The Importance of Changing Your Forklift Mast Chains

The front end of your forklift takes the brunt of moving your products from place to place. A high percentage of repairs on a forklift typically come from the front end. Components, like forks, front drive tires, and tilt cylinders are items that safety instructors and management concentrate on to endure employee safety as well as catch expensive repairs before they take place. However, there is one item that needs to be looked at, and this is your mast chains.

Mast chains should be part of an operator or maintenance individual’s daily inspection. It is necessary to check and see if the chains are being stretched beyond their acceptable limits. Additionally, you will want to inspect to see if any of the chain is kinked or appears to have rust forming. Most importantly, mast chains tend to wear out at the pin to link the connection point. If you notice any of these check points beginning to happen you should look to change the chains. Mast chain is usually sold by the foot through your Parts Department, and requires a couple hours labor to replace. Although the total repair can cost hundreds of dollars, it is essential to check and replace mast chains when worn connections or stretching is noticed. If gone unnoticed, this could potentially cost thousands of dollars to repair, any forklift attachments to the mast, as well as costly downtime.

To prevent this from happening, you can purchase a chain gauge from your Parts Department to help you measure connection wear. Normal inspection of your mast chains will help keep your repair costs down, and your employees happy and safe!

In need of forklfit mast chain repair? Schedule forklift maintenance today.