Questions To Ask Yourself When Buying Used Heavy Equipment

Posted on: 3 June 2017

If you are a contractor or the manager of a construction company that needs heavy equipment in order to get the job done, there is a good chance that you want to make sure that you get good quality gear. However, you might not have the largest budget, which could cause you to have to consider purchasing used heavy equipment, rather than new heavy equipment. Even used equipment costs a lot of money. In order to absolutely ensure that you are spending your money wisely, you will need to perform a decent amount of inspection. Here are some tips for what you should ask yourself when you are buying used heavy equipment so that you are spending your money as well as possible

1. Can you turn the engine on right away, with little issue?

Do not purchase anything that you cannot test on the site. You want to be able to test the heavy equipment to make sure that it is working and if you can't even turn the engine on, then you should definitely avoid that piece of equipment. The seller might try to tell you that it only needs a slight tune-up to get it going again, but do not purchase anything unless you are able to test it on site. It would be a different matter if the seller promised to have the tune-up done before you came back for a second round of testing. If the engine starts immediately, then you are off to a good start on this particular piece of equipment.

2. Do you see any welds?

The next thing that you should consider is if there are any welds on the equipment. Heavy equipment is used until it breaks. When it breaks, the owner will have it welded back together. If you find equipment that has a lot of welds on it, then there is a good chance that it is very old and not as strong as it was before. Welds do not restore the original structural integrity of the equipment. If parts of the equipment are a patchwork of welds, you might want to consider purchasing something else. If you do not see a lot of welds, then the machinery is in good condition.

For more information, talk to a company like http://www.uslift.com that specializes in heavy equipment and equipment sales. They will be able to connect you with quality used equipment sellers.

 

Share