Descaling crew and their workhorse

The saying 'they don't make them like they used to' certainly applies to the battle-scarred forklift used by a Manchester business for the past 25 years.

Descaling Services bought the Mitsubishi FD20 in 1982 to do the hard work in its factory. Descaling Services provides blasting, industrial spray painting, descaling and acid pickling services.

The FD20 is the business's only forklift and it has proved to be a reliable and easy-to-service machine.

Paul Warburton, assistant works engineer for Descaling, says the corrosive pickling acids and chemical descalers have affected the FD20's looks.

"She might not look good on the outside, but it is not looks that count. Our Mitsubishi has been long-lasting, strong and robust.

"She has been put to the test every day, and looks or no looks, she always passes."

Warburton says the machine has been dependable and a pleasure to drive.

"I would rate it seven out of five. It is truly marvellous."

Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks UK is not aware if Descaling's forklift is the longest-running in a workplace, but the company would be interested to hear about any older Mitsubishi forklifts.

Mike Jones, general manager of Mitsubishi, says he is delighted to hear about Descaling's long-running forklift.

"But it shouldn't really be a surprise. Mitsubishi forklifts, whether produced 20 years ago or last month, are renowned for their reliability, efficiency and easy serviceability," he comments.

Jones says today's equivalent of that FD20 would be an FD20N (or a compact FD20CN) from the Mitsubishi FD15-35N series - often referred to as the 'N series'.

"In 25 years, there has been continuous development with added new levels of performance and ergonomics to their ultra-dependable predecessor," he adds.