For anybody determine whether to purchase used or new lift truck, it is a really big decision when confronted with the purchasing cycle. The best thing to do is to know the application needs for the forklift, when trying to choose between the two options. Like for example, figure out the kind of machine that is required, the number of hours per week or per year you would utilize it and how long you intend to keep it.
Usually, a higher priced forklift would hold its value longer over time. It is good to know that a lower priced new lift truck might not have the overall reliability, ability or value of a used unit of a higher priced kind.
When deciding whether or not to purchase a brand new or second-hand lift truck, there are 3 aspects of usage that you might want to take note of: duty cycle, seasonality and utilization. If you are thinking of using your lift truck for at least 4 hours a 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 a lot of loads per hour that are at or near the capacity truck.
Nonetheless, if you expect to utilize your lift truck for less than 4 hours a day or on an intermittent basis, than purchasing an inexpensive brand new unit or a used forklift may be the best alternative. Some of the newer models are available at lower costs that are made for lower-duty cycles. As well, if you think that you would expect to use the forklift only during particular times of year on a seasonal basis, then a rental program or a second-hand lift truck might best option available and can possibly save you lots of money.
It is essential to anticipate if the lift truck is going to be in nearly constant use or not. This would mean determining the amount of uptime and dependability needed for your certain application.