Buying construction equipments is usually a pretty costly affair. Buying used Equipment is even trickier because of the quality concerns. The purchase decision of equipment involves not only its usage and usability but also its impact on the project itself. The costs involved may affect the overall operating costs of the project. Hence it is important to adopt a holistic approach in the selection of the equipment.
Here are some tips to be kept in mind while buying used equipment:
Current Fleet Assessment: The first and foremost thing should be a detailed evaluation of the current stock of all the equipments. This would entail equipment purchase dates, current age, remaining usable life, repair and servicing history, financing details and usage statistics. Usage statistics comprises of daily, monthly and seasonal usage of the equipment. To accurately assess the usability and future requirements of an asset it is also necessary to assess current ongoing projects and their details. The decision of getting new equipment should be based on its current and future usage and its relative value add in the overall fleet. Apart from the project details, it should be also being kept in mind whether there are enough trained people to operate the intended new equipment.
Multifunction Equipment: It makes sense to buy equipment which can be used for multiple purposes. This especially makes sense when multiple projects going on and one need to optimize the usage of equipments. In this regard, backhoe loader is quite versatile and can be used in multiple projects. At the same time, the material matter to be handled and the terrain should also be considered while choosing the equipment.
Price vs. Quality: While buying used construction equipment it is easy to get fooled by low prices. However, the quality and condition of the equipment should never be compromised over price. First of all, it should be ascertained whether the equipment will be suited for current project needs and thereafter in terms of load, terrain and usage. If it does, the equipment should be thoroughly checked for its performance. This calls for a technical inspection of the engine, starting state and all the controls in full working condition. Also, the equipment should be checked for any leaks or welds which indicate poor maintenance and need for repair and refurbishing.
Brand vs. Product: There are a few brands in the market which are quite established and hence finding operators or technicians for these is never a problem. Consequentially, they win hands over other brands. Nevertheless, it is advised to actually look for the product details instead of blindly. One notable point here is the fuel efficiency of the equipment. As operating costs compose the major chunk of the overall costs a minor improvement in fuel efficiency can amount huge savings in the long run.
Online Deals: The usual approach of buying used equipment is to search in the localized markets. The problem is that this might take a lot of time to find the right equipment. Also, the localized search might just overlook a better deal in some other geographical location. Recently sprung up online portals try to address this gap and provide a seamless end to end solution for buying used equipment. These portals not only provide access to nationwide geographical reach but also give purchase assistance at each and every point.
Auctions: In addition to the regular deals, at times good deals are offered in auctions. Hence, the potential buyer should always keep looking for auctions. This especially makes sense when there is bulk requirement and multiple assets are needed.
