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5 important things to consider when buying used equipment

“What could’ve been a bargain turned out to be a costly disaster.”

A typical scenario which some of our customers unfortunately had to deal with. When buying used heavy machinery, it can be costly, sensitive and even damaging to your production when you purchase the wrong machine. Following these 5 simple steps will help you avoid making poor decisions.

1. It’s all in the details

The first and most obvious step is to inspect the current condition of the machine you’re interested in. You want to be sure everything is working perfectly/ as advertised. For instance:

  • How’s the general appearance? Inspect for any visibible cracks or welds.
  • What is the condition of the attachment(s)? Attachments can be very costly. If they need replacement, make sure the price of the machine corresponds with any necessary replacements.

If distance might be a bottleneck to inspect details, ask for a video call. This way you can have a closer look and see any details that might have been left out in the original ad.

2. Correlation working hours

Do the pictures match the working hours on the machine? What do machines look like with comparable working hours? If you think anything is off, simply ask to verify the working hours through the original manufacturer’s system.

At Smitma, we regularly come across machines that have been tampered with in terms of working hours. Since we are able to verify the exact hours through the manufacturer’s system we can identify whether or not there is any discrepancy. If we have identified a difference in hours we will always address this on the website and price our machines accordingly.

Machine hours
Caterpillar hours

3. Inspection report

Always ask if there is an inspection report available. Inspection reports provide detailed insight into the machine’s current (in)visible condition. The richer the report, the better!

Please do note that reports created by the supplier might be biased. Therefore, it is important to always double check the report with its visible condition. If you’re dealing with an acknowledged merchant, it’s probably safe to assume that the report is reliable.

4. Buy from an acknowledged dealer/ marketplace

Used heavy equipment is available all around the world. When you have found the right machine for your business, but unable to travel to the seller’s location, you will have to take a risk. There are several ways to reduce the risks of getting scammed. One of which is buying from popular marketplaces or acknowledged dealers. Ask for references or go through reviews if you’re not convinced. We’ll give you our top 5 marketplaces below:

  1. Mascus
  2. Mobile.de
  3. Truck1
  4. MachineryZone
  5. MachineryTrader

Another detail you should definitely pay attention to is that the banking details correspond with the seller’s when you receive a formal quote. Better safe than sorry!

5. Quality over price

Always remember that you are buying a machine that matches your needs. Preferring quality, in most cases, will actually save you money in the long term.

Last but not least, a good relationship is built on trust. See how far the seller will go to take away all your concerns!

We hope that these simple steps will help you to avoid making poor decisions in the future!

See which machines we have in stock below.

Latest machines

View our inventory
Caterpillar 140H
Caterpillar-140H-1996-209226

New arrival

Caterpillar 140H

  • Year 1996
  • Hours 13.310
  • Reference #209226
Volvo EC210
Volvo-EC210-2025-209538

Coming Soon

Volvo EC210

  • Year 2025
  • Hours
  • Reference #209538
Caterpillar 972M
Caterpillar-972M-2018-209503

New arrival

Caterpillar 972M

  • Year 2018
  • Hours 9.739
  • Reference #209503
Volvo A40E
Volvo-A40E-2010-208938

New arrival

Volvo A40E

  • Year 2010
  • Hours 11.630
  • Reference #208938
Caterpillar 329E L
Caterpillar-329E L-2011-209003

New arrival

Caterpillar 329E L

  • Year 2011
  • Hours 8.870
  • Reference #209003
Volvo G930B
Volvo-G930B-2014-208257

New arrival

Volvo G930B

  • Year 2014
  • Hours 6.098
  • Reference #208257
Caterpillar 336F LN
Caterpillar-336F LN-2015-209069

New arrival

Caterpillar 336F LN

  • Year 2015
  • Hours 13.067
  • Reference #209069
Caterpillar 140H
Caterpillar-140H-2007-207521

New arrival

Caterpillar 140H

  • Year 2007
  • Hours 11.506
  • Reference #207521
Volvo A35E FS
Volvo-A35E FS-2008-207964

New arrival

Volvo A35E FS

  • Year 2008
  • Hours 15.899
  • Reference #207964
Caterpillar 140M2 AWD
Caterpillar-140M2 AWD-2011-207098

Caterpillar 140M2 AWD

  • Year 2011
  • Hours 8.741
  • Reference #207098
Caterpillar 323D LN
Caterpillar-323D LN-2007-208752

Caterpillar 323D LN

  • Year 2007
  • Hours 13.194
  • Reference #208752
Caterpillar D6N LGP
Caterpillar-D6N LGP-2016-208862

Caterpillar D6N LGP

  • Year 2016
  • Hours 12.791
  • Reference #208862
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