When confronted with the purchasing cycle, it is a big decision for anybody to choose whether to buy second-hand or new. In terms of purchasing a forklift and trying to decide between the two options, the best thing to do is figure out the application requirements for the lift truck. For instance, figure out the kind of equipment that is needed, how long you plan to keep it and the number of hours per week or per year you will utilize it.
Expensive forklifts will normally hold its value over time. It is good to know that an inexpensive brand new lift truck might not have the overall reliability, ability or value of a used unit of an expensive model.
When considering a purchase of a brand new or second-hand lift truck, there are 3 aspects that you should take heed of: duty cycle, seasonality and utilization. If you are thinking of utilizing your lift truck for at least 4 hours a day, it is better that you purchase a new unit, particularly if you will have a high-duty cycle. A high-duty cycle means moving many loads per hour which are at or near the capacity truck.
If you only need your lift truck for about 4 hours a day or on an irregular basis, a lower cost new model or second-hand forklift might be optimal. Several of the newer units are available at lower costs which are manufactured for lower-duty cycles. Also, 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 may best choice available and could potentially 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 needed for your particular application.