I need some tree guy advice on buying equipment

[Gorman]

I've gotten totally screwed on every piece of equipment I've bought used. But I cant afford to buy new. I've even had mechanics check out said gear. What is the general protocol for buying a used truck or grinder to make sure that you aren't going to be grabbing your ankles? Should I not consider a truck more than 5 years old? 7 years old?

I'm culling the ranks of my trucks in a year and a half when I have no more loans. I need a f550 4x4 for the tight areas and a chip truck. I was thinking about one of those rigs from timberland trucks with the copa boom.

 

[Arbor_Enhance]

Buying anything used in the tree biz is dicey. Every piece of equipment has a hard life. Especially trucks. If you plan on buying ANY type of used boom, you need somebody that knows that piece of particular equipment inside and out to inspect it before you buy. The company I used to work for never bought trucks used for these very reasons.

Although I fully understand not everyone is in a position to buy new(I know I'm not)

 

[brendonv]

If it's repainted all nice and shinny I won't buy it. Never bought a repainted piece of iron. Give me the original stuff, tells the story better.

Oil samples are $25, and will tell you what's going on inside. If they won't let you take one, you done need the machine.

 

[Gorman]

where do you send the oil?

 

[brendonv]

Blackstone labs.

They send you a container, fill it return, they'll send back an analysis and their opinion of the motor based off those numbers.

 

[Gorman]

just motor oil? what about coolant and hydo oil?

 

[Gorman]

I've always understood that used equipment is dicey. But I bought an intl for 18K, put 7K into a "chip box", then put 16K into it in the last 4 months for a engine rebuild. I've only put 9,000 miles on it.

I can take the repair bills, I just cant take not having a truck to make money with.

 

[jomoco]

Compression tests are pretty reliable according to every mechanic I've known over the years.

It's an excellent starting point at the very least anyway.

jomoco

 

[brendonv]

I test motor oil. The biggest repair on a vehicle as it sounds like you have lived it.

 

[Gorman]

Yup, replaced the radiator, water pump, then front engine plate, then piston number three seized (two days after Nemo hit).