Paul, one of the helpful guys around here in in the greater New York City area. He goes by JustinM and I think his company is "McLift" there is some contact info at ny.forktechs.com. if you add your contact info to your profile (it won't be seen if you only add it to a post) then I am sure if there are others they would be happy to contact you.

Dear Roadtech,
Thank you for your reply, with each new answer i get little more confident about my upcoming trip.
I have a few answers:
1) They havent had the machine for long (maybe a week or so).
2) I believe they got it used (i will ask if this was a lease, owned or rented machine. also I do not believe they were servicing it.
3) It was used in some kind of a small store (warehouse) hence the low hours.
4)I was told that it was serviced last in June so i believe it was 90 days schedule. But i will ask for information on that tomorrow.
5) I will do that. Should i be looking for anything in particular? Any particular places that i can check for leaks?
6) Is there anyone you can recommend in the New York Area that would be able to provide me with this kind of service? What would a Qualified Forklift Tech charge for this kind of service? The dealer is in Long Island. Also if i were to make 3-4 appointments in one day. What do you think that kind of service would cost me?

I think i will check the serial number and try to find a Hyster dealer for some more information as well.

Another thing i was thinking: If i get 90 day warranty on the truck, around day 45 i will bring in a third party to do a complete inspection of the truck. If that inspection reveals any problems i will contact the seller and ask him to correct any problems that the inspection revealed. By that time i should be a lot more familiar with the truck and will try locate other poblems while i am using it (starter, batterry).


Again i want to thank everyone for the answers, i feel that i have learned a lot and feel a little more prepared for my visit. I will appreicate any other advice or help.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:

1-How long has the dealer had the truck??

2- Did they sell it new or take it in as a trade in ( Where did it come from & what type of warehouse enviroment).

3- Can they give you a copy of the trucks serivce history and previous owners.

4- What type of PM service schedule was the truck been kept on? (30,60,90 or 180 days)

5-Take a good flash light with you and look at the motor area, check filters to see if they have been dated from PM services.(Don't be afraid to take floor plates & side covers off for inspection)

6- If you really have doubts, spend a few dollars now and pay a Qualified Forklift Tech to go with you, could save you a LOT of headaches in the future.

If they are not a Hyster dealer, Take the model and serial number to a dealer and have them pull a service history for warranty claims and up to date recalls.

My main concern is if you need to unload double stake load out of a trailer. Most over the road trailers or containers have about 108" of inside height. If you have two 48" packages position on two 4" high pallets that only leaves 3" of clearance above the top load. If this unit has a 130" 2 stage mast with a fully lowered height of 83" and it has "0" free lift the most common 2 stage mast spec. The inner channel will be at 110" when the forks are raised to the middle of the pallet for the top load. That is the problem the top of the trailer is 2" too short plus you have to lift the load up 5-6" to remove it off the double high stack. This is called the "Sun Roof" effect.

In Georgia we offered a 90 day bumper to bumper parts & labor warranty on all of our reconditioned (not rebuilt) units regardless of hours including 8000 -10,000 hrs. Most 5 year old units would have 5000-6000 hours.

If the unit had "real" low hours & we did the PM's on the unit we would go as high as 6 mos. Unless the unit was used in pickle foundry or fish cannery.

Dear Johnr_J,
Thank you very much for your reply. I think i described the situation incorreclty, it was not apart, the seat was off but the engine was fully intact, they were doing something with it but nothing big. They called me back about 30 mins later and said that i am more then welcome to come and drive it. Is there any way i can check if the hourmeter has been tempered with? I will take a look and ask what kind of a mast the truck is equipped with as well. My warehouse has low ceilings so a 2 stage mast is more then enough as i will only be able to put in one level ov shelves.
Again thank you very much for your answer, i will be going back tomorrow and will go over everything with them again. Another thing is that they are the only dealer i have spoken with that is willing to offer me a full 90 day warranty. Evereyone else has offered 60 days at most and some 30.

Forklifts are not registered in the united states therefore no titles.
Call the warranty "bumper to bumper" parts & labor.
Two words of caution - 1.) while the hourmeter cannot be changed the dash panels (including the digital reading hourmeter) can be replaced with a newer one. 2.) If this unit really only had 173 hours - why would they be taking it apart - this unit should be bearly broken in & need only a preesure was a some touch up. Funny they were taking it apart while you were there but couldn't drive this "low" hour machine. In my opinion something is "rotten in Denmark" (I used to sell used trucks and worked around forks lfit for 41+ yrs. as they say "Been there, done a lot that but not all of that" What is that game they used to play in NYC on evrey street corner with the 3 shells & a pea!!!!(LOL)
A second word of caution you stated the lift truck was equipped with a double stage mast. There are two types - a "0" free lift type (there are only two cylinder one on the left & one on the right positioned behind the mast channel (towards the operator) and the other is a "full free lift" type which has a 3rd cylinder in the the middle of the mast channels. Unless this mast will only lift (fork height) a maximum of 78 - 80" at full extension (called a truckers mast)you want the lift to have the "full free lift" double stage mast. Full free lift allows the forks to rais more or less 48" from the ground before the inner channel extend - with a "0" free lift mast the inner channel will stard exting almost immediately at a ration of 1" per 2" of fork travel. Otherwise, you will have a great possibity like 99%+ of making the trailer a "sun roof" model when unloading two high loads that are 48" high more or less.
Finally, since this unit is a two stage type this helps explain why the $$ is this cheap - if it had a 3 stage mast the price would be $1000 -1200 higher.

Dear MrFixit,
Thank you for your detailed answer. I believe the machine is equipped with a side shifter but will make sure tomorrow. When i saw it yesterday they were taking it apart to make sure all is well so i didnt get a chance to drive it or really see all of it. I will make sure to look for all the things that you mentioned. Also do forklifts come with a title? Or is a bill of sale enough? When putting the paperwork together how do i word the warranty part to make sure that EVERYTHING is covered?

With 731 hours it should almost look like new. Original paint and tires. Original seat in perfect condition. No wear on the seat belt. Check the handles and levers for wear and tear. Check to see if there are any signs of a paint job. Maybe even ask them who used to own it.
Used forklift sales and prices have come way down and they may just want to make any kind of sale. Sounds like a very good deal considering it comes with a warranty. There is nothing wrong with the quality of that model. Make sure it will lift high enough for you, fit through your doorways ok, and have enough clearance to fit in the trucks you plan on unloading. Also, does it have a side shifter which helps a lot to load and unload trucks?
I don't know if the hour meter can be altered.