For anybody determine whether to purchase used or new forklift, it is a very big decision when confronted with the purchasing cycle. The best thing to do is to know the application needs for the lift truck, when trying to decide between the two options. For instance, figure out the type of machinery that is required, how long you intend to keep it and the number of hours per week or per year you will utilize it.
Normally, an expensive forklift would hold its value longer over time. It is good to know that an inexpensive new lift truck may not have the overall ability, value or reliability of a second-hand unit of a higher priced model.
When considering whether or not to buy a brand new or used lift truck, there are 3 aspects of usage which you may wish to take note of: duty cycle, seasonality and utilization. If you are thinking of using your lift truck for 4 or more hours a day, it is recommended that you buy a new model, specially if you will have a high-duty cycle. A high-duty cycle means moving many loads per hour that are near or at the capacity truck.
Nevertheless, if you expect to use your forklift for less than 4 hours per day or on an intermittent basis, than purchasing a lower cost brand new model or a second-hand forklift may be the best alternative. Some of the newer units are available at lower costs that are manufactured for lower-duty cycles. Also, if you think that you will expect to use the forklift only during particular times of year on a seasonal basis, then a rental program or a used lift truck might best available alternative and could possibly save you lots of money.
It is important 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.