The right choice?

Buying new stacks up and gives you the benefit of the very latest in safety and technology for the future. You will be offered a myriad of warranty and support packages from the manufacturer, and of course the “kudos” of putting shiny new metal on to projects and sites speaks for itself.

However, the option to buy quality used assets is equally worth considering and is a far easier task to contemplate in recent years than it ever was. In addition to far easier access to markets for all users, a much higher level of transparency expectation now exists in the market, and this has been acknowledged and acted upon by many parties involved in the process. 

Manufacturers and franchise dealers who would once send their “trades” to auction or flip them to dealers, now have inhouse systems and facilities to offer customers a viable used option sometimes with all the bells and whistles associated with buying new.

Auction houses and the markets they operate in have dramatically changed. Once institutions that were reserved for the “dealer crowd” are now truly public places. Rental companies, contractors and users alike stand toe to toe with dealers to bid for equipment. What was once a clear distinction between trade and retails prices has become more of a fog between the two, whereby all that really matters is that you feel happy about the kit you come away with and the price you paid!

There is now, and has always been, many reputable outlets for used trucks, cranes, and heavy equipment but so much more than just the asset can be tailored into your acquisition.

Warranty can now be negotiated on used, or even purchased from third parties. Far more information is available now when buying used, and often it can be technical from component station changes to oil sampling. There is also a wealth of expertise that buyers can draw from, companies that will conduct very in-depth inspection and appraisal of machinery and trucks which can take place at any yard or auction.

The cost savings can speak volumes, and of course there is no wait time. This can be crucial for certain assets where the wait time will undoubtedly be a factor as to whether the user can win a particular contract or not. Whilst never complete, used equipment can now come with significantly higher levels of peace of mind than were ever on offer before.

Of course, we love new kit, it is great to support manufacturing especially now more than ever, and of course the better the technology the closer we position ourselves to the net zero target.

New or used, what will you buy?

Whatever your preference, you will agree it is wholeheartedly encouraging to see the numerous posts on LinkedIn feeds relating to investment in construction machinery, cranes, and trucks throughout 2020 so far. Likewise, it is great to hear from auction colleagues that pricing and demand are holding despite the challenges presented to business from this awful pandemic.

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