When confronted with the purchasing cycle, it is a huge decision for anybody to determine whether to purchase second-hand or new. In terms of buying a forklift and trying to choose between the two options, the best thing to do is know the application needs for the lift truck. For example, know the kind of machine which is required, how long you plan to keep it and how many hours per week or per year you will use it.
Expensive forklifts will typically hold its value over time. It is good to remember that an inexpensive new lift truck might not have the overall dependability, ability or value of a used unit of a higher priced kind.
When deciding whether or not to purchase a brand new or used 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 recommended that you buy a brand new unit, especially if you will have a high-duty cycle. A high-duty cycle means moving lots of loads per hour that are near or at the capacity truck.
If you only need your lift truck for roughly 4 hours a day or on an intermittent basis, a lower cost new model or second-hand lift truck may be optimal. Several of the newer units are available at lower costs which are made 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 used lift truck might best available alternative and could potentially save you a lot of money.
It is important to know whether the machinery would be in constant use. This would mean knowing the amount of uptime and dependability needed for your certain application.