Breathing new life into old forklifts

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The refurbishing process includes a complete respray
The refurbishing process includes a complete respray

At this year’s NAMPO Harvest Days, Goscor Rental Company showcased its refurbished Doosan D25S-5 forklift, reaffirming that when times are this tough, rebuilding equipment breathes new life into old gear, thereby creating opportunities for farmers who may be cash strapped to buy new.    

That southern African farmers are facing multiple challenges, including climate change and resultant droughts and poor yields, is no overstatement. Added to this is the lack of access to finance, which makes it difficult for farmers to acquire the capital equipment they need to run productive and profitable operations.

As a solutions provider to the agricultural community, Goscor Rental Company (GRC), a division of Goscor Lift Truck Company (GLTC), has identified the need to offer machine rebuilding services for the full range of products in its stable, allowing customers to extend the lifecycles of their existing forklifts, or buying refurbished or fully rebuilt units that have the same capabilities of a new unit, but coming at a much lesser price.

Lavesh Gunpath, Sales Executive at GRC, says NAMPO, as the premier agricultural show, and the biggest of its nature in the southern hemisphere, offered a perfect platform for GRC to showcase its refurbishing prowess, allowing customers to physically see the quality of these machines.

“In these challenging economic times, it is sometimes difficult for farmers to buy new and we have therefore made the refurbishment route a viable alternative. We established a dedicated Rebuild Centre in March 2017, which is purely focused on refurbishing ex-long term rental units,” explains Gunpath. “Our refurbishment division has proven its ability to make previously used machines as good as new.”

All refurbishments are completed in-house by experienced technicians and close attention is paid to the quality and long-term utility as each component receives the necessary attention to increase the lifetime. Refurbishing services span across all the forklift brands in the GLTC stable. These include Crown, Doosan, Bendi and Hubtex.

Each refurbishing job starts with a full analysis that documents each step the refurbishing team needs to take to ensure greater quality. “The refurbishing process includes engine and transmission compression testing; drainage and filling of oil and lubricants; refurbishment of hydraulic systems (change hydraulic pipes if required); mast refurbishment; new tyres; a complete respray; new stickers; load testing and new battery installation,” says Gunpath.

With each refurbished unit, customers get 250 hour or 3-month warranty, whichever comes first. “From the interactions we had with customers at NAMPO, many farmers showed interest in the 36-month lease-to-own option which we offer on our refurbished units,” concludes Gunpath.