It's very easy to overspend when buying a forklift unless you are a well informed buyer. You may be buying options on your forklift that you will never use.

Before you purchase a forklift, new or used, write down everything that you expect your forklift to do including how many hours a day do you plan on running your forklift.

Toyota Corporation, Kion Group, Mitsubishi, NACCO Industrious, and Jungheinrich are the top five forklift manufactures today.

Once you have decided which to forklift to buy make sure you shop around before you purchase. Prices will very and you can make deals with the manufacturer or dealer just like buying a car.

Try to visit at least two or more retailers for a good price comparison. Don't forget to ask what the full price will be before you sign.

You can figure on spending about $15,000 for a forklift that has an internal combustion engine. The prices will go up the heavier the truck and the more accessories you want.

If you would rather have a green forklift which is electric, they usually start out around $20,000 and you will also have to spend extra money on batteries and a battery charger.

When you're looking for a forklift that's over 35,000 pounds this would be considered a heavy-duty forklift a you can expect to pay $100,000 or more.

If you do not want to spend this kind of money you can buy a used one. Just make sure you do your homework first. Make sure you determine how many hours you are planning to use the forklift and what is the operating cost.

If you plan on using a forklift on a daily basis for 2-8 hours a day you may want to think about the maintenance and breakdown cost because it could cost you more money than buying a new one.

You also could lease a forklift. A lot of companies prefer leasing their forklifts because of the warranty. The warranties cover the length of the lease.

Knowing what you need the forklift for, knowing how long you're going to use it each day and knowing if you need electric or a internal combustion engine will help to decide what type of forklift to purchase.

Remember purchasing a new forklift or a used a forklift you can make deals with the salespeople. So don't be afraid to make an offer. Think about it like you're buying a new car. You want the best deal, the best warranties and the best maintenance package you can get.