There are two main categories of forklift spare parts original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and after-market.
Following on from last week’s post that looked at the advantages and disadvantages of after-market forklift spare parts, in this post we break down some of the advantages and disadvantages of OEM forklift spare parts.
Advantages of OEM Forklift Spare Parts
Increased Safety
Whilst some high quality after-market spare parts may be manufactured to comparable standards as their OEM counterparts, however more often than not they aren’t subjected to the same manufacturing standards and testing levels.
The quality of after-market parts isn’t guaranteed and there is an increased chance of poor quality after-market spare parts unexpectedly failing and posing a safety risk to operators, potentially damage the forklift or adversely affect performance.
Buying genuine OEM spares part buyers can be assured it has been:
- Rigorously tested to OEM standards
- Manufactured using superior raw materials
- Has been specifically manufactured to be fitted and perform when installed on the correct forklift
OEM parts have the ability to last for specific durations and are resilient enough to last between manufacturer preventative maintenance cycles.
Manufacturer Support and Warranty
Some forklift manufacturers impose limitations on the use of after-market spare parts and the use of them can in some cases partially or fully void a forklifts warranty.
A voided warranty for a forklift can have costly impacts for an owner if it were to break down and need repairing, the cost of the repair will need to be fully covered by the owner cancelling out any of the upfront savings made by purchasing a cheaper after-market spare part.
OEM parts are also fully supported by the manufacturer with a warranty and often a quality guarantee that includes any labour cost involved in replacing them.
Cost Savings
Whilst buying cheaper after-market spare parts may deliver up front cost savings over the long-term it may actually become more expensive for owners when compared to OEM spare parts.
Were an inferior quality after-market part to fail early after its installation then a replacement parts will need to be purchased to replace it so the owner has already doubled their costs as compared to buying a single high quality OEM spare part.
OEM parts can also lead to other significant costs savings as they are specifically manufactured to fit and work in a specific forklift whilst poorly designed and manufactured after-market parts can potentially lead to expensive damage to a forklift or the load being carried.
Disadvantages of OEM Forklift Spare Parts
Whilst OEM forklift spare parts are required as high quality and enjoy full support from the manufacturer there are still some disadvantages to using them which are discussed below.
Increased Prices
The cost of producing OEM spare parts is often higher for manufacturers due to the higher production standards and grades of raw materials used to manufacturer them.
The increased production costs are unfortunately passed onto consumers via increased cost prices of parts.
Businesses that have large fleets of forklifts may not be able absorb the more expensive costs of OEM parts therefore may elect to use cheaper after-market alternatives.
Part Availability
Depending on the manufacturer some OEM parts may be difficult to source.
Some manufacturers have large distribution networks that make it easy for them to keep large levels of stock and available for to customers in different areas.
With part availability essential to keeping forklifts running any difficulty to source OEM parts may make it tough for some businesses to commit to exclusively use them.
With the inherent risk associated with low quality after-market parts failing and causing damage to a forklift it is very important that businesses find a trustworthy supplier that can be relied upon to source and provide after-market spare parts of sufficient quality.
Adaptalift Group OEM Spare Part Sales
In this post we’ve discussed some of the advantages and disadvantages of only using genuine OEM spare parts for routine maintenance and repairs.
As the exclusive Australian dealer for leading forklift brands Hyster, Yale and Combilift Adaptalift Group Parts Division is the only supplier of genuine OEM spare parts.
To order OEM spare parts or for assistance in finding the correct spare part for your forklift give our parts department a call on 13 22 54 or fill-out a contact form and a parts team member will get back to you as soon as possible.