Discussion:
Cat Forklift Issue

We've been all over the place trying to find help on this issue. We run a small cat forklift in our warehouse. Recently a driver let the forklift die too far from the charging station so we cannot charge the battery. The machine is too heavy to push and the charging station is hardwired to the far wall 40 feet away.

We'd love to get it recharged so we can use it again, but have no idea if there are mobile chargers, or if we have to pay for someone to come out to recharge it, or if there is a way to lengthen the cables on the station to get out to the forklift.

Any advice would be great. Thanks!
  • Posted 22 Dec 2010 02:12
  • By lou_c
  • joined 22 Dec'10 - 2 messages
  • Florida, United States
Showing items 1 - 10 of 10 results.
Battery stand purchase one - pull the dead battery out on the stand and haul it the charger orrrrrrrr build a portable battery pack. LED battery indicator also helps
  • Posted 31 Jan 2011 12:19
  • By LOGIC
  • joined 6 Dec'08 - 70 messages
  • Ontario, Canada
Battery stand purchase one - pull the dead battery out on the stand and haul it the charger orrrrrrrr build a portable battery pack. LED battery indicator also helps
  • Posted 31 Jan 2011 12:18
  • By LOGIC
  • joined 6 Dec'08 - 70 messages
  • Ontario, Canada
If it was run down that far it could have a blown fuse...or worse.
  • Posted 23 Dec 2010 00:29
  • By joe_d
  • joined 25 May'10 - 253 messages
  • Texas, United States
Ain't nothing I can't fix but a broken heart and the break of day!
As has been stated already, get a portable charger to try and throw a surface charge on the battery just enough to maybe drive it the 40 ft to the charging area. The only catch to that is finding a portable charger the correct voltage, make sure it can do the voltage of the truck, anything else will not work.

But i do find it strange that if and when the truck was discharged enough why it wasnt taken to the charging station when going into lift interrupt mode? I tend to think if the truck is just "dead" that there may be some other issue besides just a dead battery.

I'd suggest calling the local service dealer and have them take a look and help with moving it. That would be a far safer thing to do than trying the "shadetree" approach dont you think?
Better to be safe than sorry i say :)
  • Posted 22 Dec 2010 23:51
  • By Jplayer
  • joined 12 Apr'07 - 407 messages
  • North Carolina, United States
John Player Jr
_________________
LiftOne, LLC
Charlotte, NC
Email: jplayer@liftone.net
It's tough to push them with the forks on the ground too. I'll jack up the carriage and chain it (not the load backrest) so that the forks are off the ground. Makes pushing them a lot easier. Still need like 3 or 4 guys though.
  • Posted 22 Dec 2010 10:15
  • Modified 22 Dec 2010 10:16 by poster
  • By justinm
  • joined 13 Apr'06 - 604 messages
  • New York, United States
New York, New York its a heluva town..you know that The Bronx is up..and I'm Brooklyn down
as far as pushing it to the charger, are you making sure the seat is not activating a brake?
  • Posted 22 Dec 2010 05:34
  • By edward_t
  • joined 5 Mar'08 - 2,334 messages
  • South Carolina, United States
"it's not rocket surgery"
You didn't mention the model , s/n or year. But most lift ruck have as standard a "lift interrupt" circuit to alert the operator the battery is 80% discharged. The forklift won't lift but they can drive the unit to the charging area. And operators have learned on on how to "override" the lift interrupt by milking teh battery down by turning key switch on and off. Then the unit dies like yours did plus this type of overriding can hurt the unit - damage controls, contactors, the battery & your "wallet" or budget (if you aren't the one paying the bills). If your unit doesn't have the lift interrupt features it can be added on some models - contact your local Cat dealer w/model, s/n.
  • Posted 22 Dec 2010 04:01
  • By johnr_j
  • joined 3 Jun'06 - 1,452 messages
  • Georgia, United States
can you not borrow another truck to push yours back to the charger??
  • Posted 22 Dec 2010 03:41
  • By grubbymits
  • joined 25 Jan'09 - 49 messages
  • scotland, United Kingdom
Thanks, I'll try that!
  • Posted 22 Dec 2010 03:11
  • By lou_c
  • joined 22 Dec'10 - 2 messages
  • Florida, United States
There are portable 110v powered chargers that you can rent from a local dealer. The only problem there would be having a 110 outlet close enough and the portable chargers take longer to charge a battery than the hardwired 220v versions. Check the yellow pages for a local battery company that deals in elec. forklift batteries. If they don't have one they might be able to point you to a lift company that does. The alternative is making up jumper cables which would be expensive and I'm not sure how well they would work due to the distance. I have a set of 12 footers for moving dead lifts and just using them to power another lift causes them to heat up.
  • Posted 22 Dec 2010 02:48
  • By joe_d
  • joined 25 May'10 - 253 messages
  • Texas, United States
Ain't nothing I can't fix but a broken heart and the break of day!

Post your Reply

Forkliftaction accepts no responsibility for forum content and requires forum participants to adhere to our rules of conduct. Click here for more information.

If you are having trouble using the Discussion Forums, please contact us for help.

Linde C4230TL5
Balling, Denmark
Used - Sale
Toyota 8FGU25
Flesherton, Ontario, Canada
Used - Sale

PREMIUM business

Tailift Material Handling Taiwan Co.,Ltd.
Focused simply for the new era.
Latest job alerts …
Columbia, SC, United States
East Syracuse, United States
Indianapolis, IN, United States
Saratoga, United States
Movers & Shakers
Jeannette Walker Jeannette Walker
CEO, MHEDA
President, European Rental Association (ERA)
Chief marketing officer, JLT Mobile Computers
Chief executive officer, East Penn Manufacturing
Global Industry News
edition #1237 - 3 July 2025
While innovation and new technology are evolving at what seems to be an ever-increasing pace, the need to capture the data (telemetry) from this tech, and the ability to utilise it (telematics) for efficiency and cost savings, is one area attracting more and more attention ... Continue reading
Fact of the week
The use of "hello" as a telephone greeting is attributed to Thomas Edison. He is said to have suggested it as a simpler alternative to other greetings, such as "Do I get you?" or "Are you there?".