When confronted with the purchasing cycle, it is a big decision for anyone to determine whether to buy used or new. In terms of buying a lift truck 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, know the type of machinery that is required, how many hours per week or per year you would utilize it and how long you intend to keep it.
Higher priced forklifts would typically hold its value over time. It is good to remember that a lower priced brand new forklift may not have the overall value, reliability and capability of a used unit of an expensive model.
When considering a purchase of a new or used lift truck, there are 3 aspects that you should take heed of: utilization, duty cycle and seasonality. If you are thinking of utilizing your lift truck for at least 4 hours per day, it is recommended that you buy a brand new unit, especially if you will have a high-duty cycle. A high-duty cycle means moving many loads per hour that are near or at the capacity truck.
However, if you expect to use your lift truck for less than 4 hours per day or on an irregular basis, than buying an inexpensive brand new unit or a second-hand lift truck may be the right alternative. Several of the newer models are available at lower costs which are manufactured for lower-duty cycles. What's more, if you think that you will expect to utilize the forklift just during specific times of year on a seasonal basis, then a rental program or a second-hand lift truck may best choice available and could potentially save you lots of money.
It is vital 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.