Advantages of Propane

Propane-powered forklifts offer numerous advantages over electric, natural gas, diesel, and gasoline-powered alternatives. These reasons explain why over 80% of the spark-ignition forklift market is fueled by propane. Read more on these advantages below and see why there are now over 500,000 propane forklifts in service in manufacturing facilities, warehouses, and outdoor yards like yours today.

No-Hassle Refueling

The time required to refuel is minimal when compared to electric and natural-gas powered forklifts. It takes only five minutes to change a propane cylinder whereas an electric forklift could take up to eight hours to recharge.

At Forklift Propane, we offer a 24x7 forklift cylinder exchange service that eliminates the need for your staff to worry about running out of fuel by delivering pre-filled propane cylinders to your place of business.

Budget-Friendly

Forklifts powered by propane are the most economical way to service your material handling needs. These forklifts have lower life-cycle costs than electric-, gasoline-, or diesel-powered forklifts for both maintenance and fuel related expenses.

Maintenance – Since propane produces lower amounts of engine deposits than gasoline and diesel, maintenance is minimized. Propane engines often last up to twice as long as their gasoline counterparts. Additionally, refueling a propane forklift takes five minutes which requires significantly less man-hours over time than other types of forklifts.

Fuel – One 33 pound propane tank can provide eight hours of operating time for the average forklift, which is less when compared on a BTU basis for electric forklifts. In a 2005 study performed to determine the cost of electric versus propane as a fuel source for forklifts, it was confirmed that the fueling costs were lower when using propane. Per hour of forklift use, propane was determined to cost $1.41 whereas electricity cost $1.48. This difference may seem minimal at first, but when multiplied by the thousands of hours per each forklift in operation – it adds up quickly! The extra expense incurred by electric forklifts are attributed to the overhead equipment needed for battery recharging, including a charging bay, chargers, and equipment to remove and more the large batteries. There is no additional equipment to purchase for propane-powered forklifts.

Safety

All propane-powered forklifts have automatic shut-off safety features that stop the flow of fuel in the event of an accident. In addition, all propane tanks, fuel lines and carburetion components are required to meet strict national safety specifications.

With our cylinder exchange service, Forklift Propane eliminates the need for dispensing propane on your property which could be a potential safety hazard for you and your employees. We carefully inspect cylinders each time they are returned to our facility for refills, remove damaged cylinders from service, and replace or repair leaky valves and O-rings. Furthermore, we provide forklift propane safety training for your employees as a part of our service.

Eco-Friendly

Propane is a clean-burning, non-toxic source of fuel. Research has shown that properly maintained propane-powered forklifts produce significantly less emissions in the way of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, hydrocarbon, and particulate matter than comparable gasoline- or diesel-powered forklifts. This secondary source of pollution is eliminated because propane-powered forklifts carry their fuel in a pressure-tight, sealed system that avoids any spillage or evaporation into the atmosphere.

A research study conducted on which forklift fuel option had the lowest emission impact found propane to deliver the highest total energy efficiency. Propane received an efficiency rating of nearly 90%, followed by natural gas at 87%, diesel at 85%, and gasoline at 82%.

Furthermore, 90% of the propane used in the US is domestically produced. Upwards of 59% of the country's petroleum is imported from outside of the US. The increase in usage of domestically-produced propane not only decreases our dependency on foreign oil, but it also decreases the amount and cost of fuel for transporting this energy source.

Flexible

Propane-powered forklifts can be used both inside and outside safely and effectively. Unlike their electric forklift counterparts, propane-fueled forklifts can be operated safely outdoors in the rain and other inclement weather. Because propane is the most portable forklift fuel option, the propane cylinders can be stored nearly anywhere at your place of business.

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