When confronted with the purchasing cycle, it is a huge decision for anybody to determine whether to purchase second-hand or brand new. When it comes to buying a lift truck and trying to choose between the two options, the best thing to do is know the application needs for the lift truck. Like for instance, know the type of machinery which is required, how long you intend to keep it and the number of hours per year or per week you will utilize it.
Usually, an expensive forklift would hold its value longer 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 an expensive 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 using your lift truck for 4 or more hours a day, it is better that you buy a brand new model, especially 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.
However, if you expect to utilize your forklift for less than 4 hours a day or on an intermittent basis, than purchasing an inexpensive brand new model or a second-hand forklift might be the best option. Several of the newer models are available at lower costs which are made for lower-duty cycles. Furthermore, if you think that you will expect to utilize the forklift only during particular times of year on a seasonal basis, then a rental program or a used lift truck might best available option and could potentially save you lots of money.
It is essential to know whether the machinery would be in constant use. This will mean knowing the amount of uptime and dependability required for your certain application.