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Genuine parts - are they worth it?
When it comes to buying spare parts for your forklift or warehouse truck you usually have two options; one – buy genuine parts from the manufacturer or two – buy a generic part from a parts supplier.
We all know genuine parts can be a little bit more expensive than the generic parts – so the question is why buy genuine and are they worth the extra investment?
We spoke to Chris Pole, our national parts manager to find out why Toyota material handling users should buy genuine parts and here is what he told us.
1. Genuine parts are an exact fit
Some generic parts can be manufactured to fit and number of different brands and models and so they may not be an exact fit for your truck. We often see this with items like air filters that can be 5 or 6 mm shorter that genuine parts and have less filtration materials. What this means for your trucks is reduced air filtration, so your filter may clog up quicker and need replacing more often – which can waste time and money.
2. Lower risk of downtime and repair costs
Genuine parts are intended for that specific truck model and so are usually a better design and quality than generic parts, so they last longer. An example of this are Toyota air filters that have a special relief valve which allows the engine to be supplied with oil even if the oil filter is clogged – which keeps the engine going until the next routine service. Often generic parts don’t usually have this relief valve and so the engine will wear quicker.
3. Keep your warranty valid and increase second hand value
Similar to the car industry having genuine parts fitted by trained technicians will help to keep your warranty valid – which is why we always recommend that customers choose us for their service support needs. It also helps a truck to keep its value as the truck will be in better working condition.
4. Thoroughly tested for safety and durability
All genuine parts are thoroughly tested to make sure they give your truck the safety and durability you need to keep it working. Take our wheels for our warehouse trucks like reach trucks and pallet trucks. The compound materials of the wheels and the rims have be developed and tested to make sure you get great stability and make sure the truck can cope with the stress of loading, moving and braking.
Genuine parts can be a higher cost – but they offer better value in terms of the efficiency of your trucks. They can last longer, help your truck to work more reliably and help prevent unexpected breakdowns. This is why our service technicians use genuine parts when servicing and repairing our customer trucks. On top of that because we know our trucks – my team is always on hand to offer your advice on which parts to use.