When confronted with the purchasing cycle, it is a huge decision for anyone to determine whether to purchase used or brand new. In terms of 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. Like for example, know the type of equipment which is required, the number of hours per week or per year you would use it and how long you plan to keep it.
Usually, a higher priced forklift would hold its value longer over time. It is good to know that a lower priced brand new lift truck might not have the overall ability, value or dependability of a second-hand unit of an expensive model.
When considering whether or not to buy a new or second-hand lift truck, there are 3 aspects of usage that you may wish to take note of: duty cycle, seasonality and utilization. If you are thinking of using your lift truck for 4 or more hours per day, it is better that you purchase a brand new model, specially if you would have a high-duty cycle. A high-duty cycle means moving many loads per hour which are near or at the capacity truck.
If you just need your lift truck for roughly 4 hours a day or on an intermittent basis, a lower cost new unit or second-hand lift truck may be optimal. Several of the newer models are available at lower costs which are manufactured for lower-duty cycles. Additionally, if you think that you would expect to utilize the forklift just during particular times of year on a seasonal basis, then a used lift truck or a rental program may best choice available and could potentially save you lots of money.
It is essential to anticipate if the lift truck is going to be in nearly constant use or not. This will mean knowing the amount of uptime and dependability required for your particular application.