Looking to buy a small electric forklift which will supplement heavier rating propane models for light lifting duties, and hopefully remove some of the start/stop wear on the propane ones.

it might see 5 hours a week of use, mostly moving 200-1000lbs pallets less than 50 feet.

Locally the used equipment places have Cat and Yale 3-wheeled machines that would probably work fine.  Do I really want a new battery?  Single-point watering? 

Opinions? Advice?

 I have a little YALE  ( ERCO40 ) electric lift. Rated 3900 pounds,  tiny  solid tires, 4 wheels.  Runs on 36 volts. 
 The original battery  was  destroyed,  I  bought the  machine  for  approximately scrap value  on the battery...
  I put  three  deep cycle 8D marine batteries in series, hung a couple solar panels on the roof, basicly have a perpetual motion machine.
 It will  easily  pick up a 3000 pound pallet of batteries, and  load  or  double stack it.   It's also handy for pulling engines.

I don't have anything quite that small, have a couple 5000 lb Toyotas that I bought used.

Ended up putting new batteries in them within a year and 1/2.  YMMV.

Single point watering systems are great, makes filling batteries a breeze, and have paid for themselves a couple times over in saved man hours.