Steel coils don't care about standard pallet weight limits. When you're moving 15,000 to 80,000 pounds on a single lift, you're not in the territory of the standard 5,000-pound counterbalance forklift. The Clark C500 is a heavy-duty internal combustion sit-down counterbalance designed for the loads that require a different class of machine: steel and metal service centers, paper mills, rail yards, and heavy manufacturing operations where the capacity plate matters more than aisle width.
The C500 series covers a substantial range. The lower end of the series starts around 8,000 pounds and extends to 80,000 pounds in the largest configurations, making it one of the broadest capacity ranges in a single model designation in the counterbalance forklift market. Propane, LPG, diesel, and dual-fuel configurations are available depending on the application environment and fuel preference. Most outdoor and mixed-use applications use diesel, while indoor environments where exhaust is a concern favor LPG.
We finance Clark C500 units from our $50,000 floor. The smaller C500 configurations around 8,000 to 15,000 pounds can approach or exceed the floor on new units; the larger models are well above it. B and C credit is considered. We underwrite heavy-duty IC forklifts regularly forsteel and metal operations, paper yards, and heavy manufacturing facilities. Completed forklift packages usually fund inside seven to fourteen days with a complete application.
Clark C500 Range: Capacities, Fuels, and Applications
The C500 series uses the same nameplate across a wide capacity range, so specifying which configuration you need is important both for ordering the right machine and for financing, where the value of a 15,000-pound C500 and an 80,000-pound C500 are materially different.
- Capacity range: approximately 8,000 to 80,000 lbs depending on model within the C500 series
- Fuel types: LPG, diesel, and dual-fuel available depending on capacity class
- Pneumatic tires standard for the outdoor and mixed-surface environments where heavy IC forklifts typically work
- Mast options vary by capacity class; high-lift configurations available at lower capacity tiers
- Heavy-duty frame construction designed for continuous-cycle applications in demanding environments
For the larger C500 configurations used in paper and steel operations, the machine is often more of a fixed production asset than a warehouse truck. It sits at a coil storage area or paper roll bay and moves material as part of a production flow rather than routing around a facility. The duty cycle is intensive. A steel service center C500 running a coil bay may not travel far but lifts thousands of times per shift. That intensity matters for financing in two ways: higher value per unit (supporting the loan) and higher maintenance cost per year (a variable to discuss in the underwriting conversation).
For lighter-end C500 applications in the 8,000 to 15,000 pound range, these trucks often appear in lumberyard, building materials, and large-format retail distribution applications. We finance those applications across their relevant industry, includingbuilding materials and lumber operations, on the same basis as any other heavy-duty counterbalance deal.
Buying a Used Clark C500 and Getting It Financed
Used C500 units at the 15,000 to 30,000 pound capacity range are available from industrial equipment dealers, auction houses, and private parties across the country. At that size, a used unit typically ranges from $25,000 to $80,000 depending on age, hours, condition, and capacity, easily in our financing range.
The key due diligence items on a used heavy-duty IC forklift like the C500 are engine condition, mast wear, and structural integrity of the frame and axle. These machines work hard and the wear patterns are different from a standard 5,000-pound forklift. A used C500 with 10,000 hours from a steel mill is not the same risk as a 10,000-hour machine from a single-shift warehouse. The operational context tells you as much as the hour meter.
We finance used Clark C500 units throughused equipment financingon the same basic structure as new: application, recent operating statements, and sufficient documentation on the asset. For large used machines purchased from auction, we work off the auction invoice and available condition information. We will ask more questions on a high-hour heavy-duty unit than on a standard used counterbalance, but that doesn't mean we won't close the deal.
Extracting Capital From a C500 You Already Own
A paid-off Clark C500 at the 30,000 or 40,000 pound capacity tier sitting in a steel service center or paper mill represents significant value. If that machine is critical to operations and you own it outright, acash-out refinanceor sale-leaseback can put that capital to work without requiring you to give up the asset or interrupt operations.
In a sale-leaseback, we purchase the C500 from you at fair market value and lease it back under a structured monthly payment. You keep using the machine. The capital goes to wherever you need it, whether that's payroll during a slow period, a second machine purchase, or facility upgrades. The lease payment on a machine worth $80,000 may be lower than what you'd expect because we're buying it at fair value and structuring a payment around that number, not an inflated asset price.
Clark C500 Financing Questions
Finance Your Clark C500
Heavy-duty counterbalance forklifts from the lighter C500 configurations through the large-capacity models, we fund them from $50,000, new or used, B and C credit considered. See the fullClark forklift financingpage for the broader Clark lineup we cover. Contact us through the form with the capacity class and configuration you need, and we'll have a structure back to you within one business day.