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Are Refurbished Forklift Trucks A Better Deal?
In todays tough economic climate most businesses are keen to ensure they get value for money and one way you may look at saving is by sourcing a refurbished forklift truck instead of a brand new one. However the initial cost savings maybe offset by maintenance and repair costs, so how do you know which forklift truck is a golden nugget and which is budget killer? The first thing to look at is who the buyer is and how has the fork lift truck been prepared for sale. There is a huge difference between a second hand fork lift truck and a "Refurbished" forklift truck. Just as with many other refurbished products, the refurbished part usually indicates that the machine has been tested, perhaps broken apart and serviced with any problems resolved prior to going on sale. A "Used" or "Second Hand" forklift truck that has not been refurbished will not have had the same service and checks and hence could be a financial liability.
The first step in purchasing a refurbished fork lift truck should actually be quite the opposite and obtain several quotes for comparable machines but new. Obtaining the best possible price for the new truck you can and if you can include maintenance and services in the package. Create a timeline, perhaps 3 years, and cost the new truck over the full 3 years, you can even include the fuel, to give you a clear price level at which a new solution would cost. Now you have a level to compare your refurbished forktruck deals. When pricing the refurbished truck ensure you include the same level of maintenance and service as well as how your usage will affect the machine at a later part in its life cycle. You may find that you can source a flat fee maintenance and service contract which while may end up costing more, if nothing ever went wrong, but creates a firm costing for the time period you have selected.
Once you have found several machines within price ranges substantially better than the new fork lift truck price the next step is to get the machines checked out. If you are not a mechanic or familiar with trucks and their inner workings, find someone who is and pay them to look over your options. While this may cost you a small amount initially the savings and pitfalls it could help you avoid are too large to ignore.
Ensure they understand how you will be using the truck, if you are only going to use a machine for 1 hour per day then an older forktruck maybe more acceptable than if it is to be ridden from dawn till dusk.
If you can find a good refurbished truck then the overall cost for comparison maybe much better than a brand new forklift truck, however take into account the work required to source and choose one and then compare that to the peace of mind a new forklift truck complete with warranty. You may decide the cost saving is non existent or just too small to take a risk, alternatively you could find the deal of the decade!