An Adelaide-based snack food supplier has expanded its existing Toyota battery electric forklift fleet with the addition of a new 1.8-tonne payload three-wheel 8FBE18 model.
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Yummy Snack Foods staff (L to R): Christopher Agostino, Joseph Cavallaro, Rina Agostino and Robert Garuccio, with their Toyota 8FBE18 battery electric forklift
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Yummy Snack Foods is an Australian family owned and operated company, distributing a range of snack food products.
Managing director Andy Trimboli took over Yummy Snack Foods in June 2008. In the nine years since the takeover, business turnover has trebled and the company now shifts 17 tonnes per day of nuts, dried fruits and confectionary across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.
Shortly after taking over, Trimboli replaced one of the company’s existing forklifts with a Toyota battery electric unit and says he has continued to buy Toyota forklifts ever since.
“Toyota makes great forklifts,” Trimboli says.
“I’ve have had nothing but good things to say about them from the day we bought our first one in 2008.”
“With Toyota, you get what you pay for – they represent excellent value for money and we’ve never had a problem.
“They are just a better built and better finished forklift. By the time you finish the rental or purchase period, you’re well and truly in front.”
The 8FBE18 runs on two 4.9kW electric motors powered by a 565Ah battery. Toyota says the 8FBE18 can operate for 8 hours 47 minutes on a single battery charge. This represents an increase of around 1.5 hours over previous models.
The forklift features a unique three-wheel design that gives the machine a much smaller turning radius when compared with four-wheeled machines. Double rear tyres ensure the forklift maintains stable while travelling and lifting.
The 8FBE18 also has a number of safety features including Toyota’s Active Mast front tilt and tilt speed control that automatically corrects tilt angle and tilt speed based on lift height and load weight to prevent dropped loads or tip-overs.