When confronted with the purchasing cycle, it is a huge decision for anyone to choose whether to purchase second-hand or brand new. When it comes to buying a forklift and trying to choose between the two options, the best thing to do is figure out the application requirements for the lift truck. Like for example, figure out the kind of machinery that is required, how many hours per week or per year you would use it and how long you intend to keep it.
Normally, a higher priced forklift will hold its value longer over time. It is good to remember that a lower priced new forklift may not have the overall dependability, ability or value of a used unit of an expensive type.
When deciding whether or not to purchase a new or used lift truck, there are 3 aspects of usage that you might wish to take note of: duty cycle, seasonality and utilization. If you are thinking of using your lift truck for 4 or more hours a day, it is better that you purchase a brand new unit, especially if you will have a high-duty cycle. A high-duty cycle means moving a lot of loads per hour which are near or at the capacity truck.
However, if you expect to utilize your lift truck for less than 4 hours per day or on an intermittent basis, than buying a lower cost new model or a second-hand forklift may be the right option. Some of the newer models are available at lower costs which are made for lower-duty cycles. Furthermore, if you think that you would expect to use the forklift only during specific times of year on a seasonal basis, then a second-hand lift truck or a rental program may best available option and could possibly save you lots of money.
It is vital to anticipate if the forklift is going to be always used or not. This would mean determining the amount of uptime and dependability needed for your certain application.