It’s hard enough to decide which construction equipment is best to invest in when it’s in used condition. It’s made even more difficult when having to decide on it online. This is why I’ve included some tips and suggestions to help you better assess used construction machinery when you can’t evaluate the equipment in person — such tips apply regardless of where you choose to purchase — to help you feel more secure with evaluating and buying used construction equipment through the internet.
The Heavy Equipment Seller
You should be mindful of who is selling the heavy machinery. Big dealers and Original equipment manufacturers typically have stock spread around several states, so the right equipment may not always be right around the corner. Know the vendor and do business with organizations that can knowledgeably talk about the equipment and its state, as well as provide customers with any other relevant information in a timely manner, while reviewing machinery that may not be nearby.
My recommendation would be that you limit your online transactions to sellers who can be authenticated and who have a good track record. When you are looking for Construction equipment for sale, ensuring the seller is a verified one is the first most important step.
Inspection Report
You must always be aware of the machine’s quality in relation to your funding. Although there are new, spotless, high-performance machines available, lesser budgets necessitate older equipment with more hours, which raises the risk of key component failure as well as other problems. Inspection reports may provide useful information, so if there are various issues on the list or only one figure out why they weren’t fixed.
Get a Repair Quote
If a machine requires repairs make sure to ask for a repair quote.
A vendor may not have fixed things for one of two main reasons:
1) The price was too high, or
2) The vendor decided not to put more money into the equipment than was absolutely necessary.
Both are valid reasons, but you must ensure that the vehicle’s price reflects its current state.
Service Records
Everything such as service records as well as oil samples should be requested. If the vendor is unable to supply service records, just provide the serial number to an Original equipment manufacturer dealer and ask for the documents.
I’ve discovered that most OEM dealer support departments are happy to help. Oil samples are essential for providing the powertrain’s inner vital signs.
Inspect the Vehicle
Examine the vehicle for deteriorated parts when looking for Heavy RV equipment for sale. Everything which moves has a chance of failing. Major parts are by far the most expensive to replace or restore, but sometimes even minor fixes can eat into your budget quickly. Replacing a seat belt, wiring harness, a series of steps, or fenders, for example, is normally not a major undertaking. When all four are in need of replacement, plan to pay up to $10,000.
Examine the sheet metal, paint, and undercarriage, and ask for a clip of the unit in action.
Assess the machine’s lifespan and hours. Hammered machines normally reveal themselves through their aesthetics (dents, scrapes, etc.). Also, pay particular attention to the exterior. It’s not unusual to see repainted equipment. What you need to learn is the distinction between cleaning up and hiding with paint.
There are several paint job indications that will help you find out what’s going on. If you can’t determine if the paint job is in good shape from the online images and video, ask the vendor to give you close-ups of any areas that look suspicious.
Quality paint jobs intended to clean up the equipment present an accurate appearance that indicates someone takes pride in their equipment or actually wished to better represent that the equipment is in excellent condition for its maturity level.
Runs, chips, the wrong color, or poorly painted objects signify a rushed job, an attempt to conceal something or clear that the seller had no idea what he was doing. In any case, proceed with due caution if a poor paint job is found.