For anybody determine whether to purchase used or new forklift, it is a very big decision when confronted with the purchasing cycle. The best thing to do is to figure out the application needs for the lift truck, when trying to decide between the two options. For example, know the kind of equipment that is required, the number of hours per year or per week you would utilize it and how long you plan to keep it.
Higher priced forklifts would typically hold its value over time. It is good to remember that a lower priced brand new lift truck may not have the overall value, dependability and capability of a second-hand unit of a higher priced type.
When considering a purchase of a brand 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 model, particularly if you would have a high-duty cycle. A high-duty cycle means moving lots of loads per hour that are at or near the capacity truck.
If you just need your lift truck for about 4 hours per day or on an irregular basis, a lower cost brand new unit or second-hand forklift might be optimal. Several of the newer units are available at lower costs that are manufactured 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 second-hand lift truck or a rental program may best choice available and could potentially save you a lot of money.
It is vital to know whether the equipment will be in constant use. This would mean determining the amount of uptime and dependability required for your certain application.