For anyone determine whether to purchase used or new lift truck, it is a very big decision when confronted with the purchasing cycle. The best thing to do is to figure out the application requirements for the forklift, when trying to decide between the two options. For example, figure out the kind of machine which is required, how long you intend to keep it and how many hours per week or per year you will use it.
Usually, a higher priced forklift would hold its value longer over time. It is good to remember that a lower priced new forklift might not have the overall value, dependability and capability of a second-hand unit of a higher priced model.
When considering 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 utilizing your lift truck for 4 or more hours a day, it is recommended that you purchase a brand new unit, specially if you will have a high-duty cycle. A high-duty cycle means moving numerous loads per hour that are near or at the capacity truck.
If you just need your lift truck for about 4 hours a day or on an irregular basis, an inexpensive brand new unit or used forklift might be optimal. Some of the newer models are available at lower costs that are made for lower-duty cycles. In addition, if you think that you would expect to utilize the forklift only during particular times of year on a seasonal basis, then a rental program or a second-hand lift truck may best choice available and can potentially save you lots of money.
It is important to know whether the machinery will be in constant use. This would mean knowing the amount of uptime and dependability required for your certain application.