When confronted with the purchasing cycle, it is a huge decision for anyone to choose whether to buy second-hand or brand new. When it comes to purchasing a forklift and trying to decide between the two options, the best thing to do is know the application needs for the lift truck. For example, know the type of equipment which is required, the number of hours per week or per year you will utilize it and how long you intend to keep it.
Usually, a higher priced forklift would hold its value longer over time. It is good to remember that an inexpensive new lift truck might not have the overall value, reliability and ability of a second-hand unit of a higher priced kind.
When considering a purchase of a new or used lift truck, there are 3 aspects which you should take heed of: seasonality, utilization and duty cycle. If you are thinking of utilizing your lift truck for at least 4 hours a day, it is better that you buy a brand new unit, specially if you would have a high-duty cycle. A high-duty cycle means moving numerous loads per hour which are at or near the capacity truck.
If you just need your lift truck for approximately 4 hours per day or on an intermittent basis, an inexpensive new model or used forklift might be optimal. Several of the newer models are available at lower costs that are made for lower-duty cycles. Furthermore, if you think that you would expect to utilize the forklift only during particular times of year on a seasonal basis, then a used lift truck or a rental program might best available choice and could possibly save you a lot of money.
It is important to anticipate if the lift truck is going to be always used or not. This would mean determining the amount of uptime and dependability required for your certain application.