Category: Blog
Date: February 23, 2019
Things to Consider before investing in Used Heavy Equipment
Every equipment purchase for your company requires heavy investment and hence it is a valuable asset. Therefore, the decision to acquire equipment should be propelled further after a considerable thought process. Equipment experts suggest a preliminary investigation that should look into various components of the equipment to measure its value and to see if it’s worth your money and time. This article looks at important components that will help you make a valuable purchase of used heavy equipment for your construction business.
Equipment Maintenance Record
Timely maintenance can retain the operational efficiency of equipment. It can keep it usable for a longer period. The best way to know if certain used heavy equipment has been maintained over the years is to look for its maintenance record. You should begin with checking the equipment’s record of maintenance. Ask your dealer or supplier to make sure that you have access to those records before the investment. Check how often the maintenance was done, how many small repairs were made, and how many parts of the machinery were replaced. Also, prefer for machines, which have undergone services from authorized dealer, since maintenance from authorized sources assure quality.
Visible Signs of Wear and Tear
Used equipment might have some visible signs of wear and tear, including dents and scratches so there’s nothing to worry about. The things that you need to look for are damages that could lead to substantial problem for you in the future. Little dents and surface scratches can be repaired and shouldn’t concern you, but prominent body damage can become a potential repair problem in the future. Ask the Inspection Report to understand the level of wear and tear of parts, if any.
Equipment Operating Hours
Every machine is designed to deliver up to certain thousands of operating hours, optimally. Check if the machinery you are about to buy already has hit the upper limit. If it has you might want to calculate cost for the limited benefit. This will help you figure out whether the cost of buying the used heavy equipment will help you save in the long run or will it become an additional expense in the future.
Equipment Fluid Levels
Check the fluid levels of the machine’s various components, including engine oil, hydraulic fluid, transmissions fluid, and coolant. Low fluid levels can be a clear warning sign about machine’s health.
Engine Health
Engine is the most important component of heavy machinery. Test the engine’s health by turning on the equipment and analyzing its engine’s power and efficiency. If you notice black smoke this could mean that the engine is burning oil. You need to determine the cause of the smoke to see if the underlying issues requires expensive repair.
Each and every point of inspection should determine whether the equipment will last a good number of years and deliver the operational efficiency that your site tasks require. To conclude, make sure that you have looked for visible signs of wear and tear, checked the engine health, the fluid levels, and have gone through the equipment’s maintenance record. This inspection will help you figure out whether it’s going to be a good investment or just a complete waste of money. If you are buying used equipment for long term, always make sure that you take your time during the inspection process.
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