For anyone determine whether to purchase used or brand 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 requirements for the forklift, when trying to decide between the two options. Like for instance, figure out the kind of machine which is needed, the number of hours per week or per year you would use it and how long you plan to keep it.
Expensive forklifts will normally hold its value over time. It is good to remember that an inexpensive new lift truck may not have the overall value, reliability and capability of a used unit of a higher priced kind.
When deciding whether or not to buy a brand new or used lift truck, there are 3 aspects of usage which you may want to take note of: utilization, duty cycle and seasonality. If you are thinking of utilizing your lift truck for at least 4 hours a day, it is better that you buy a new model, specially if you would have a high-duty cycle. A high-duty cycle means moving numerous loads per hour which are at or near the capacity truck.
Nevertheless, if you expect to utilize your forklift for less than 4 hours per day or on an irregular basis, than purchasing a lower cost new model or a second-hand forklift may be the best alternative. Some of the newer models are available at lower costs that are made for lower-duty cycles. Furthermore, if you think that you will expect to utilize the forklift just during specific times of year on a seasonal basis, then a used lift truck or a rental program might best choice available and could possibly save you lots of money.
It is vital to anticipate if the lift truck is going to be always used or not. This will mean determining the amount of uptime and dependability required for your certain application.