Buying a conveyor is just the beginning of a long and expensive relationship. But there are plenty of things you can do to keep your long-term costs in check.

My own introduction to the concept of "total cost of ownership" came when I was a teenager. I had my eye on a used '67 Mustang with an asking price of $750, which was roughly the amount I had saved from an after-school job. But when I approached my father with the plan, I got a cold dose of reality. With a car, he explained, the initial purchase price is just the tip of the iceberg. You also have to factor in the costs of gas, insurance, repairs, new tires, and more. Clearly, my $750 wasn't going to stretch far enough.

Unfortunately, many buyers of conveyor systems have the same frame of reference that I did as a 16-year-old would-be car owner. They see only the sticker price. But with conveyors, like cars, the initial purchase is only the start of a long and expensive relationship, says Boyce Bonham, director of systems development at Hytrol Conveyor Co. Buyers also have to take into account installation costs as well as ongoing expenses like energy, preventative maintenance, and repairs.

Although there's no way to avoid these costs altogether, there are still things conveyor buyers can do to minimize the pain, says Bonham, who has extensive experience helping clients stretch their equipment budgets. In many cases, it's a matter of making smart decisions at the outset, when they design the system and choose its components—controls, motors, gearboxes, power transmissions, and the like. If you're planning to buy a conveyor, what should you look for? Bonham offers the following tips for choosing conveyor models and components that will save you money over the long term.