline into the shop and see a coupler lift off the ball and stare him in the face. Said he felt that there was enough tongue wt that all he sould have needed was the 1-7/8 ball even though it was a 2-5/16 coupler. He never tried that again.

Re: Forklifts
 

I too had to reread it ....

Re: Forklifts
 

May think about one of these instead :cool:


http://www.powercaster.com/products.html

Re: Forklifts
 

With the shutdown of Ft Monmouth they're auctioning off all kinds of good stuff including fork lifts also a whole bunch of 13' Boston Whalers.

Re: Forklifts
 

Those power casters are not good for short tight turns when moving long trailers. They tip easily. Also the tractor idea might be ok if there is enough rear counterweight. Again the tractor has no way near the turning radius of the rear whhels on the for lift. You can just about spin them in place and very stable in tight spots.

Re: Forklifts
 

Do you have a number for the auctions or a contact there?

Re: Forklifts
 

Put a hitch on the front of your truck...............

Re: Forklifts
 

Nope, I can ask. My neighbor was telling me about it yesterday.

Re: Forklifts
 

i use forklifts to move my boat around but a small tractor would be a much better pick

Re: Forklifts
 

I use forklift in shop and tractor 3 point hitch in the yard

Re: Forklifts
 

That would be great ....Thanks