Used Excavators For Sale

You can take advantage of the rough situation that a majority of construction companies are in by looking for used excavators for sale. eBay has plenty of these for sale because of the fact that so many construction companies began operating over their budgets during the peak of the economy. It is possible to find a used excavator for up to 50% less than what you would pay for a brand new tractor, and if you go over the excavator before you purchase it you can save yourself from getting into one that may require a lot of work. There are a few key areas that you are going to want to inspect, if possible, to ensure that you are purchasing a good running excavator.

When you are in contact with the person who listed the auction you are going to want to ask them questions about when the tractor was manufactured, where it was purchased, and whether or not there is a warranty left on it. You will also want to determine what type of maintenance schedule was performed, as well as the last time the tractor went in for routine maintenance.

Because you are purchasing the excavator over the internet it may be hard to physically inspect the tractor. If this is the case you are going to want to have the person listing the auction take detailed pictures of the different parts that typically fail on these types of machines. These pictures will help you determine whether or not there are any warning signs that you should ask more specific questions about, or if the tractor was well maintained while it was being used by the company. If it is located within a central 50 or 100 miles from you, you may be able to visually inspect the tractor in person before you start bidding too high on it.

Whether you can see it in person or not, you are going to want to make sure that you either have clear pictures of the engine from different angles, or that you examine it thoroughly while you are in person. You want to look for any signs of oil leaking, or soot and grease buildup that would give you signs of leaks that could have happened in the past. A leaking engine could require a complete overhaul that may end up costing you thousands of dollars. You can either pass on the excavator if these problems exist or speak with a local mechanic to determine how much it will cost you to fix them and then negotiate the price down on the auction.

You are also going to want to examine the bucket, cab, boom and stick of the excavator for any signs of damage. If there is anything bent, or there are signs that welding has been performed you will want to have the owner of the excavator explain what happened to cause the damage. If the excavator was used in rough conditions you may have more work cut out for you in repairing it than you want to get yourself into.

Lastly you will need to examine the track system and the carriage of the tractor to ensure its structural integrity. If there are any cracks, or the tracks are worn down you will need to account for the cost of replacing them into the final price of the auction. All of these problems can be determined through detailed photos but if you have the chance to see the excavator in person before you start bidding you could inspect areas that the owner may not want you to see, and could possibly cover up by not taking pictures of the particular areas.