California
Scrap Forklift Buyers in California
A forklift that will not start is not worthless. The mast, counterweight, transmission, and steel all carry value. Whether your forklift sits in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose or in a shop two hours from the nearest interstate, we will come get it. California's port and container terminal work and warehousing and distribution means we already have routes through most of the state, and we cover rigging, loading, and transport at our own cost.
Monday – Saturday, 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM ET · No fees, no commissions, free pickup.

What we buy in California
Our scope is forklifts and the material handling equipment that lives beside them — nothing else. In California that means walkie stacker, diesel, rough terrain, cushion tire, reach truck, pallet jack, plus electric pallet jacks, walkie stackers, order pickers, and telehandlers. If it lifts pallets, we are interested.
We buy every major nameplate: Jungheinrich, Raymond, Komatsu, SkyTrak, Taylor, Linde, TCM, Caterpillar, and the rest. Brand matters to the offer, but far less than hours, mast condition, and whether the truck runs. A high-hour Toyota with a tired mast can be worth less than a low-hour Doosan that has been maintained.
Capacity range runs from 2,000 lb walkies up through 40,000 lb+ container handlers. The classes we see most often in California are 50,000 lb and up, 6,000 lb, 3,000 lb, 15,000 lb. Searches like "dead forklift removal" and "broken forklift buyers" all land in the same place: send the specs, get a number.
Have the make, model, and hours handy? One call is usually all it takes.
(954) 740-1983The California process, start to finish
First, the specs. Make, model, year, hour meter, fuel type, capacity, and mast configuration. Then photos: all four corners, the mast fully lowered, the data plate, and the hour meter. That is genuinely all we need to price a truck in California.
Second, the offer. We price against live wholesale, export, and auction comparables rather than a rule of thumb, and you get a firm number in writing inside 24 hours — usually the same business day if you reach us during working hours. The offer is firm. We do not quote high to win the call and then re-negotiate at the dock.
Third, pickup and payment. We schedule transport at our cost, our driver loads it, and you are paid at the time of pickup. Across California that typically means a pickup window within a few business days.

California forklift values, explained honestly
Five things move the number, in roughly this order: hour meter, mast and carriage condition, powertrain health, tires, and attachments. On electrics, battery age and capacity replace powertrain — a truck needing a new lead-acid pack can be several thousand dollars behind an identical unit with a healthy, recently load-tested battery.
We grade A through D and we say the grade out loud. Grade A is starts cold, lifts and tilts to full height under load, no active hydraulic leaks, tires and mast in good order, hour meter working and consistent with the machine's appearance. Grade D still gets an offer, because core, component, and scrap value is not the same as worthless.
Nobody can quote a forklift accurately from a city name alone, and any site that gives you a firm price before seeing the machine is guessing. What we will commit to is the range in the table on this page, a real number within 24 hours of seeing your specs, and no reduction of that number at pickup. Call (954) 740-1983 and we will walk through your truck.
California pickup logistics
We cover all of California, with routes anchored on Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco. Freight is on us in every corner of the state, including the parts of it that are a long way from an interstate.
Access is the only thing we need to know in advance. Tell us whether the truck rolls or has to be dragged, whether it is on a dock or on a slab, whether the ceiling clears a mast, and whether there is room for a 48-foot trailer. Non-running units are routine — we bring winches for exactly that.
If the machine is genuinely dead, removal and payment happen in the same visit. You end up with a clear floor and money, instead of a disposal invoice.
What it is worth
Forklift values by capacity in California
Wide, honest bands rather than false precision. Hours, mast, tires, battery health, and whether the truck runs decide where a specific machine lands inside its band.
| Capacity | Typical Configuration | Common Use | Cash Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3,000 lb | Electric three-wheel, walkie stacker, compact cushion | Retail backrooms, light assembly, small stockrooms | $1,500 – $12,000 |
| 4,000 lb | Electric counterbalance, reach truck, cushion tire | General warehousing, racked storage, light manufacturing | $2,000 – $16,000 |
| 5,000 lb | LP cushion, IC pneumatic, sit-down rider | The default workhorse across nearly every industry | $2,500 – $20,000 |
| 6,000 lb | IC pneumatic, LP cushion, diesel counterbalance | Distribution, lumber, building supply, dock work | $3,000 – $24,000 |
| 8,000 lb | Diesel or LP pneumatic, heavier cushion trucks | Steel, concrete products, heavy distribution, ports | $4,000 – $30,000 |
| 10,000 lb | Diesel pneumatic, dual-tire IC counterbalance | Manufacturing, lumber yards, marine, pipe handling | $5,000 – $38,000 |
| 15,000 lb | Heavy diesel counterbalance, mill-duty trucks | Steel service centres, paper, heavy fabrication | $8,000 – $52,000 |
| 20,000 lb | High-capacity diesel, Taylor / Hoist / Kalmar class | Steel, marine, precast concrete, heavy industry | $12,000 – $75,000 |
| 30,000 lb | Heavy mill-duty forklift, loaded container capable | Ports, steel mills, heavy manufacturing, rail yards | $20,000 – $110,000 |
| 50,000 lb and up | Container handler, reach stacker, super-heavy forklift | Intermodal terminals, ports, steel mills, shipyards | $35,000 – $300,000 |
Condition grading
How we grade a forklift, A through D
Grade it honestly and the offer holds at pickup. We would rather quote a Grade C truck correctly than quote a Grade A number we have to walk back on your dock.
| Grade | Meaning | What It Looks Like | Effect On Offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Ready to Work | Starts cold, lifts and tilts to full height under load, no active hydraulic leaks, tires and mast in good order, hour meter working and consistent with the machine's appearance. | Top of our range |
| B | Running, Needs Minor Work | Runs and lifts but has identifiable minor issues — a seeping cylinder, worn tires, tired battery, cosmetic damage, a non-functioning gauge, or deferred maintenance. | Moderate reduction from top |
| C | Runs Poorly or Lifts Poorly | Starts but runs rough, will not lift to full height, has a significant hydraulic or transmission fault, a failed battery pack, or unknown recent service history. | Substantial reduction |
| D | Non-Running, Scrap, or Incomplete | Will not start, seized engine or drive unit, major structural damage, stripped of components, sat outdoors for years, or already partially dismantled. | Core, component, and scrap value |
How it works
Selling a forklift in California, step by step
Send the specs
Make, model, year, hours, fuel type, capacity, and mast. Photos of the four corners, the mast, and the data plate. Call it in or use the form.
Get a cash offer in 24 hours
We price against live wholesale and auction data, not a guess. You get a real number, in writing, usually the same day.
We pick it up and pay
We schedule the rigging and transport at our cost and you are paid at the time of pickup. No fees taken out of the number.
Why sell to us
Why California sellers deal with us directly
Why Sell To Us
Four reasons sellers stop shopping and just call
No listing, no waiting
You are not posting an ad and hoping. You are selling directly to the buyer who writes the check.
No commissions, no fees
Brokers take a cut of your sale price. We are not brokers. The number we quote is the number you receive.
Cash offer within 24 hours
Send the specs and photos today and you will have a real number back inside one business day, usually much sooner.
We handle the pickup
Rigging, loading, and transport are ours to arrange and ours to pay for. You do not rent a forklift to load a forklift.
Questions
California forklift questions, answered
- Is there any obligation once I get an offer in California?
- None. The offer is yours to take or leave, there is no fee for the quote, and we will not badger you afterward. If our number is not the best one you find in California, take the better one.
- Do you buy forklifts in California that do not run?
- Yes. Non-running, seized, flood-damaged, and stripped units are a routine purchase. The mast, counterweight, transmission, hydraulics, and steel all hold value, so a dead forklift in California is still worth a real number rather than a disposal fee.
- What information do you need to quote a forklift in California?
- Make, model, year, hour meter reading, fuel type, lift capacity, mast type, and honest condition notes, plus photos of the four corners, the lowered mast, the data plate, and the hour meter. That is enough to price it accurately without a site visit.
- Who buys used forklifts in California?
- We do, directly. Forklifts Buyers is a cash buyer rather than a broker or a listing site, so the company that quotes your truck in California is the same company that pays for it and hauls it away. Call (954) 740-1983 with the make, model, and hours.
- What areas around California do you cover?
- All of California, with routes anchored on Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco. If your location is not listed, call (954) 740-1983 — we route nationwide and almost certainly cover you.
- Do you buy pallet jacks and other material handling equipment in California?
- Yes, within our lane: electric pallet jacks, walkie stackers, reach trucks, order pickers, telehandlers, and forklift attachments. We are forklift specialists and we do not buy outside material handling.
- Do you buy Kalmar forklifts in California?
- Yes — Kalmar and every other major nameplate, including Toyota, Hyster, Yale, Crown, Raymond, Clark, Komatsu, CAT, Mitsubishi, and Doosan. Kalmar dominates the very heavy end — 20,000 lb and up, plus reach stackers and container handlers. High-value machines quoted individually.
- How do I get paid for a forklift in California?
- At pickup, when the truck is loaded — not net-30 and not on a check that clears next month. The amount is exactly what we quoted, with nothing withheld for freight, rigging, or fees.
Ready for a number on your California forklift?
Call (954) 740-1983 or send photos and specs. Either way you get a firm cash offer within 24 hours and we handle the pickup.
Cities we buy forklifts in across California
- Los Angeles, CA
- San Diego, CA
- San Jose, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Fresno, CA
- Sacramento, CA
- Long Beach, CA
- Oakland, CA
- Bakersfield, CA
- Anaheim, CA
- Santa Ana, CA
- Riverside, CA
- Stockton, CA
- Chula Vista, CA
- Irvine, CA
- Fremont, CA
- San Bernardino, CA
- Modesto, CA
- Oxnard, CA
- Fontana, CA
- Moreno Valley, CA
- Huntington Beach, CA
- Glendale, CA
- Santa Clarita, CA