For anybody determine whether to purchase second-hand or brand new forklift, it is a very big decision when confronted with the purchasing cycle. The best thing to do is to know the application requirements for the forklift, when trying to decide between the two options. For example, know the type of equipment that is needed, 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 know that a lower priced brand new lift truck might not have the overall reliability, capability or value of a second-hand unit of an expensive type.
When considering a purchase of a new or used lift truck, there are 3 aspects that you should take heed of: seasonality, utilization and duty cycle. If you are thinking of utilizing your lift truck for 4 or more hours a day, it is better that you buy a brand new unit, specially if you would have a high-duty cycle. A high-duty cycle means moving lots of loads per hour which are at or near the capacity truck.
If you just need your lift truck for roughly 4 hours per day or on an intermittent basis, a lower cost new unit or second-hand lift truck may be optimal. Several of the newer models are available at lower costs which are manufactured for lower-duty cycles. Furthermore, if you think that you will expect to utilize the forklift only during specific times of year on a seasonal basis, then a second-hand lift truck or a rental program may best choice available and can possibly save you a lot of money.
It is important to know whether the machinery will be in constant use. This will mean determining the amount of uptime and dependability required for your certain application.