why would it be important that "Crown manufactures" any given % of the truck, and how did you get those numbers?
I am under the impression every other truck is 100% manufactured. is Crown growing 15% of the truck and manufacturing the rest?
are you trying to discount how much casting, machining and other manufacturing is done for Crown by vendors? are you trying to discount how many controllers Crown has used that were not Crown manufactured, or just to point out they grow 15% of their own parts?
what % of part numbers in Crowns parts catalog are manufactured by Crown in New Bremen Ohio?

if I take 3 or 4 trucks, I can find a part in each truck that is not as good as the part in each of the other trucks, but that does not mean the truck is better or better for the amount of money it will cost to purchase or own. (brakes not as good on truck A, as my truck Z, lift not as fast above first stage on truck B as on my truck Z, Carriage not as see through on Truck C as on my truck Z)
never (or rarely) mentioning that the better points of trucks A, B, or C over truck Z.
All designs are sets of compromises,
your mileage may vary

Absolutley

I think that it's important to remember in this day and age with the economy as bad as it is that Crown designs and manufacturers 85% of its lift truck components, how many others can say that!

Right Mikey

Mikey's like a man without a country.

It's not propaganda.If you take three macines and take them apart and examine the quality it's pretty easy to see who has the better design.
Crown did that and made it possible to educate consumers on what they typically wouldn't look at (frames,drive unit design,one lift cylinder vs two and undercarriages for example) when puchasing equipment.
In this day and age equipment manufacturers need to produce equipment that has good servicability and economic lifecycles.
After that it's up to the customer which way they want to go.

I'm interested by the Crown propaganda comment?!?
What's that all about?

-The Crown's are ok units (just don't believe all the propaganda).
-The Yales are ok, just keep the load-wheel shackles well greased (I've seen worn-out shackles in as little as 27 hours!) (BTW, installing bushings solves the problem)
-I'm not a fan of the Raymonds (too fancy & overly complicated for a walky jack that is going to see a ton of abuse IMHO)
-I assume the Cat is a rebadged Junheinrich (sp?), so there may be issues with parts and service (at least here there is anyway)

You should mainly base your choice on dealer support.
It's always fun to buy the cheapest (or even most expensive) unit, only to have it sit for weeks at a time whenever it breaks down.

If you really want to know what price gets you call the local Crown dealer and ask to see the brand comparison brochuer or better yet the actual component comparison kit they have.It shows all the parts of the major brands seperate from the machines. Eg: drive unit, frame, motors, it also shows servicability and wearability (are the tension bars adjustable for example). Give them a call you won't be disappointed

It seems you are leaning towards the 2 lowest priced units for consideration and maybe concerned about extra features like a battery discharge indicator that may may cause you "extra" maintanenace issues. Some of these extra features will save you $$ & a lot of headaches in the future. For example, the battery discharge indicator is equal to a fuel gauge in your car. Would you buy a car without one? When would you know when it is time to recharge the battery? You can overcharge a battery for sure (batteries have a limited number of charge cycles the faster you use them up the sooner you'll need to replace)

If you are looking for a piece of equipment that will provide you will extened service life take a look at things like vehicle weight, lift cylinder sizes, load & drive tire sizes, amount of lift, battery/charge type and specifications (like battery amp-hour capacity) being offer - flooded battery, maintenance free, industrial type, etc.

You local sales people should be able to give you additional information on their proposals.

I agree with the comment on service availability. It can be the best product in the world, but if it can not be fixed it's not any use.
You also want to look at the power pack each dealer offers. Which supplier will offer a better warranty, is the power pack coming from a vendor with service in your area? You're not just buying a walkie, but the power as well.

ask the salesman to take you to lunch, and buy from the guy that takes you to a sitdown dinner at a BBQ place....

From your choice, it seems that budget is an issue.

Look at the specs and build quality. And of course, not forgeting the after-sales service