For anyone determine whether to purchase second-hand or brand new lift truck, it is a really big decision when confronted with the purchasing cycle. The best thing to do is to figure out the application requirements for the lift truck, when trying to decide between the two options. Like for instance, know the type of equipment that is required, how long you plan to keep it and how many hours per year or per week you will use it.
Expensive forklifts would normally hold its value over time. It is good to remember that a lower priced brand new forklift might not have the overall reliability, capability or value of a second-hand unit of a higher priced type.
When considering a purchase of a new or used lift truck, there are 3 aspects which you should take heed of: duty cycle, seasonality and utilization. If you are thinking of using your lift truck for 4 or more hours a day, it is better that you purchase a brand new unit, specially if you would have a high-duty cycle. A high-duty cycle means moving many loads per hour that are at or near the capacity truck.
If you just need your lift truck for roughly 4 hours a day or on an irregular basis, a lower cost brand new model or second-hand forklift might be optimal. Several of the newer models are available at lower costs that are made for lower-duty cycles. Also, if you think that you would expect to utilize the forklift only during specific times of year on a seasonal basis, then a rental program or a used lift truck might best available choice and could potentially save you lots of money.
It is vital to know whether the machinery would be always used. This would mean determining the amount of uptime and dependability needed for your certain application.