3 Tonne Forklift Hire Melbourne | From $30/Day + GST

Hire a 3 tonne forklift anywhere in Melbourne. We hire Toyota gas (LPG) forklifts from 1.8 to 3 tonne, and the 3 tonne is the one to pick when your loads are heavier, your pallets are bigger or the forklift spends its day outside in the yard. Hire starts from $30/day + GST, minimum hire is generally one week, and servicing and breakdown cover are included for the whole hire. Call 1300 326 654, Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.

Not sure 3 tonne is the right size? Read on, or see every option on our forklift hire Melbourne page.

When a 3 tonne forklift is the right choice

A 3 tonne forklift is the heaviest-duty size in our standard hire range. It’s built for heavier pallets, building materials, steel and timber, and outdoor yards. It’s bigger and heavier than a 1.8 or 2.5 tonne machine, so it gives you more capacity and more headroom when loads vary from day to day.

Melbourne businesses usually hire a 3 tonne forklift when:

Their heaviest regular load is close to, or over, 2.5 tonne. Running a forklift near its limit all day leaves no margin. Stepping up a size gives you that margin back.
They lift heavy pallets high into racking. Capacity drops as the forks go higher, so a load a smaller forklift can lift at ground level may be too much for it at the highest beam.
The work is in an outdoor yard. Gas forklifts are powerful all-rounders for loading trucks, yards, loading docks and construction sites, and the 3 tonne suits rougher, busier yard work.
They handle long or bulky loads. Steel, timber, pipe and building products often weigh more than they look, and the extra capacity helps.
They use an attachment. Clamps, fork positioners and other attachments reduce the usable capacity of any forklift, so a bigger machine can make up the difference.

3 tonne forklift hire rates

Toyota LPG (gas) forklift, 1.8–3 tonne: from $30/day + GST.
Electric forklift, 1.8–3 tonne: from $30/day + GST.
Minimum hire: generally one week.
Delivery and pick-up: from around $180 + GST, depending on your suburb. Quoted before you book.
Longer hires: call 1300 326 654 for long-term rates.

All prices exclude GST. Our published weekly rate of $180–$250 + GST is for a late-model Toyota 1.8–2.5 tonne container mast forklift, so for a 3 tonne weekly rate, call us with the job details and we’ll quote it. Delivery costs less the longer you hire, and on hires over a month you can ask us about reduced delivery.

For a week or a few weeks, see short-term forklift hire. For months or years, see long-term forklift hire.

What’s included when you hire a 3 tonne forklift

Servicing and breakdown cover for the whole hire. If something goes wrong, call us and we’ll sort it. You aren’t booking services or chasing parts.
A machine matched to the job. Tell us the load, the lift height and where it will work, and we’ll match the capacity and mast.
Hire now, pay later. Set up an account in under 5 minutes.
Hire it for as long as you need it. A week, a season or years.
Delivery and pick-up are extra, and we quote them before you book so there are no surprises.

Is 3 tonne enough, or too much?

Capacity is the most important number on a forklift. Match the rated capacity to your heaviest regular load, with some headroom, and check it at your load centre and lift height. Capacity drops as you lift higher, and attachments reduce usable capacity too. The data plate on the forklift shows what it can safely lift at each height. If you’re unsure, ask us to check it for your load.

As a rough guide to the sizes we hire:

1.8 tonne. Light pallets, small warehouses, retail backrooms and workshops. Compact and easy to manoeuvre in tighter spaces. See 1.8 tonne forklift hire.
2.0 to 2.5 tonne. The most common general-purpose size. Suits standard pallets, container loading and most warehouse and yard work.
3 tonne. Heavier pallets, building materials, steel and timber, and outdoor yards. Bigger and heavier, so check your floor and aisle widths.

If your loads are well under 2.5 tonne and your aisles are tight, a smaller forklift may be easier to drive and just as productive. Our 2.5 tonne forklift hire in Melbourne page has more on that size. If your loads are heavier than 3 tonne, call us before you book. We’ll talk through what you’re lifting and tell you honestly what will suit.

Check your site before a 3 tonne forklift arrives

A 3 tonne forklift is a big machine, so a few minutes checking the site saves a wasted delivery. Before you call, have a look at:

Aisle widths and turning space. A bigger forklift needs more room to turn and stack. Measure your narrowest aisle and any tight corners.
Floor and ground. Check the floor, mezzanine or yard surface can take the weight of the forklift plus its load. Soft ground, steep ramps and broken concrete all matter.
Door and roof heights. Measure roller doors, low beams and any overhead obstructions the forklift has to pass under.
Racking height. Measure the height of your highest racking beam and allow clearance above it, then tell us that figure so we can check the lift height.
Containers. If you unload shipping containers, tell us. A container mast has a lower closed height, so the forklift can drive in and out of the container.
Delivery access. Let us know where the truck can park and unload, and any site rules or booking times.

Container mast or standard mast?

A container mast has a lower closed height, so the forklift can drive in and out of shipping containers. A standard mast suits open warehouses and yards. If you unload shipping containers, a container mast is usually what you need. Tell us how you’ll use the forklift and we’ll match the mast to the job.

Gas or electric 3 tonne forklift?

Both are on hire from $30/day + GST in 1.8 to 3 tonne sizes, so the hire rate shouldn’t decide it. The site and the shifts should.

Gas (LPG). Gas forklifts are the main part of our hire fleet. They’re powerful all-rounders for loading trucks, yards, loading docks and construction sites, and they suit sites where the forklift works inside and outside through the day.
Electric. Our electric hire forklifts are Toyota. They’re quiet, with zero fumes at the point of use, so they suit indoor warehouses, food sites and anywhere people work close by. A charger is included with every electric hire. See electric forklift hire Melbourne.

Still weighing it up? Read LPG vs electric forklifts.

Short-term or long-term 3 tonne hire

Short-term hire covers the jobs that come and go: a container that’s just landed, a stocktake, peak season, a fit-out, or covering your own forklift while it’s off the road. Minimum hire is generally one week. If the work runs longer, keep it longer.

Long-term hire gives you a forklift on site without buying one. The machine stays ours to look after, you get a predictable cost, and you have the option to change capacity if the work changes. If you start on a 3 tonne and find a smaller machine would do, or the other way round, tell us. Long-term rates are quoted on enquiry.

Delivered across Melbourne from two yards

We deliver hire forklifts right across Melbourne. Our Werribee yard at Unit 2/76 Riverside Ave serves the west and inner west, from Werribee and Point Cook through Truganina, Laverton and Derrimut to Sunshine, Altona and Footscray. Our Epping yard at 55 Produce Drive (Monday to Friday, midnight to 4pm) serves the northern industrial suburbs, from Epping, Lalor and Thomastown across to Campbellfield, Broadmeadows, Tullamarine and Craigieburn. We also deliver to the south-east, east and inner suburbs, including Port Melbourne.

Local pages: forklift hire Werribee, forklift hire Truganina, forklift hire Epping, forklift hire Campbellfield and forklift hire Tullamarine. Not sure if we reach you? Call 1300 326 654 with the delivery address and we’ll confirm.

How hiring a 3 tonne forklift works

Call 1300 326 654 or send us an enquiry.
Tell us the load weight, lift height, indoors or outdoors, whether you unload containers, how long you need it, and the delivery address.
We’ll quote the hire plus delivery and pick-up before you book.
We deliver the forklift, ready to work. When you’re done, we pick it up.

Only licensed operators can legally drive a forklift in Australia (an LF licence for a counterbalance forklift). If your operator needs one, read how to get a forklift licence.

Would buying a 3 tonne forklift make more sense?

If you’ll need a 3 tonne forklift every day for years, owning one can cost less. Our used forklifts for sale in Melbourne are mainly Toyota, with up to a 3-year warranty. Right now our stock list includes a 2013 Toyota 32-8FG30 3.0T LPG forklift with a 4.3m container mast at $18,000 + GST, a 2012 Toyota 32-8FG30 3.0T LPG forklift with a 4.5m standard mast at $16,000 + GST, and 2023 Toyota 62-8FD30 3.0T diesel forklifts with a 4.7m container mast at $13,000 + GST. Stock changes, so see our full stock list for what’s in the yard today, or read forklift hire vs buying.

Servicing your own 3 tonne forklift

Already own a forklift? We service and repair all makes and models of forklift, in all sizes, and we specialise in Toyota. Our forklift service and repair special is $345 + GST (normally $420 + GST), with travel, labour, parts and consumables included, for gas, petrol and electric forklifts up to 3t, anywhere in Melbourne. If your own machine is off the road, we can often get a hire forklift to you while yours is fixed.

Why hire from Damoli

Family owned and operated since 2009. You’re not ringing a national call centre. You deal with the people who own and look after the machines.
150+ forklifts in the hire fleet. Mainly Toyota: LPG (gas) forklifts from 1.8 to 3 tonne, plus electric. Reach trucks and scissor lifts too.
Two yards, west and north. Werribee (Monday to Friday, 8am–4pm; weekends by appointment) and Epping (Monday to Friday, midnight to 4pm).
Servicing and breakdown cover included for the whole hire.

3 tonne forklift hire near you

We deliver 3 tonne hire forklifts across Melbourne from our two yards: Unit 2/76 Riverside Ave, Werribee VIC 3030 (Monday to Friday, 8am–4pm; weekends by appointment) and 55 Produce Drive, Epping VIC 3076 (Monday to Friday, midnight to 4pm; call before you come). Delivery is from around $180 + GST, quoted for your suburb before you book. Local hire pages:

Western suburbs: Werribee, Laverton North, Truganina, Tarneit, Derrimut, Altona, Point Cook, Hoppers Crossing, Sunshine, Brooklyn, Footscray, Deer Park.

Northern suburbs: Epping, Campbellfield, Tullamarine, Thomastown, Preston, Bundoora, Reservoir, Broadmeadows, Craigieburn, Coolaroo.

Compare every size and fuel type on our forklift hire and rental Melbourne page.

3 Tonne Forklift Hire FAQs

Is forklift hire the same as forklift rental?

Yes. Hire and rental mean the same thing. You rent a 3 tonne forklift from us for as long as you need it, generally with a one-week minimum, and servicing and breakdown cover are included. Call 1300 326 654 for a quote.

How much does it cost to hire a 3 tonne forklift in Melbourne?

Toyota LPG (gas) and electric forklifts from 1.8 to 3 tonne start from $30/day + GST. Minimum hire is generally one week, and delivery is from around $180 + GST, depending on your suburb. Call 1300 326 654 with your job details for a 3 tonne weekly or long-term quote.

What can a 3 tonne forklift lift?

Its rated capacity is 3 tonne at its rated load centre. Capacity drops as you lift higher, and attachments reduce it too, so check the data plate on the forklift or ask us to check it for your load and lift height.

Should I hire a 2.5 tonne or a 3 tonne forklift?

If your heaviest regular load is close to 2.5 tonne, or you lift heavy pallets high into racking, a 3 tonne gives you more headroom. If your loads are lighter and your aisles are tight, a smaller forklift may be easier to drive. Tell us the load and lift height and we’ll match the size.

Is servicing included with a 3 tonne forklift hire?

Yes. Servicing and breakdown cover are included for the whole hire. If something goes wrong, call us and we’ll sort it.

What’s the minimum hire period?

Minimum hire is generally one week. You can hire for a week, a season or years.

Can I hire a 3 tonne forklift with a container mast?

Tell us you’re unloading shipping containers when you call. A container mast has a lower closed height so the forklift can drive in and out of the container, and we’ll match the mast to the job.

Do you hire electric 3 tonne forklifts?

Yes. Our electric hire forklifts are Toyota, from 1.8 to 3 tonne, from $30/day + GST, and a charger is included with every electric hire.

Which Melbourne suburbs do you deliver to?

We deliver right across Melbourne: the west from our Werribee yard, the north from our Epping yard, and the south-east, east and inner suburbs too. Call 1300 326 654 with the delivery address and we’ll quote delivery before you book.

Hire a 3 tonne forklift today

Call 1300 326 654, Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm, or send an enquiry. Toyota gas (LPG) forklifts from 1.8 to 3 tonne, delivered all over Melbourne, with servicing and breakdown cover included. See all options on our forklift hire Melbourne page.