For anyone determine whether to buy second-hand 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 lift truck, when trying to choose between the two options. For instance, know the kind of machine which is needed, the number of hours per week or per year you would use it and how long you plan to keep it.
Usually, an expensive forklift will hold its value longer over time. It is good to remember that a lower priced new forklift may not have the overall ability, value or dependability of a used unit of a higher priced type.
When considering a purchase of a brand new or second-hand lift truck, there are 3 aspects which you should take heed of: duty cycle, seasonality and utilization. If you are thinking of utilizing your lift truck for at least 4 hours a day, it is recommended that you buy a new model, particularly if you will have a high-duty cycle. A high-duty cycle means moving a lot of loads per hour that are at or near the capacity truck.
If you only need your lift truck for roughly 4 hours per day or on an intermittent basis, a lower cost brand new model or second-hand forklift may be optimal. Several of the newer models are available at lower costs which are manufactured for lower-duty cycles. In addition, if you think that you would expect to use the forklift only during specific times of year on a seasonal basis, then a rental program or a second-hand lift truck may best option available and could possibly save you a lot of money.
It is important to know whether the equipment will be in constant use. This would mean determining the amount of uptime and dependability needed for your particular application.