Buying used

United Rentals, one of the largest rental providers of construction and industrial equipment in the United states, recommends a five item checklist for potential buyers of used equipment. As reported in Compact Equipment magazine, the recommendations are:

Make sure the dealer is reputable.

If the dealer, or the deal, seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Carefully examine the maintenance history.

Be sure to document things like filter and fluid changes plus any other maintenance recommended by the manufacturer. And don’t overlook recent repair records.

Inspect the machine.

Look for obvious issues and signs of damage or abuse. Look at the air filter for a good indication of how well the machine has been maintained and check the oil and other fluids to make sure they’re clean and topped off. Having an experienced technician or mechanic present also is a good idea.

Don’t focus exclusively on age.

Service hours usually are more important than age. So, check the hour meter to make sure usage isn’t out of line with averages for that type of equipment.

Take it for a ‘test drive’.

A reputable seller won’t object to a test to see if the machine starts, runs and stops nor-mally, produces normal exhaust, and has controls that work properly.