Where to Find Electric Low Pallet Jacks

Most people calling around don’t realize Crown Equipment stopped making the model everyone wants (the WP 2300 series with the 27″ lowered height). Been discontinued since Q2 2023.

Your main options now:

Industrial equipment dealers – Total Warehouse in Memphis stocks Yale MPB045s, around $4,800 last I checked. Northern Tool dropped their Bishamon line. McGuckin over in Boulder still carries them but expect 6-8 week lead times.

Raymond Corp does the 8210 model. Lowered fork height hits 2.9 inches vs the standard 3.2. Not much but matters if you’re doing those mezzanine transfers at distribution centers.

List price runs $6,200-$7,400 depending on battery specs (48V vs 36V makes about a grand difference). Their dealer network’s solid—found three in the Dallas area alone when we needed one for the Plano facility.

Used equipment
Check Trupar or Wiese. Trupar had six Hyster units (W40XT model) sitting in their Fontana yard in August, all under 800 hours. Guy named Steve handles that location, knows his stuff about the low-profile models specifically.

Problem with used: most warehouse operations run these things into the ground. Fork wear especially. Hydraulic pump assemblies on anything pre-2018 are basically shot by 1500 hours of use.

BigRentz and Sunbelt both rent but their rates jumped after the supply chain mess—$285/week now vs $190 in 2021. Only makes sense for short-term projects (under 8 weeks, basic math says buying used beats renting after that).

Specific Models Worth Looking At

• Toyota 6BPU15: Fork entry 3.1″, 3300 lb capacity. Can handle that weird Euro pallet sizing (800mm x 1200mm) without the edge-loading problems you get with cheaper units. AC drive motor runs quieter than the old DC models. $5,600-$6,800 new depending on region.
• Noblelift PS12/PS15: Chinese manufacture but honestly decent for the $2,400-$2,900 price point. We’ve run two at our Henderson warehouse for 14 months, zero motor issues. Battery life’s not stellar (dies around hour 5 with constant use) but for that price point? Can’t complain much.

Avoid the BT Lifter LWE130 unless you like replacing control boards. Known issue with the potentiometer assembly that BT kept denying until mid-2024. Class action settlement changed nothing for parts availability.

Gray market stuff: You’ll see units on Alibaba, direct from Hefei factories. $1,600-$2,100 shipped. Lead time’s 45-60 days, then another week for customs clearance at Long Beach or Newark. Voltage compatibility matters here—most ship as 220V single-phase, you’ll need a transformer or full electrical conversion ($400-$700 depending on your electrician’s hourly rate).

What Actually Matters

Fork width. Standard’s 27″ but tight aisles need the 20.5″ narrow fork option. Adds $340 to the price, no one stocks them, everything’s special order.

Travel speed differences are minimal—3.7 mph vs 4.1 mph sounds significant until you realize most warehouse floors limit you to 3 mph anyway per OSHA recommendations.

The low-height models (under 3″ lowered) mainly get used for:

• Mezzanine transfers (loading through those 36″ height openings)
• Clean room operations (pharmaceutical, semiconductor)
• Retail backrooms with those wire shelving units that sit 3.5″ off ground
• Anyone dealing with custom pallets or those aluminum aircraft pallets

Standard walkie pallet jacks hit 3.2-3.5″ lowered. Fine for probably 85% of applications. Don’t overpay for features you won’t use.

Battery charging infrastructure matters more than the truck itself. If you’re running more than 4 hours daily, need a second battery pack ($1,200-$1,800) plus the charging station. Most people forget this, then wonder why their $5,000 investment sits dead half the time.

Yale MS10-15 is everywhere for a reason—parts availability, service network actually shows up when you call, resale value holds decently. Not the cheapest, not the best, just reliable. Sometimes that’s what matters.

Check local industrial auctions. Russell Auction in Kansas City runs equipment sales quarterly, usually 20-30 pallet jacks in mixed condition. Bring a multimeter and check the controller board yourself. Can walk out with a functional unit for $900-$1,400 if you know what to look for.

Last note: anything under 2500 lb capacity is toys. Real warehouse work needs 3000 lb minimum, preferably 3300 for safety margin when someone inevitably overloads it.