For anyone determine whether to buy 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 forklift, when trying to choose between the two options. For instance, figure out the kind of machine which is needed, the number of hours per week or per year you would use it and how long you plan to keep it.
Usually, an expensive forklift would hold its value longer over time. It is good to know that a lower priced brand new lift truck may not have the overall capability, value or reliability of a used 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 want to take note of: duty cycle, seasonality and utilization. If you are thinking of utilizing your lift truck for 4 or more hours per day, it is better that you buy a brand new unit, particularly if you will have a high-duty cycle. A high-duty cycle means moving numerous loads per hour that are near or at the capacity truck.
If you just need your lift truck for around 4 hours per day or on an irregular basis, a lower cost new model or used forklift might be optimal. Some of the newer models are available at lower costs which are manufactured for lower-duty cycles. Additionally, if you think that you will expect to use the forklift just during specific times of year on a seasonal basis, then a second-hand lift truck or a rental program might best alternative available and can potentially save you lots of money.
It is vital to know whether the equipment will be in constant use. This will mean determining the amount of uptime and dependability needed for your certain application.