If your company makes, processes, distributes, or sells merchandise of any kind, then chances are you need forklifts to move goods around your facility. The forklift is a vital part of modern distribution and shipping, and a malfunctioning lift can slow down your operations significantly. While necessary, these machines are expensive, so it’s important to consider your options carefully when buying one.
Our team at TarHeel Lift Trucks, Inc. offers a wide range of both new and used forklifts, and we can help you decide which is best for your needs. In this article, we will focus on used forklifts, going over a few factors to consider in order to decide if they are right for you.
- Cost – One of the primary factors to consider when deciding between new and used forklifts is pricing. New forklifts are not cheap, with prices often in the tens of thousands of dollars. While some used models can cost nearly as much, there are also used options available at much lower prices.
- Work Requirements – Another thing to consider when choosing between new and used forklifts is how you plan to use the machine. While used forklifts can deliver excellent performance, we generally don’t recommend them for round-the-clock manufacturing operations, as most used models will not be able to keep up with those demands. If you expect to use your forklift more than four hours per day, five days a week, then we would typically recommend investing in a new lift instead.
- Service History – Lastly, you should consider a used forklift’s service history before you decide to buy it. If there is a model with few service hours and a minimal history of malfunction and repair available, then you can go ahead and buy it, but if the only options available have been worked to death and have long repair logs, then you should reconsider.