Purchasing a Used Skid Steer
Posted by admin on January 4, 2009 under skid steer | 
Be the First to Comment
With all the different skid steer manufacturers, like Mustang equipments, Caterpillar equipments, Bobcat equipments, etc. you may find yourself wondering what is the best route to go. Here are some things you might want to consider when buying your next used skid steer.
You first will need to decide whether your needs would be filled by a used unit or if you are at a point that a new unit would be best suitable for your needs, secondly you will need to determine the proper size machine for your application, depending on the type work you do, the largest or highest horsepower machine isn’t always the most efficient machine.
You will also need to decide if you were going to set a budget to spend or if you are going to be financing this unit. If you intend to purchase a unit outright, you will need to set your budget realistically. Some of the aggravation may stem from not being able to find a machine in the size range that also fit in the price range you are looking to spend. When shopping for a used unit, you must really pay attention to the unit, sometimes folks will let the glitter blind them, a machine with the best aesthetic value may not always be the best mechanical value. You need to look past shiny paint and new tires, you should do a complete evaluation on the machine, key points to check are as listed below.
1. Check for wear on key hinge point of the machine. Check for abnormal play in pinned joints on the boom lift arm. Check the bucket hinge pins and all bucket and lift cylinder pinned joints, always be sure to check both ends of the hydraulic cylinder ends.
2. Check for broken welds or cracks on structural components of the machine. You will want to inspect the boom lift arm, axle tubes and housings, check around hydraulic cylinder pinned joints. Also, make sure you pay attention to the bucket. If you see multiple post manufacture welds, this may be an indicator that the machine has been used in an abusive manner, such as ramming skid steer into large masses.
3. Check for excessive oil or fuel leaks. Look over engine compartment, if accessible check under the cab of the unit as well. Don’t count on finding a used machine that is perfectly dry, but you don’t want oil standing in the belly of the unit either. Also keep in mind that just because the a unit has an oil leak doesn’t mean the unit has problems, it can be as simple as a lose hose fitting, or a failed
4. Check the steering and drivability of the machine. This could be one of the more important parts of the inspection, due to the nature of the problem these can be a more expensive fix and worse, it could be a safety issue as well. Drive the unit fully engaged forward, check that the machine tracks straight.
5. Check for engine wear. Keep in mind most skid steer loaders are powered by diesel engines, much different than conventional gasoline engine. Diesel engines are much louder than gasoline engines, they have a noticeable clatter at lower rpm’s.
6. Lastly, check the overall condition of the machine. This step of the evaluation is important in the sense that you will want a machine that looks professional and you will base a portion of your decision off your findings from this step. If you do purchase a used skid steer, if the paint and decals show a lot of wear, I would highly recommend a good touch up to the paint and replace the decals.
