A forklift is one of the few pieces of yard equipment that pays for itself in weeks if you buy the right size, and bleeds money for years if you don't. The used market in Australia is deep — thousands of Toyota, Linde, Hyster, Crown and Yale units change hands every year — but pricing, condition and residual value swing hard on hours, mast type, fuel and tyre condition.
This guide is the checklist we wish every first-time forklift buyer had. It covers capacity, fuel type, the brands worth shortlisting, what to inspect before handing over cash, current AUD price bands, and how to think about finance.
Match capacity to the load, not the brochure
Rated capacity is the single number that gets forklift buyers into trouble. A 2.5-tonne forklift is not a machine that lifts 2,500kg in every configuration — it's a machine that lifts 2,500kg at a defined load centre (usually 500mm or 600mm) and at a defined lift height. Load further out on the tynes, or lift higher than the standard mast rating, and the safe capacity drops sharply. A well-known rule of thumb: buy the next capacity up if your pallets sit deeper than a standard 1165mm CHEP.
Common capacity bands and what they suit
- 1.5-2.0 tonne: retail back-of-house, light distribution, tight aisles. Almost always electric.
- 2.5-3.0 tonne: the Australian workhorse. Standard pallet work, freight yards, light manufacturing. The most-traded used size and the deepest market.
- 3.5-5.0 tonne: heavier freight, timber, steel merchants, container unloading of dense product.
- 7-8 tonne: container handling with attachments, engineering yards, heavy building materials.
- 10-16 tonne: ports, heavy steel, laminated timber, industrial handling. Almost always diesel with a duplex or triplex mast rated for the job.
If you're buying for containers, a 16t forklift with a fork-positioner and side-shift is the minimum spec to consider — anything smaller will struggle with fully loaded 20-footers.
Diesel vs electric vs LPG
Fuel type is really a question about where the machine will work more than which is objectively best.
Electric
The default for indoor work, cold storage, food and pharma. Modern lithium-ion units run a full shift on one charge, cost less to run than LPG, and put zero emissions into the building. Downsides: higher upfront cost, battery replacement cost (roughly $8,000-$18,000 on lead-acid, more on lithium), and slower cycle times on heavy outdoor work.
LPG
The best-of-both option. Cleaner than diesel, so it can work indoors with adequate ventilation, but the power delivery and cycle times of a combustion engine. Gas bottles are cheap and universally available. LPG dominates the mixed indoor/outdoor 2.5-3.5 tonne segment.
Diesel
Outdoor and heavy work only. Cheapest to buy used, highest torque, and the only realistic choice above 5 tonnes. Fuel and DPF servicing costs run higher than they used to under stricter emissions rules — factor this into total cost of ownership.
Which brands are worth shortlisting
Australia's used market is dominated by five names, and each has a genuine reason to be on your shortlist.
- Toyota: the volume leader. Resale is exceptional, parts are everywhere, and the 8-Series is the most-serviced forklift in the country. You'll pay a premium used, but you'll get it back on resale.
- Linde: German engineering, hydrostatic drive, the smoothest operator experience in the market. Loved by long-shift operators. Parts and specialist service are more concentrated in metro capitals.
- Hyster: the go-to for heavier capacities (5-16 tonne) and container handling. Rugged, straightforward to service, big presence in ports and heavy industry.
- Crown: particularly strong in electric warehouse product — reach trucks, order pickers and 2-3 tonne counterbalance. Excellent build quality; slightly narrower dealer network outside metro.
- Yale: shares the Hyster parts platform (same parent company) and offers similar durability at a lower used-market price point. A smart value pick if you want Hyster ruggedness without the badge premium.
- Bobcat: the compact-equipment specialist now covers 1.8-3.5 tonne LPG, diesel and electric counterbalance under the 5, 7, 9, NX and NXP Series. Strong choice for buyers who already run Bobcat skid steers or telehandlers — parts, service and finance sit under the one dealer relationship. In Australia the range is distributed through authorised specialists including Agcon Enterprises — the go-to for new Bobcat forklifts, and worth a call when you're weighing a well-priced late-model used unit against a factory-new build with warranty.
Also worth a look: Komatsu (excellent 2.5-4t diesel), Mitsubishi and Nissan (well-priced Japanese alternatives), and Heli/Hangcha for buyers where budget is the primary driver.
Current price bands (used, AUD, ex-GST)
- 2.5t LPG counterbalance: $12,000-$28,000 depending on hours and brand.
- 2.5t electric counterbalance: $15,000-$35,000; add $5,000-$15,000 for a recent lithium conversion.
- 3t diesel: $18,000-$40,000.
- 5t diesel: $35,000-$75,000.
- 7-8t diesel: $55,000-$110,000.
- 16t diesel container handler: $120,000-$260,000 depending on hours and attachment.
Hours matter more than age for a forklift. A 6,000-hour Toyota is often a better buy than an 18,000-hour bargain of the same year — the difference in remaining transmission and mast life is enormous.
The pre-purchase inspection checklist
Never buy a used forklift without inspecting or paying an independent tech to inspect these seven items:
- Mast channels and rollers — raise the mast fully, look for wear grooves, uneven lift or hydraulic drift under load.
- Chains — should be evenly tensioned, no elongated links (chains stretch under overload).
- Tyres — solid pneumatics are $600-$1,800 per corner to replace. Cushion tyres cheaper. Check for chunking and 50% wear line.
- Hydraulic hoses and cylinders — any weeping under the mast or at the tilt rams is a bargaining chip or a walk-away.
- Transmission behaviour — slow directional changes, harsh engagement or shudder is a $6,000-$12,000 rebuild.
- LPG regulator / diesel DPF / battery cells — the fuel-system item that's expensive on your chosen powertrain.
- Compliance plate and service book — a machine without documented services or with a missing plate is worth 20-30% less.
Anything you're unsure about, get a mobile forklift tech to attend — $200-$350 for a pre-purchase inspection is the cheapest insurance in the equipment world.
Finance and licensing
Equipment finance on a used forklift is straightforward for AU ABN holders — typically 3-5 year terms, chattel mortgage structure, and rates that reflect the machine's age and residual. Equifund arranges forklift finance across all major lenders and can usually give an indicative answer inside 24 hours; you can start at Asset Scanner finance. Sorting finance first keeps you shopping in the right price bracket.
On the operator side: anyone operating a forklift for work in Australia needs a High Risk Work Licence (class LF for standard counterbalance, LO for order pickers). That's the operator's responsibility, not the seller's, but budget for training if you're hiring a new driver.
Where to shop
Cross-shop dealer inventory rather than commit to the first machine you see. Browse every forklift for sale on Asset Scanner to compare prices across dealers in one search, or run the specs of a machine you're eyeing through our free equipment valuation tool to see where it sits against the market. For anyone weighing up a forklift against yard alternatives, our guide to loaders, skid steers and earthmoving equipment is a useful companion read.
If you've narrowed the shortlist to Bobcat's 5, 7, 9, NX or NXP Series forklifts — new or used — our authorised dealer partner Agcon Enterprises is the Australian specialist. They carry the full new range across LPG, diesel and electric, take trade-ins on quality used units, and can advise on capacity, mast and attachment fit before you commit either way.