That's a it depends matter. Chain is measured by stretch which is directly relayed to the weight handled and good maintenance and conditions. Leave it in the rain all the time, lift max weight loads and never lube the chains will give you a short life...
Mast bearings etc should last a long time UNLESS they are damaged or abused - dirt and debris in the mast, overloaded, forklift used to push instead of carry etc, (the bearing is designed to go up and down, not transmit impact from pushing). A good operator, and regular maintenance will make these last for years.

The other items that are changed often in a mast are teh pivot bearing (where the mast joins the body)anything to do with sideshift, forks etc. As noted by many folks take care of the lift, and your maintenance costs will be a lot lower

How often (hours) would I expect to have to change out mast chain and bearings? What other mast parts suffer the wear and tear?

Forklifts are big, heavy machines that are built in small quantities relative to passenger cars so production costs are higher. They also spend all day lifting big and heavy loads, and in your case are subjected to rough uses in demanding conditions. This all takes its toll. They also can't just be driven to jobsites, they need to be trailered or floated whenever they need transporting. Your forklift will go through tires, air filters, steer axle parts, bushings, mast chains and bearings, not to mention regular oil changes and grease jobs, and other random breakdowns like fuel systems, electrical, radiators, you name it. Cars have it easy by comparison.

I would not use air-filled tires in your application. Start with a pneumatic tired truck, and either get the tires foam-filled (it's actually a urethane rubber product) or get solid softys. Any industrial tire supplier should be able to help you select the best tire for your application. But again, they are not cheap. count on at least a few hundred per tire.

I had a customer get angry with me because they bought a Crown RC3020 from my employer a year and a half ago and had to pay $150 for a tech to fix a broken wire. They put over 1000 hours on this machine and refused to get a single PM or lifting device inspection from us. And they still complained over $150! We do all we can to keep customers happy but They need to have realistic expectations of the machines they use and of us. People are always surprised to learn how much machines cost, it still surprises me when I pick up a flier from an auctioneer and see what old used machines are selling for. But production costs for small volumes of parts are high and they have a very demanding job to do---Forklifts are expensive.

What you might want to look into, again, is getting a new or slightly used machine from a major dealer with a full maintenance contract. This way you can look at a fixed monthly operating cost for your business and the only surprise expenses you will face will be damage and wear & tear. They'll come in and do oil changes and grease jobs and inspections for you so you don't have to worry about it.

What is it that makes a 5000lb truck expensive to maintain?Are there a couple of things that are common issues?

What are the options I have for tires? I mean,does a foam filled tire start life as a pneumatic tire,or is there a specific special tire for puncture reistance.And where do I find tires and how much$$ should I expect?

Cluttered construction sites will make hash out of cushion tires. especially if the forklift is trying to run-over dimensional lumber scraps and being driven off-slab. The steer axle can only articulate a small amount on cushion trucks so it is much easier to lift a drive tire and get stuck than you might think. Nissan had a model called the "nomad" that was kindof a crossover between cushion and pneumatic for customers that spent equal time on and off-slab but i don't think this is the direction you want to go. I would go with a 5000lb truck with solid softys or foam-fill tires for the large diameter puncture resistance and softer tires will conform more to rough surfaces giving more traction and the increased steer axle articulation of pneumatic trucks. you might find something in reasonable condition for 10-15K. but a 5000lb truck is not a cheap machine to own or operate no matter how you slice it... Good Luck

I've been looking around at some machines in action and doing the things I need them to do,and it seems that a cushion tire should be fine.It would make sense to have as large a diameter tire as I can get,especially that some of the lifts I have seen/used have had a small diameter rear tire. Any tips for finding a larger diameter tire unit? Is the diameter soley dependant on weight capacity? I mean is there much to choose from in a 4000 or 5000pound machine?

At the using location working enviroment OSHA dicates the air quality of the plant which I bellieve is currently 35 parts/million or ppm of CO. Air exhange system must be able to keep the level at or below this level. Forklifts (ICE) being a producer of CO can affect the concentration as well as other processes in a manufacturing enviroment. Keeping your forklift in good running condition would be good advise, especially if the one you buy has been qualified/certified to meet the EPA emission standards set at the time of manufactuer -ie Tier I, II, III etc.
Today most first line dealers have equipment to test exhasut emission & are knowledgeable of the emissions levels for the brand(s) they represetn & maybe knowledgeable of other brands too.
Most dealer service people are capable of working on other brand equipment, there maybe be 1 or 2 brands they prefer not to work on. Service people with experience have "learned" about competitve makes over teh years. And dealers love to work on msot makes as it does give them an opportunity to take business away from the other guys.

What are the emissions regulations that I need to be concerned about?How are emission standards handled on older machines and how are they tested and enforced?

As far as brand loyalty goes...are most techs working on machines brand specific? I would imagine someone giving general repairs to many different brands would have preferences to what they work on?

all designs (no matter what the product) are sets of compromises, with the choices made by the design engineers that they think will make their design best for the specs.
You can know that some brand's machines made since 2003/2004 have considerable (proprietary, trade secret, password protected) diagnostic and setup emissions related computerized controls, while other brands have avoided being quite as secret and protective of the information required to troubleshoot emissions related problems. Which brands are free with repair information may have as much to do with the local dealer's protocol and employees as it does with the manufacturer's policies, so you may find a "second choice" different between people in different locations.
I think a lot of techs will tell you the brands they are the most familiar with will be the ones they think are better, as this is just normal human nature.

Can I get some general advice on forklift brands that you would prefer or any lemons to avoid?Are there years of manufacture that some prefer? I'm not sure if it would make a difference but this machine may sit idle for a while between jobs.

adding again... id second john's suggestion to finance. if you can fit the lease payment into your operating budget you will be able to afford much better equipment than trying to raise the money for a lump sum purchase of a machine that will undoubtedly require expensive repairs on top. i've had to bear those bad tidings for more well-intentioned customers than i've cared to.

what i will add to this is that just like talking on the phone while driving, just because the likelihood is low that you will be caught and fined for not having a mast inspection, doesn't mean it does not make good business sense to get it done. Having your lift truck inspected and certified annually by a competent person ensures you are doing due diligence to keep your lift truck in safe operating condition to protect your investment, your workers and yourself. factor it in now as a cost of doing business so you don't end up running so lean that when you do get caught, you find yourself unable to make a profit maintaining your truck.
finding a competent person to certify your truck is akin to finding a competent mechanic to certify your personal car: there are enough class "a" mechanics working on cars who shouldnt have their license and there are some (few) without licenses who outshine their licensed competitors. if you are socially astute you should be able to pick out in quick order those mechanics who truly care about you and your business, and those who are working for the weekend. -they can talk all they want about what they know but if they stay late to get your truck back in service or show up extra early to accommodate your schedule, they have your interests in mind and that's what matters most. they don't always command top dollar either. some of the hardest working techs in my trade have been indies. just like the bargain forklifts, you have to look for them... (but i'd +or- double my purchase budget for the lowest cost over the long term...)

I agree that an auction truck is a chancy investment if you are not one of those folks that already know how to do a good quick inspection / evaluation on the value of the unit, and you can bet there are already at least a couple of folks at that auction that are pros at that, and are not going to pay as much for a unit that they can not fix and resell at a profit. You will not get the value they would from the unit. They know what it costs to fix and what is not worth fixing, and they don't pay as much for highly skilled labor, since they already have hourly service techs on their payroll. The ones not worth fixing will be the one you find within your price range that is -left- for the auction.
I had thought the same as John about the weight, but I went to the "spec checker" here at forklift action, and checked a couple of current 5000lb cap. units and they were below the trailer's capacity, but I would still expect trailer load weight balance to be a problem, and would not want to be right in front of your truck hauling that forklift down the road, stopping quick may be a "learning experience".
The mast inspection for Canada most likely is a bit more strict than here in the USA, and for the most part, while the front end (lifting section and attachments )inspection is called for by OSHA, unless someone gets hurt or something breaks, there will not be any sort of checking done to insure you are getting a proper inspection, at least by USA Govco.

Juan:
1. No I was not thinking of a telescoping boom unit but rather a vertical lift masted fork lift - like Case, Ingersoll Rand, etc If you are think of an indsutrial pneuamtic tire forklift fro your needs one a 5k unit which will have ~ 5 underclearance at the mast with new tires migh work for you but these units in teh used market are relativelyley hard to find (ie a decent one) so the price will be higher than your budget adn teh unit will weigh more than the 10K limit of your trailer ~12K to 12.5k range
2. Hourmeters are readlily replaceable items on forklift so unless you know the history of the unit you can be mislead. Hourmeers can stop working or be disconnected as well. A good inspection by a knoweldgeable person can give a good estimiation meter is accurate - they look for wear on the upright, channel sections, excess play in the steering system (axles, etc, looseness in the mast mounting, tilt cylinder mast racking, signs of abuse, engine smoke, transmission slippage or harsh engagement etc etc. Most hourmeters have a 1/10 of hour digit or a wheel that indexes arpound when the ignition key is on - turn the key on on and what to to see if teh 1/10 digit advance or the wheel indexes - on some makes the hourmeter will only operate when the operator is in the seat.
3. Remeber at an auction all sales are "as is" and final once you pay. Have seen many customers that bought a unit at an auction or on the internet and were not real happy when they got it home.

I believe you are picturing us needing a "Lull" type machine,which is if it were the case,I would get a rental,but that's not our needs here.

I'm probably in need of a pneumatic tire,only because of the occasion of when carrying stack of material or lets say a stack of sheetrock debris on a pallet,should a sheet of drywall fall off I want to be able to drive over it without it chocking a small diameter solid tire.

Anything out doors would be on solid flat concrete or asphalt,nothing off road.I'm talking bring material into the building from an outdoor delivery drop,or bring palletized debris out to the dumpster location.

I don't think we would ever lift anything over 2000 pounds and if so,it would only be high enough to "get it from here to there". ( a few inches off the ground).

Thanks for the info about the mast inspection. Who would have the qualifications to give a certified inspection?If I'm looking at a machine from a private party,what would I be checking for mast-wise?

Seems as if there a large inventory of used machines out there.I see a few auctions a week of businesses closing shop that includes a few forklifts.In other words, there is a lot of stuff to see around here.

I'm seeking some help as far as makes and models that fit the bill and that should be easiest to work on and locate parts for when necessary.I don't really know what to make of "hours".I mean what do you look at to confirm that the hour gauge is in the ballpark?

When you say the lift needs to go outside and work do you mean on gravel, disturbed dirt, grass, asphalt, etc If so an industrial pneumatic truck is NOT a solution for you. You need to look at a rough terrain forklift but the 10K capacity trailer won't do the job, you'll need a larger trailer. And for sure $5000 won't find you one that is worth shooting or would even sell to your brother-in-law. If funds are limited get it and a trailer on a "finance to own" contract or most often called $1.00 option lease (the lease part is a misnomer - you own it at the end of the finance term )

that kind of rough usage is a lot to ask of a forklift that only cost you $5000. in my opinion way too much. if you have a bobcat skidsteer you may want to look into an exhaust scrubber and forklift attachment, but it won't give you 15 feet.

i don't know what the construction safety regulations are in NY, but in Ontario forklifts must have their masts inspected at least every year and need to be maintained in safe operating condition to pass that inspection. whenever someone argues with me about whether they need a mast inspection or not, i always tell them that if they run their car on public roads without plates and insurance, they may not get caught the first, second or third day, but when they do get caught they will wish they had obeyed the law. I have never seen a $5000 used forklift that could meet your needs that was in safe operating condition. Good Luck...