When confronted with the purchasing cycle, it is a huge decision for anybody to choose whether to purchase second-hand or brand new. In terms of purchasing 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. For instance, know the type of equipment that is required, how many hours per year or per week you would utilize it and how long you intend to keep it.
Typically, an expensive forklift would hold its value longer over time. It is good to remember that a lower priced brand new forklift may not have the overall capability, value or reliability of a used unit of a higher priced type.
When considering a purchase of a new or used lift truck, there are 3 aspects that you must take heed of: seasonality, utilization and duty cycle. If you are thinking of utilizing your lift truck for 4 or more hours a day, it is recommended that you purchase a brand new unit, 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 approximately 4 hours per day or on an intermittent basis, a lower cost brand new model or used forklift may be optimal. Some of the newer models are available at lower costs that are made for lower-duty cycles. Moreover, if you think that you would expect to utilize the forklift only during particular times of year on a seasonal basis, then a rental program or a second-hand lift truck may best option available and could potentially save you lots of money.
It is important to anticipate if the forklift is going to be in nearly constant use or not. This would mean determining the amount of uptime and dependability required for your certain application.