On any given day, multiple factories, warehouses, shipping yards and businesses all over Brisbane rely on forklifts to help move, manage and ship products and stock to every edge of the country. A forklift is an essential tool for many businesses throughout Brisbane, and given there are several different types of forklifts available to purchase or hire, it’s important you choose the right model for your business. 

As you may be aware, there are several ways a forklift can be powered. Petrol, diesel, electric and propane (also called LPG or liquid petroleum gas). All have pros and cons to these fuel systems, but today we’re going to be looking at why some forklifts are propane powered and the benefits of this type of fuel for powering this essential bit of kit for your business. 

LPG is cheaper by a country mile

As Australia has a well-established gas industry and there’s no excise tax applied to LPG by the government, LPG is consistently cheaper than any other liquid fuel source. LPG is typically around 50% cheaper than diesel fuel or unleaded fuel meaning big savings in running costs for your business. 

If you don’t require the grunt a diesel forklift gives you and your forklifts are working predominately indoors, an LPG forklift will be a great option to consider. Even though LPG forklifts use slightly more litres of fuel per hour than their diesel counterparts, it still works out cheaper in the long run because of LPG’s lower overall cost. 

Diesel forklifts use approximately 2.6L of fuel per hour compared to their LPG counterparts that use approximately 3L per hour.

As an example - one hour of usage will cost*

3L of diesel = $5.24

3L of LPG = $3.45

 Given that the average forklift runs for approximately 2,000 hours per year, that saves thousands of dollars in fuel costs every year.

Upfront costs are typically less

It’s a simple fact that LPG forklifts cost less upfront than diesel forklifts. Don’t believe us; take a look at the average price of our diesel forklifts compared to the average price of our LPG forklifts. 

This price difference is due to many factors, including adding more parts like the transmission and coolant fluid systems for diesel forklifts. 

Refuelling is safer and more convenient with LPG forklifts

When it comes to refuelling a forklift, there’s nothing quite like the convenience of swapping out an LPG cylinder. LPG is fast, efficient and won’t cause any spillage (if you’ve ever had to clean up a considerable diesel spill, you know how annoying and costly it can be). It’s also much quicker to swap out a propane cylinder than to wait hours for an electric forklift to recharge. 

LPG tanks will also often last an 8-hour shift meaning your staff aren’t stopping to refuel the forklifts multiple times, putting a temporary halt on production and minimal downtime for staff. 

LPG forklifts can be used both inside and outside

Diesel forklifts have very strict procedural usage processes when being used in potentially confined spaces (not to mention the addition of extra hardware on the machine and ventilation systems within the business).

LPG forklifts produce a significantly smaller amount of particulates, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide than their petrol or diesel counterparts. When compared to their power-to-fuel power ratio and efficiency, LPG forklifts outperform petrol and diesel forklifts every time. 

LPG forklifts have many safety features

LPG forklifts have automatic shut-off safety features, meaning in the event of an accident, you won’t have to deal with a forklift on its side AND fuel spillage (which can be a fire hazard and a costly exercise to clean up). 

So as you can see, there are lots of reasons why many businesses choose to buy or rent LPG forklifts from us as opposed to a petrol or diesel model. 

If you would like some more advice about forklift models or which type of forklift will best suit your business, please feel free to contact us on (07) 3865 1205 today. 

*Based on average fuel costs taken from https://www.taxfp.com.au/TAX-AtoH/CarsandOtherVehicles/AverageRetailPriceofDiesel.aspx