News

NEW PNEUMATIC FORKLIFTS FOR JUST $22,998!

By Dennis Firkins - February 13, 2020

Western Material Handling is the New Hangcha Forklift dealer for CO and WY. Hangcha is up and coming manufacturer of quality forklifts in business since 1956 with a full line of forklifts. We are also the 3^rd largest Tailift forklift dealer West of the Mississippi & was selected, multi-year Dealer of the Year. Tailift has been selling forklifts in the US since 1974 & is owned by Toyota. Talk to us before buying a new forklift anywhere else!

WMH’s team of nationally recognized Professionals have been helping customers pick out a forklift for decades.

Are you outside of Colorado? WMH will save you more than the cost of the freight because there.... won’t be any Sales Tax! Freighting your forklift is part of the service we provide, and it eliminates any worries about how you're going to get your equipment. With our national network of freight providers and our experience there is often no charge or only a small charge for freight and your forklift will be delivered right to your door! GO TO www.aBetterForklift.com

We consistently serve the needs of business with:

New Forklifts
Used Forklifts
Forklift Rentals
Complete parts department
Service techs that come to your location
Allied warehouse equipment

Your SOLUTION is just a phone call away because WMH carries many brands of NEW & USED FORKLIFTS in sizes ranging from 1,000 to 105,000 pounds.

Sit-Down Rider Forklifts

Telehandlers
Scissor Lifts
Electric Rider and Walk Behind Forklifts
Truck Mounted Forklifts
Rough Terrain Forklifts

Look no further! Give us a call today. WMH, since 1987, has the solutions you need from our decades of experience and we will make buying a forklift an enjoyable experience for you!

Pick up the phone and give us a call right now or click here! aBetterForklift.com

Forklift won't start after swapping LP bottle?

By Dennis Firkins - February 13, 2020

Did you just change your LP tank after running out of fuel and the lift won’t restart?
Here are some things to check out before placing a call for service!

Remove the LP connector from the full tank that was just installed. Look at the inside of the brass tank coupling. You should NOT see any O-Rings or Flat-Rings inside the brass coupling.

The LP tank fitting (where the tank coupling screws on) DOES have a Flat-ring on the outside to keep dust out and an O-Ring back inside that seals against the shiny tip on the tank coupling.

Occasionally, when you change out an LP tank, the Flat-Ring out of the old tank will pull off and stick inside the LP hose coupling, preventing the coupling from screwing on far enough to open the valve. The engine will not have fuel to start and it will not run.

If the LP Tank Coupling is screwed onto the LP Tank Fitting properly, there will only be an 1/8” of gap between them. If you are not able to screw them together that close, check again for something in the Tank Coupling. There should not be any rubber Rings in the Tank Coupling.

Sometimes, you will need to lubricate the shiny tip of the LP Tank Coupling to get it to slide past the O-Ring in the Tank Fitting. Chapstick works well for this.

If all of this fails to get the forklift started, call us for a service call and we will dispatch one of our qualified technicians to get the lift going for you!

Thank you!

Looking to upgrade your old/tired forklift?

By Western Material Handling Admin - January 6, 2020

Just available:
(2) Awesome running 2014 Hyster S50FT, 5,000# Cushion tire forklift with the desirable 200” triple stage mast with side-shift carriage, 42” forks, Fingertip controls for hydraulics, comfortable full-suspension seat, foot heater, great smooth cushion tires, lever shift transmission, new paint job & new PM service!
Ready for work!

ELECTRIC SCISSOR LIFT TO MAKE LIFE EASIER!

By Western Material Handling Admin - December 2, 2019

#D21080d LOW HOUR 2004 Genie GS3246 Electric Scissor Lift

700 lb. Capacity
32’ platform height and approx. 38’ working height
24volt battery system with built-in 110volt charger
Great treaded cushion tires
Recent repairs, and new PM service!
ONLY 200 HOURS!!

Ready for work!

TRAINING ON YOUR BATTERY

By Western Material Handling Admin - November 25, 2019

Proper Battery Care
CHARGING:

Under normal circumstances, we recommend charging when a battery reaches 80% depth of discharge (near the “red zone” on most discharge meters or about 1.140-1.60 specific gravity), not before.
Most new batteries are designed to provide 1,500 charge “cycles” or more. A normal cycle is 8-hours usage, 8-hours charging, and 8-hours cooling per a 24-hour period. If your application is light to medium duty, or sporadic, charge only when necessary rather than daily. It will spread the cycle life of the battery over a much longer period of time, and ensure you get the maximum number of productive years from your investment.
Select “weekend”, “equalize” or “weekly” charge (depending on your brand of charger) approx. every 5 to 10 cycles to keep the battery performing at peak efficiency. Failure to do so or selecting this option too often will harm the battery and shorten its effective life.

WATERING:

New batteries require water approx. every 10 charges for the first few years. Reconditioned batteries may require water every 5 charges.
On both new and reconditioned batteries, we recommend you check 2 or 3 pilot cells every 5 charges to see that the water level is just above the red perforated plastic Element Protector after charge (color varies depending on brand).
If low, add only enough water to cover the Element Protector by approx. ¼”. The additional space is necessary for expansion while gassing at the end of charge.

CLEANING:

If a battery ever overflows, take a few minutes to rinse it with water immediately afterwards (baking soda optional) to prevent corrosion on top of and beneath the battery. Use enough water to thoroughly dilute the spilled acid to the extent that it is not harmful to the environment.
The spilled acid is both highly conductive and corrosive. If not rinsed away, the conductivity can cause the battery to discharge itself, even while it is not in use, and generate addition heat during recharge.
Over time, acid left on top of the battery will form clumps of conductive white corrosion. If it is allowed to accumulate, it can dramatically shorten the life of the battery and make checking and adding water an unpleasant experience which employees will tend to avoid, as well as cause obvious safety concerns.
Acid vapors escape during charge, and residue will develop around the vent cap area even under normal circumstances. We recommend that batteries be rinsed every spring and fall (or as needed), to remove the acid residue from the battery.

NEVER:

Never over fill. It will cause overflow on the next charge. Acid loss shortens run time, generates more heat, and requires shop service to correct.
Never make a habit of giving short charges during lunch or break time. Each short charge constitutes a “cycle” and over time will significantly affect the performance and life of the battery. It also causes excess heat that will make the battery less efficient than not charging at all. It’s better to let a battery rest and cool during lunch or breaks.
Never interrupt a charge cycle if it is avoidable. It is recommended that once a charge cycle is initiated, it be allowed complete.
Never allow a battery to sit discharged for more than a few days to avoid “sulfation”. If it becomes necessary to store a battery for any period of time, charge it prior, and once every 3 to 6 months thereafter to avoid damage.
Never allow a battery to go completely dead (unusable). It will take over 72 hours of continuous charging to bring back to full charge, and may require shop service to restore full charge.
Never continue to use an overheating battery. If a battery ever radiates excessive heat during use or charging or emits a strong sulfur smell, discontinue use and call for service. You have a battery, charger or lift problem.
Never allow sparks or flame near a charging battery. Batteries produce explosive hydrogen gas while charging, which could cause an explosion resulting in injury or death.

NEVER OVER DISCHARGE A BATTERY:

Deep discharging will harm the battery and cause all of the forklift’s electrical components to run excessively hot. Significant lift truck damage can result, including complete motor failure, burned armatures and brushes, and burned or stuck contacts, which can quickly render the truck unsafe and unusable.
Deep discharging can easily increase the recharge time outside your charger’s range to recover, causing the battery to be only partially charged for the next day.
Most automatic chargers must sense a minimum battery voltage to activate and turn on. If the battery is below the threshold voltage, you will not be able to recharge the battery and may require a service call to manually start the charger.
If you don’t have a working discharge indicator, we recommend installing at least a simple “passive” discharge indicator.