Farmers have always held a certain fascination with forklifts, readily recognizing their convenience over a tractor loader for lifting, loading, and moving nearly anything.

Few operations, however, owned forklifts until just over a decade ago. Then, the general economy slowed, factories and warehouses were shuttered, and used forklifts were dumped on the market at bargain prices. At the same time, more seed and chemical were arriving at farms on pallets or in totes (as opposed to sacks and jugs), which begged a forklift for unloading and moving chores.

“Several thousand dollars would get you a factory-floor forklift in those days,” says Tim Crossley, a Greens Fork, Indiana, farmer, who bought his first forklift around this time and rebuilt it for use around his shop. “Neighbors stopping by would see the lift, ask about it, and often asked if they could buy it off me. I ended up buying, rebuilding, and selling several forklifts in a short time.”

As factory-floor forklifts became more common, farmers grew to realize the advantages their rough-terrain cousins could offer around the farmyard and field.

Offering much higher ground clearance, running on lugged tires, and providing greater lift capacities, rough-terrain forklifts are attracting a lot of attention at auctions, says Scott Steffes of Steffes Group.

“Like smaller lifts, they are more convenient than a tractor loader at a great many jobs,” Steffes points out.

Far more diversity
In some respects, it’s easier to shop for a used rough-terrain forklift than its little brother, because the vehicles are predominantly powered by diesel engines as opposed to electric-, propane-, or gas-powered units.

Rough-terrain units come in a far broader range of lift capacities. Commonly, factory-floor forklifts provide lift capacities ranging from 3,000 to 8,000 pounds, with 5,000-pound lifts a common industry standard. By comparison, rough-terrain forklift capacities range from 3,000 up to 35,000 pounds or more.

Rough-terrain forklifts are far more feature-rich, with options such as four-wheel drive, sideshifting forks, tilting masts, and cabs with or without air conditioning. Also, lifting height can vary greatly by make and model, as the Pocket Price Guide shows below.

Price guide specs
This price guide includes the most popular makes of rough-terrain forklifts rated for a maximum 6,000-pound capacity and for operating with diesel engines.

Key specifications such as four-wheel drive, sideshift, canopy or cab, forks, and mast operating height are included in the chart – provided that information was in the sale bill.

Surprisingly, these and other specs were often missing on the sale bills, which should inspire you to get to a sale early and give any forklift a thorough inspection.

“Before you buy a forklift, be sure to take note of the hour meter to see if it’s working, look at the tires for wear and damage, and check for signs of general operating abuse,” advises Steffes.