Hiring an ex-demonstrator (ex-demo) or used forklift is emerging as a smart way for warehouse operators and procurement managers in the UK to cut costs without sacrificing performance. Forklifts are essential for moving pallets and materials, but brand-new electric models come with a hefty price tag. Fortunately, nearly-new ex-demo units offer the same capabilities at a fraction of the cost. In fact, used forklifts can be 20–50% cheaper than new models of similar capacity. This means lower rental rates for businesses that choose ex-demo forklift hire. By opting for a used electric forklift on rental, companies free up budget while still getting reliable, efficient equipment to keep their operations running smoothly.
Only electric forklifts are considered here – and for good reason. Electric models not only avoid diesel fumes and meet indoor air quality rules, they also cost far less to run day-to-day. Charging an electric forklift can cost as little as £0.80–£1.60 per cycle, whereas a diesel or gas forklift might burn £3–£5 of fuel per hour. Combined with the lower upfront cost of ex-demo units, the savings really add up. Let’s explore the benefits of ex-demo forklift hire in the UK, and why it’s a budget-friendly choice that doesn’t compromise on safety or productivity.
Why Choose an Ex-Demo Forklift Hire?
Opting for an ex-demo or used forklift rental can deliver substantial savings and flexibility compared to renting brand-new equipment. Here are the key benefits for cost-conscious businesses:
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Lower Rental Costs: The biggest advantage is cost. Because ex-demo forklifts have a lower book value than new machines, rental rates on these units are usually more affordable. For example, a new 1.5–2 tonne electric forklift might cost well over £15,000 to buy, whereas a similar used unit sells for around £4,000–£8,000 (about 25–50% cheaper than new). Rental pricing typically reflects this difference – you’re paying to use a machine that cost your rental provider less, so they can charge you less. In practice, hiring an ex-demo electric forklift delivers near-new performance at a fraction of the cost, helping you slash your material handling expenses. This freed-up money can be invested elsewhere in your business, whether that’s hiring additional staff or purchasing more inventory.
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No Huge Upfront Investment: Renting a used forklift lets you avoid the capital outlay of buying new equipment. There’s no need to tie up tens of thousands of pounds in a depreciating asset. According to industry analysis, renting a used forklift offers flexibility, reduces capital investment, and eliminates long-term ownership costs. For a procurement manager managing a tight budget, this means you can acquire the equipment you need without seeking large budget approvals or loans. Cash flow improves when you don’t have big lump-sum purchases – you simply pay the rental fee as an operating expense.
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Flexible Scaling & Short-Term Commitments: Renting (especially short-term rental) gives you tremendous flexibility to scale your fleet up or down as needed. If you have a peak season or a big project, you can hire additional used forklifts for just that period and return them later. During slower times, you aren’t stuck owning idle equipment. As one guide notes, renting allows businesses to adjust fleet size for peak seasons or special projects, and even “try before you buy” different models. In other words, you can test drive a specific forklift model by renting it to see if it suits your needs before committing to a purchase in the future. This “try it first” approach is low-risk and informative. Overall, forklift hire provides agility – you’re not locked into long-term ownership, which is ideal if your needs change or you’re not certain which truck is best for your warehouse.
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Faster Availability: Ex-demo and used forklifts are typically available immediately, with no long manufacturing lead times. If a new forklift would take months to be delivered, renting a used one from stock can fill the gap right away. This quick access can be critical when a sudden need arises – you can respond to opportunities or emergencies without delay. No one wants a warehouse bottleneck while waiting on equipment. With ex-demo rentals, you can keep operations moving on short notice.
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Avoid Depreciation and Downtime: For the rental company, a new forklift’s value plummets in the first year (often 20–25% depreciation), but as a renter you sidestep that issue entirely. You simply pay for use. And if the ex-demo unit is no longer needed or becomes outdated, iLift (the rental provider) takes on the resale or replacement burden, not you. In essence, you avoid owning an asset that quickly loses value. You also won’t be stuck with an out-of-service forklift – if something major goes wrong, the rental company can swap it out or fix it as part of your contract. This keeps downtime minimal and productivity high.
Reliable Performance from Nearly-New Equipment
A common concern about used equipment is whether it will be as dependable as a new machine. Ex-demonstrator forklifts alleviate that worry – these units are nearly new and often have very low hours on them. Typically, an ex-demo forklift might have been used for customer trials, trade shows, or short-term demos. Think of them as “company demo cars” – lightly driven and well-maintained. The result is like-new performance without the new price tag.
Importantly, you don’t sacrifice modern technology or safety features by choosing a recent ex-demo model. Many ex-demo electric forklifts come from the latest generation of equipment. For instance, they may include lithium-ion batteries, advanced safety systems, and ergonomic features on par with current new models. You get the benefit of innovations like efficient battery management, electronic safety controls, and comfortable operator cabins, even in a used unit. And because all forklifts iLift supplies are electric, you’ll enjoy quiet, zero-emission operation that’s ideal for indoor use and required by many UK facilities with strict health and safety standards.
Performance-wise, a good used forklift can do the same job as a new one. Forklifts are built to be durable workhorses. As long as the machine has been cared for, it can lift, carry and maneuver just as effectively. iLift, for example, specializes in EP Equipment brand lithium-ion forklifts, which are known for reliability and long battery life. An ex-demo EP truck still delivers strong battery runtime and lifting power. In everyday warehouse tasks – whether unloading pallets from lorries or stacking goods in racking – operators will find an ex-demo electric forklift just as capable as a brand-new model.
Quality Assurance and Maintenance Support
When renting an ex-demo or used forklift, it’s crucial to go through a reputable supplier. A professional forklift provider like iLift ensures that every unit in its rental fleet is thoroughly inspected, serviced, and certified safe before it reaches your site. In the UK, LOLER certification is required for lifting equipment – iLift ensures all their forklifts and pallet trucks are LOLER certified by an accredited engineer. This means the equipment has passed safety inspections and is compliant with regulations, giving you peace of mind that an affordable price doesn’t mean compromised safety.
Another big benefit of rental is that maintenance is typically handled by the rental company. You won’t need your own fleet mechanic because the provider takes care of routine servicing and any repairs. According to iLift’s own rental guidelines, the rental package includes inspections, maintenance servicing, and LOLER compliance checks so that you remain safe and legal without incurring extra costs. If a tire wears out or a battery needs replacement during your rental term, that’s the rental company’s responsibility, not an unexpected bill for you. This not only saves money, but also saves time – your team can focus on core operations while the experts handle forklift upkeep.
The emphasis on maintenance means that a used forklift for hire can actually be more reliable than an owned truck that isn’t well-serviced. Rental providers perform rigorous inspections and preventative maintenance on each used unit before and after it goes on hire. They have a vested interest in keeping the forklift running flawlessly for you. As a result, businesses hiring a used forklift get assurance of reliability – the equipment is less likely to break down because it’s been professionally cared for. And in the unlikely event of a fault, you have support on call to fix it or provide a replacement. This level of support and quality control often surpasses what small companies could manage on their own fleet, especially beneficial for those without in-house engineers.
Sustainability Benefits of Reusing Forklifts
Choosing a used or ex-demo forklift isn’t just good for the balance sheet – it’s also environmentally friendly. Extending the life of equipment by reusing it aligns with sustainability and circular economy goals. Manufacturing a new forklift consumes raw materials (steel, lead, lithium) and energy; by contrast, keeping an existing forklift in service avoids that additional carbon footprint. Essentially, you’re making use of the resources already spent to build the machine, which is a responsible choice in today’s climate-conscious business environment.
Even major manufacturers are embracing this idea. For example, EP Equipment has introduced a “Green Range” of remanufactured forklifts, where they take old internal-combustion forklifts and retrofit them with electric lithium-ion powertrains. By reusing chassis and components, EP dramatically cuts the materials and energy needed versus building new trucks from scratch. This illustrates a broader industry trend: remanufactured and ex-demo equipment can deliver the performance companies need while reducing waste. By hiring an ex-demo electric forklift, you directly contribute to this sustainability effort. You’re preventing one more machine from going to scrap before its time and reducing demand for manufacturing new units.
Additionally, electric forklifts themselves are eco-friendly in operation – they produce zero tailpipe emissions and minimal noise. If your warehouse is looking to reduce its environmental impact or meet certain green targets, using electric forklifts (especially pre-used ones) is a double win. You’ll lower the emissions at your facility and support reuse over new production. Some UK businesses also find this advantageous for corporate social responsibility reporting, as they can highlight the use of greener equipment in their operations.
Ideal for UK Warehouses and Operations
Who benefits most from ex-demo forklift hire? The short answer is: any cost-conscious operation that still demands reliable equipment. This can include:
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Warehouse operators and managers under pressure to increase throughput without overspending. A used 3-wheel electric forklift can deftly load lorries and navigate warehouse aisles just like a new unit, but at a lower weekly rental rate – preserving budget for other operational needs.
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Procurement managers seeking the best value over a forklift’s lifecycle. Renting ex-demo trucks provides a known, fixed cost (rental fee) with no surprises, versus owning a new truck that could incur unpredictable maintenance costs as it ages. It’s an attractive proposition for maintaining budgetary control.
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Seasonal and project-based businesses (like distribution centers handling holiday peaks or manufacturers with short-term contracts). They can hire used forklifts on short notice for a few weeks or months, then off-hire them, avoiding long-term commitments. The cost savings make short rentals even more feasible. As one rental provider noted, this flexibility lets companies “easily adjust their forklift fleet size based on current needs”.
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Growing small businesses or start-ups in logistics and manufacturing. Maybe you have a tight capital budget but need a forklift to expand your capacity – renting a used one gets you up and running immediately without crippling debt. You gain the equipment needed to grow, and you can always trade up later as the business scales.
In all these cases, used forklift rental delivers the muscle of a forklift without the financial weight. You’re essentially sharing the cost of that asset with others over time, which is efficient use of resources. And because it’s electric, you’re also future-proofing against any low-emission zones or environmental regulations that might restrict diesel forklifts (relevant in many parts of the UK).
iLift’s Ex-Demo Electric Forklifts and Pallet Trucks
iLift is one UK supplier that has embraced ex-demo equipment to provide great value to its customers. As a specialist in lithium-ion electric forklifts, iLift offers a range of ex-demo electric counterbalance trucks, reach trucks, and pallet trucks at significant discounts. For instance, an ex-demo 1.5-tonne EP CPD15TVL forklift with a high-spec triplex mast is listed at £12,500 (exc. VAT) – far below what a brand-new unit of similar spec would cost. Even heavy-duty models like a 5-tonne CPD50L1 or a 7-tonne EFL702 are available as ex-demo for tens of thousands less than new. These examples illustrate how businesses can get top-tier lifting capacity for a much lower investment by considering ex-demo options.
Crucially, quality is not compromised. iLift prides itself on thoroughly inspecting and certifying all pre-owned equipment. Every ex-demo forklift is LOLER safety certified and dealer-approved before being offered for sale or hire. And because they deal in EP Equipment (a leading brand for e-forklifts), customers can trust the battery performance and build quality of the machines. It’s the best of both worlds – low cost and high reliability.
For companies that might not need a full forklift, iLift also provides electric pallet trucks and stackers, including ex-demo pallet trucks at bargain prices. For example, a compact F4 Electric Pallet Truck (ex-demo) can be had for around £800. These walk-behind electric pallet jacks are perfect for moving pallets across short distances or in tight warehouse confines, and they carry loads that would overwhelm a manual pallet jack. All of iLift’s pallet trucks and forklifts are available for hire as well as purchase, so you can rent these smaller machines for short-term needs or try them out before deciding to buy. Many customers find that an electric pallet truck rental is a great complement to a forklift – it adds flexibility for order picking or internal moves at minimal cost.
Ready to Save?
Ex-demo and used forklift rentals clearly deliver huge advantages in cost savings, flexibility, and efficiency. They allow UK businesses to do more with less – getting the job done with nearly-new equipment while keeping overhead low. If you’re looking to boost your material handling capacity without breaking the bank, it’s time to consider an ex-demo electric forklift.
iLift’s team is ready to help you find the perfect used or ex-demo truck for your needs. Explore iLift’s current offers on used lithium-ion forklifts and ex-demo specials to see the available models and pricing. You’ll find detailed specs and clear pricing on a variety of forklifts and warehouse trucks. Not sure what you need? The experts at iLift can provide guidance – whether it’s a nimble 3-wheel electric for tight aisles or a robust 2.5 tonne workhorse, they’ve got you covered.
And don’t forget to check out iLift’s range of electric pallet trucks for even more budget-friendly material handling solutions. These lithium-powered pallet jacks can move up to 2.0 tonnes with ease and start as low as £750 for entry models, making them an excellent addition to any warehouse looking to save labor and improve safety.
Contact iLift today to discuss flexible rental terms on ex-demo forklifts or to arrange a demo. By choosing an ex-demonstrator or used electric forklift hire, you’ll be making a savvy decision that boosts your operations while keeping costs under control – a win-win for any warehouse or factory manager in the UK.
