Critical Inspection Points When Buying Hardwood Pallets
When choosing wooden pallets for your business, you have the option of buying hardwood or softwood pallets. The main advantages of softwood pallets are their cost-effectiveness and their significantly light weight compared to hardwood pallets. However, that does not mean that hardwood pallets are not affordable. In fact, most businesses would prefer hardwood pallets because they offer value for money as far as longevity goes. Moreover, unlike softwood pallets, hardwood pallets are reusable, making them a more attractive option. That said, buying used hardwood pallets requires a careful inspection to get value for money. This article highlights critical inspection points when buying used hardwood pallets.
Missing Fasteners -- Unlike plastic pallets, hardwood pallets are made of several wood planks held together with fasteners. Different wooden pallets use various fasteners to conform to structural standards. However, it is common for fasteners to go missing during service life, and this is something you must look at when buying used wooden pallets. It is advisable to avoid any pallets that have several fasteners missing. However, if a pallet misses one nail, there is no need to pass on it because you can easily fix it. Most importantly, your objective should be buying hardwood pallets that have all fasteners intact.
Wood Underside -- When inspecting used hardwood pallets, most people tend to pay more attention to the top side of the wood planks but ignore the bottom side. See, splitting can occur on either side, but defects on the underside are less visible and, thus, easy to miss. If you buy wooden pallets with split wood, you will be exposing your goods to potential damage, particularly during transport. While you can get away with minor splits if transporting light goods, it is an entirely different case if you deal with heavy products.
Protruding Splinters -- Over time, hardwood becomes prone to splintering, especially in the absence of regular maintenance. Splinters are even more dangerous when they protrude upwards or downwards. It is the reason why employees are required to handle wooden pallets with gloves to prevent injuries. However, it is not a guarantee that workers will wear gloves every time they handle hardwood pallets. Other than the safety of workers, you should also be concerned about the integrity of your products when buying used wooden pallets. The reason why is that protruding splinters can puncture packaging and cause significant losses. Therefore, the fewer splinters, the safer your workers and products.
To learn more, contact a hardwood pallet supplier.