For anyone determine whether to purchase second-hand or brand new forklift, it is a really big decision when confronted with the purchasing cycle. The best thing to do is to know the application needs for the forklift, when trying to choose between the two options. For example, know the type of machine which is required, how many hours per year or per week you would use it and how long you intend to keep it.
Expensive forklifts will typically hold its value over time. It is good to remember that a lower priced brand new lift truck may not have the overall capability, value or reliability of a used unit of a higher priced kind.
When considering whether or not to purchase a new or second-hand lift truck, there are 3 aspects of usage that you may wish to take note of: seasonality, utilization and duty cycle. If you are thinking of using your lift truck for 4 or more hours per day, it is better that you buy a brand new unit, 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.
If you just need your lift truck for about 4 hours a day or on an irregular basis, a lower cost new model or second-hand lift truck might be optimal. Several of the newer models are available at lower costs which are made for lower-duty cycles. What's more, if you think that you will expect to use the forklift just during specific times of year on a seasonal basis, then a rental program or a second-hand lift truck might best choice available and can potentially save you lots of money.
It is essential to anticipate if the forklift is going to be always used or not. This would mean determining the amount of uptime and dependability required for your particular application.