When confronted with the purchasing cycle, it is a big decision for anybody to determine whether to purchase used or brand new. In terms of buying a forklift and trying to choose between the two options, the best thing to do is know the application requirements for the lift truck. For instance, know the kind of machine that is required, the number of hours per year or per week you will use it and how long you intend to keep it.
Typically, an expensive forklift will hold its value longer over time. It is good to remember that a lower priced brand new forklift might not have the overall reliability, capability or value of a used unit of an expensive model.
When considering a purchase of a brand new or used lift truck, there are 3 aspects that you must take heed of: duty cycle, seasonality and utilization. If you are thinking of utilizing your lift truck for at least 4 hours per day, it is recommended that you purchase a new model, specially if you would have a high-duty cycle. A high-duty cycle means moving numerous loads per hour which are near or at the capacity truck.
On the other hand, if you expect to utilize your lift truck for less than 4 hours per day or on an intermittent basis, than buying a lower cost brand new model or a second-hand lift truck may be the best alternative. Several of the newer units are available at lower costs which are manufactured for lower-duty cycles. What's more, 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 might best alternative available and can possibly 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 knowing the amount of uptime and dependability required for your certain application.