For anybody determine whether to buy second-hand or brand new forklift, it is a very big decision when confronted with the purchasing cycle. The best thing to do is to know the application requirements for the lift truck, when trying to choose between the two options. Like for instance, know the kind of machine which is needed, how many hours per year or per week you would use it and how long you plan to keep it.
Higher priced forklifts will typically hold its value over time. It is good to know that a lower priced brand new lift truck might not have the overall reliability, ability or value of a used unit of a higher priced kind.
When considering a purchase of a 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 better that you buy a new unit, especially if you would 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 just need your lift truck for around 4 hours a day or on an irregular basis, an inexpensive brand new model or second-hand forklift may be optimal. Some of the newer units are available at lower costs which are manufactured for lower-duty cycles. In addition, if you think that you would expect to use the forklift just during specific times of year on a seasonal basis, then a rental program or a second-hand lift truck may best available choice and could potentially save you a lot of money.
It is important to know whether the machine would be always used. This will mean knowing the amount of uptime and dependability required for your certain application.