Have you been considering buying a new forklift? Forklifts can be an expensive investment for a business to make, and for that reason, you must feel confident in your decision. Here at Acclaim Handling, we have 44 years of experience in forklifts, so we have compiled four examples to examine the best time to purchase a forklift. Across our website we also have plenty of resources to help guide you through choosing which type of forklift you are looking for. As well as other tips and tricks to guide you through any and every decision regarding forklifts.
Because buying a forklift is such a large investment, timing the purchase correctly can make a very significant difference to cost, uptime and long-term value. If your business is wondering when to buy a forklift, the answer will depend on much more than just the price. Your business will also need to consider equipment reliability, seasonal promotions, year-end budgets, and whether your current demand justifies expansion of your fleet. In this guide, we will look at the best time to buy a forklift and all key signs that you or your business are ready to invest in one.
The best time to buy a forklift usually will be when business need and buying opportunity align with one another. Purchasing at a lower price is valuable, but it must be weighed alongside maintenance costs, operator safety, fuel or charging requirements, as well as whether the forklift matches not only your current workload but also the future workload. Buying too early may lead to you tying up your budget in unused or underused equipment which can affect your businesses income, but buying too late can lead to downtime, slower order fulfilment and a rise in repair costs.
One of the best times to buy a forklift in the UK and around the world is at the end of the financial year. At this time, many businesses will be reviewing capital expenditure, suppliers may be putting promotions on existing stock more actively, and buyers often have a clearer estimate of their budget available for the year.
For many companies, this period also aligns with tax planning, especially regarding qualifying plant and machinery purchases which may be eligible for tax relief. In many countries, the government offer 100% tax relief on products sold in the same year they are purchased. In the UK we have the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA), where companies can receive 100% tax relief on qualifying products if they are sold within the same year they are bought, up to a cap of £1 Million. Machinery, like forklifts, are qualifying products. This leads to plenty of year ending sales, offering specific machinery at special prices to off-load this machinery to receive the tax relief. The AIA also benefits the companies buying the machinery as they may also receive the tax relief on the machinery they have bought.
Due to this, many companies will offer large sales and promotional periods to help promote their items to sell them quicker, especially as the end of the financial year is approaching. This makes the end of the financial year a lucrative time for both small and large businesses, as well as for seller and buyer of the machinery.
If your business is already considering a forklift purchase, reviewing stock and prices before the end of the financial year may be more valuable than waiting for the nest budget period. These deals can be especially useful for businesses who are replacing ageing trucks or expanding warehouse capacity due to business growth.
The offers companies run may consist of:
The final decision should be made with your operational need, correct specification, and financial expertise on your circumstances in mind.
Another good time to buy a forklift is during sale seasons and promotional periods. Suppliers often discount selected machinery during quieter trading periods, they may do this to clear older stock, or sometimes when manufacturers launch new incentives. Throughout the year there are plenty of ‘sale seasons’ where companies offer discounts and deals on their products to achieve higher sales during ‘off-peak’ times. For example, during the first quarter (February- March). In the ‘off-peak’ seasons sales are slow due to previous end of year sales and culturally low financial periods, because of this, many companies may struggle to reach their sales goals and off-load older stock, so they choose to offer discounts and deals on their products. For the buyer, you can take advantage of this time to reduce upfront cost and receive an excellent deal on products that could cost hundreds more in a few weeks’ time and without delaying any necessary purchases.
Promotions are useful especially if you are flexible on the model, optional extras, or whether you buy a standard machine or a used machine, demonstration unit or ‘window model’. Often, the best value is not simply a lower price being listed. It may be a better package that includes servicing, warranty, operator support, or faster delivery. By looking at the total cost of ownership you can identify the best forklift deal for your business.
The units that may be put up for sale may be affected by the following:
If the specific model of forklift you are looking to purchase is included and eligible in the sale period, or you are flexible on the model, you should not hesitate to utilise these promotional and sale periods and receive a sizable discount over the possible price if you were to wait or purchase too soon.
Sometimes, the best time to buy a new forklift will be when your current equipment is slowly becoming unreliable or hazardous. Forklifts are critical to the efficiency of warehouse operations, loading operations, and various day-to-day jobs. In any business that utilises forklifts and similar machinery, they are crucial to how efficiently, productively and smoothly a business can run. When a truck starts to experience repeated breakdowns or extended periods of downtime due to maintenance, the cost is not limited to only the repair bill. Downtime effects staffing, order fulfilment, and overall customer service.
Unexpected maintenance or breakdowns will drastically affect the operations of any business and have very negative impact on the daily operations while it is out of order and being repaired. When we consider how much time is lost, the cost of the repairs, and overall damage caused by the break down it makes more financial sense for a company to replace the machinery entirely by buying a new forklift to replace the broken one rather than repairing it and keeping an old and unreliable forklift. As a forklift deteriorates, repair costs will rise, parts will become harder to source, and the machine will be regularly out of service. When this occurs, replacing the forklift will likely offer better long-term value rather than continuing to repair it. New forklifts also offer higher efficiency, better ergonomics, and more advanced safety features, these make a noticeable difference to your business productivity.
When deciding whether to replace your forklift, you must also consider the hidden costs behind unreliable equipment. Often a repair may look repairable and be technically possible, the repeated interruptions to business will slow productivity and put a lot of pressure on your team. This increases risk of missed deadlines and upsetting customers and clientele.
Some signs your forklift isn’t worth repairing:
When your business is experiencing increased spikes in sales, this is one of the best times to invest in your business and purchase a new forklift to help you to cover the volume of sales and meet the increasing demand. This is a great investment for your business because forklifts have good resale value, especially the high-quality forklifts we carry here at Acclaim Handling, meaning you can easily resell if the spike is short lived, though we hope it isn’t!
Typically, increasing the amount of machinery at a business increases productivity and efficiency. It also provides a safety blanket in case your other forklift happens to breakdown or require maintenance.
If your business is growing, the rise in demand is one of the clearest signs that it is time to expand your fleet by buying a new forklift. Additional equipment helps to maintain production, reduce pressure put on staff and existing equipment, and support safer handling when the workload is rising. This can especially help during seasonal peaks, expansion of business or site and changes in volume of stock.
During times of growth is also the best time to review whether your current equipment is still right for the work being done. You may have enough forklifts, but they may not be the right trucks you need for your operations. Sourcing the right equipment for your business will improve turnaround times and increase operation efficiency as the business is expanding.
More reasons to meet demand with a new forklift:
So, to conclude: There are multiple points throughout the year that you will receive great deals on forklifts, however, you should still make sensible decisions that align with your business. Don’t buy machinery only because it is on sale, buy the machinery that you want and that serves your business and helps to maximise your work output. The overall benefit of your business and team of staff should take precedent over saving money but if you happen to find the products you want in the sale, or if you can wait until a sale season to find the perfect forklift for your business needs, buy it then!
Ultimately, there is no single date that is perfect for purchasing a forklift, but there are clear circumstances where the timing makes more sense. For many UK businesses, the best time to buy will be when a strong commercial opportunity arises and matches operational demand. Your forklift purchase should support productivity, reliability, and long-term value for your business.
If you would like to find out more about the forklifts we carry here at Acclaim Handling, please do not hesitate to contact us.
| Best time to buy a forklift | Why this is a good time | What UK businesses should consider |
| At the end of the financial year | Suppliers may run year-end promotions, businesses review budgets, and purchases may align with tax planning such as the UK Annual Investment Allowance. | This can be the best time to buy a forklift if your business needs to replace ageing equipment or expand warehouse capacity. |
| During forklift sales and seasonal promotions | Suppliers may discount stock in quieter periods, clear older inventory, or include extras such as servicing, warranty, or faster delivery. | Compare the full forklift package rather than the headline price alone, including support, warranty, and long-term running costs. |
| When forklift repairs and downtime become expensive | Frequent breakdowns increase maintenance spend, disrupt operations, and reduce productivity and safety. | If downtime keeps rising, replacing your forklift may offer better long-term value than continuing to repair it. |
| When your business growth requires more forklift capacity | Growth, seasonal peaks, or higher stock volumes can put pressure on staff and existing equipment. | Buying at the right point in your business growth can improve productivity, maintain service levels, and add backup capacity. |
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