When confronted with the purchasing cycle, it is a big decision for anyone to determine whether to purchase second-hand or new. In terms of buying a forklift and trying to decide between the two options, the best thing to do is figure out the application needs for the lift truck. Like for instance, know the type of equipment that is required, the number of hours per week or per year you will use it and how long you plan to keep it.
Expensive forklifts will normally hold its value over time. It is good to know that an inexpensive new forklift might not have the overall dependability, ability or value of a second-hand unit of an expensive type.
When considering whether or not to buy a new or second-hand lift truck, there are 3 aspects of usage which you might wish to take note of: utilization, duty cycle and seasonality. If you are thinking of using your lift truck for 4 or more hours per day, it is better that you purchase a new unit, particularly if you will have a high-duty cycle. A high-duty cycle means moving lots of loads per hour which are near or at the capacity truck.
If you only need your lift truck for approximately 4 hours a day or on an intermittent basis, a lower cost new unit or used forklift might be optimal. Some of the newer units are available at lower costs that are made for lower-duty cycles. What's more, if you think that you will expect to use the forklift just during particular times of year on a seasonal basis, then a used lift truck or a rental program might best option available and could possibly save you lots of money.
It is important to anticipate if the lift truck is going to be always used or not. This would mean determining the amount of uptime and dependability required for your particular application.