With all the different skid steer manufacturers, like Mustang, Caterpillar, Bobcat, 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.

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. This is usually inexpensive and will give your machine a better aesthetic value, especially important if you are a contractor, You want customers to feel confident in the equipment your using to complete their projects.

Sometimes it’s better to think twice before spending a lot of money on new heavy equipment or construction machinery. You can save an large amount of your investment funds by buying used machinery. But before you get to make such a decision you might want to think it through.

Used heavy equipment might be a solution for your business as long as you make sure the used machinery works as it should. Of course, it is used, but used machinery is typically refurbished and has technical reviews. But perhaps your personal experience is better than all that criteria. Even if the used machinery looks just fine, is a famous brand or the seller convinced you about the quality of his or her used machinery, you should get try to test it before you buy it. Always try to test the used machinery before you buy it or have someone to test the used machinery for you. Scrape, dig, lift, dump, push, whatever the vehicle has function for. Go through all the used machinery functions and they all work.

Visual inspection is another way of checking the used heavy equipment. Even if you have already made up your mind about buying used heavy machinery, you should be entitled to a good bargain. And a good bargain means you get good quality used heavy equipment for less. Take your time inspecting the used heavy equipment, and try to cover all the important areas. Used heavy equipment paint quality is not critical. However rust is an issue, so try to see if there are any rust patches or holes covered just for “cosmetic” reason. Grab a tool and try pushing or even hitting on suspected areas of the used heavy machinery to see if there is any rust falling on the ground. Slide under the used machinery and search for leaks. Test the possible leaking problem of the used machinery after you’ve been through the test drive. Also check valves and hoses before the test drive, and see after it if there are any leaks present in these places.

The testing shouldn’t stop here. Listen to the engine running for more than a minute or two. Also listen to the hydraulics when the used heavy equipment is performing its special duties. Try to detect any kind weird smells like burning oil or electrical short circuits. When you get behind the wheel or the levers, try to feel if the controls work as they should. However, you should keep in mind one thing: even the new heavy equipment may be faulty at times, which is why you should be prepared to face all problems that may arise with your used machinery, and not just assume the problem was caused by the fact that the machinery was old.

As a final advice on your shopping adventure for used heavy equipment, try to avoid buying from individuals that have no knowledge of construction equipment. Construction equipment dealers can often provide maintenance service and warranty with your used heavy equipment that can stretch from 30 to 60 days, making sure that unexpected problems will be dealt with professionally.used heavy equipment many catogories are Aggregate Equipment, International air Compressor, Komatsu equipment, caterpillar equipment, Crawler loader etc.

And, of course, don’t forget to negotiate the price of used heavy equipment. You can find a dealer that is flexible with pricing and negotiation and give you a better deal that a private owner. Good luck shopping for used machinery.

A company in the construction, landscaping or related industries generally expend tremendous amounts of money on construction equipment. Perhaps you are the owner of manager of such an enterprise and are looking for methods through which you can reel in the costs associated with running your business, including the costs associated with heavy construction equipment. To this end, you might want to give close consideration to the prospect of purchasing and utilizing used construction equipment. In point of fact, there are a number of definite benefits to purchasing and using used construction equipment.

Perhaps the most obvious benefit of electing to for the used construction equipment route when equipping your construction or construction related company is cost savings. As you undoubtedly understand, the prices of new heavy construction equipment in the 21 st century can be astronomical. However, the costs of used construction equipment are remarkably less. Indeed, you can buy used construction equipment that is of fairly recent vintage for a very reasonable cost.

Another of the benefits of purchasing used construction equipment is found in the fact that you can increase your fleet without breaking the budget. If you have a larger fleet, through the inclusion of used construction equipment, you have the ability to take on more construction jobs. As a result of taking on additional work, you will better your company’s bottom line in a shorter period of time. In short, you save money on the purchase of used construction equipment and you are able to increase your bottom line through the addition of more jobs and projects than you would have been able to undertake had you not been able to expand your equipment fleet.

There are a number of different resources available to a person seeking used construction equipment. As with so many products and services in the 21 st century, the Internet is now a decent resource for a person seeking used construction equipment. There are a number of different websites that cater specifically to trading in used construction equipment. (At these sites you can not only purchase used construction equipment but you can sell these equipment items as well.)

Naturally, in the brick and mortar world, there are a number of operations that specifically market used construction equipment. In most instances, there are different retailers that sell specific types of used construction equipment.construction equipment have many catogories and manufacturer like Aggregate Equipment, Bobcat equipment, Komatsu equipment, caterpillar equipment etc.Therefore, you will have to spend some time shopping around to find exactly what you are looking for and seeking in regard to used construction equipment.

Of course, as you go about the process of buying used construction equipment, take your time. You do not need to rush. Make certain that any piece of used construction equipment that you intend to purchase is independently examined to ensure that it is in the best possible condition. (This can be done even when you are planning on purchasing used construction equipment over the Net. You can have a local mechanic in the city where the used construction equipment is located independently evaluate the used construction equipment before you make a final purchase.

At Headwater Equipment all of our used heavy equipment has been inspected and serviced by our certified mechanics before ever being sold. It is this type of dedication to the quality of our used heavy equipment that we have become well known for. It is our goal to provide you with heavy equipment to help get the job done, to provide you with the used parts to help you get back to work, or to provide the attachments you need to make the job easier.

We offer a full line of crawler dozers, graders, soil compactors, bulldozers, rubber tired dozers, excavators, mini excavators, landfill compactors, pipe line equipment, and wheel loaders from trusted manufacturers such as: Caterpillar, John Deere, Hitachi and Komatsu, we are sure you will be able to find the equipment you need to help you start or complete the job. If we do not have the heavy equipment in stock that you are looking for contact us or use our equipment request form and we will find it for you.

We not only sell quality used heavy equipment but we also sell heavy equipment parts and attachments. All of our parts have been inspected, cleaned and repaired where necessary; so that you are assured that the used part or attachment you purchase from Headwater Equipment will work when you need it.

Headwater Equipment is your source for new and used replacement parts and attachments for all makes and models of heavy equipment including buckets, hydraulic hammers, rippers, scarifiers, winches, drawbars and more.

Case Equipment introduced the 1850K and 1650K crawler dozers to its K Series. The Case 1850K crawler dozer provides up to 205 hp, 671 lb-ft of torque and 126 in of track on ground. The Case 1650K delivers 145 hp, 428 lb-ft of torque and 118 in of track on ground. Blade capacities range from 4.1 yd3 on the 1650K to 7.4 yd3 on the 1850K.

K Series dozers include a hydrostatic PowerSteer system, which features single-lever control of direction and steering. A fuel-efficient six-cylinder Cummins engine powers a three-speed, torque-converter transmission. The torque converter automatically matches speed to load requirements, lessening demand on the engine and saving fuel. Torque multiplication provides maximum drawbar pull of up to 48,000 lb-ft on the 1650K and 64,100 lb-ft on the 1850K. A tapered hood design helps increase visibility from the cab, especially to the edge of the blade. The cab is rubber-isolation mounted for a quiet, comfortable ride. Fingertip low-effort servo hydraulic controls and extra-long track undercarriages ensure precision grading ability.

Case K Series crawler dozers are available in a wide variety of track and blade configurations to handle varying site conditions. Both models come in an extra-long-track (XLT) configuration for unsurpassed grading ability and traction, and a low-ground-pressure (LGP) configuration that provides greater flotation and stability on slopes. The 1850K also comes in a long-track (LT) configuration for good blade control and visibility.

Caterpillar equipment offers nine different base models of crawler tractors for contractors doing site preparation work. The machines range in size from the 70-hp, 16,000-lb D3G XL to the 410-hp, 106,000-lb D9T. Several of the versatile medium-sized tractors, such as the D6R Series III, feature the Caterpillar exclusive SystemOne Undercarriage, which offers extended life and lower operating costs. A variety of undercarriage configurations for each of the tractors allow each machine to be matched to the contractor’s needs. The D8T and D9T also feature CAT engines with ACERT technology for compliance with emissions regulations while creating responsive power and maintaining reliable, durable performance.

New Dressta crawler dozers feature increased drawbar pull, larger blades and improved operator controls. A lefthand joystick on all TD-15Ms, TD-25Ms and TD-40Es utilizes twin rocker switches and push buttons allowing selection of Hi- or Lo-geared track speeds and transmission gears. By simply using a thumb and moving the joystick, an operator has complete control over the machine’s ground speeds and direction, improving operation efficiency. Dressta crawler dozer specifications include: operating weights from 16,200 to 146,915 lbs; net engine hp from 74 to 520; blade capacities (cy) from 1.81 to 52.00; and blade widths from 8′7″ to 22′6″.

John Deere equipment J Series dozers feature a smooth, full-featured hydrostatic drivetrain, integral power management system, Deere’s exclusive Auto-Trac system to keep the machine tracking straight, and the DuraTrax undercarriage for a long life and smooth ride. Optional Extended Life SC-2 bushings are available on 450J-850J models to further lower undercarriage operating costs. Improved operator’s station ergonomics and visibility help boost productivity.

Komatsu America Corporation offers the D65 series crawler dozers. The D65EX-15, D65PX-15 and D65WX-15 feature a powerful Komatsu equipment for sale SAA6D114E-5 turbocharged diesel engine, which provides a maximum net output of 205 hp. The engine is EPA Tier 3 and EU Stage 3A emission regulation-certified and has horsepower and torque output that meets or exceeds previous Tier 2 engines. The dozer equipment are equipped with the latest Komtrax technology to send machine operating information to a secure website utilizing wireless technology.

Caterpillar Incorporated, also known as CAT is a United States based corporation that is based in Peoria, Illinois. The company commonly known as CAT is known around the world as the largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, and industrial gas turbines.

Well known and famous for their products that feature the Caterpillar track and distinctive yellow paint, CAT produces a wide range of Heavy equipment for all types of jobs, including the very popular Caterpillar D9 bulldozer.

History The story of CAT dates back to the late 19th century, when Daniel Best and Benjamin Holt were experimenting with different ways to fulfil the promise that steam tractors held for farm work.

The Holt family had pioneered track tractors and gasoline powered engines. After the companies of Best and Holt were merged, the company went through several changes then at the end of World War 2, they began to grow at a very fast pace, launching the first venture outside of the country, which marked the beginning of CAT development into a big corporation.

CAT equipment ranges from track type tractors to excavators, backhoes, motor graders, off road trucks, wheel loaders, tractors, diesel and gas engines, and gas turbines. CAT equipment is used in construction, excavation, building roads, mining, energy, forestry, transportation, and material handling companies.

Sales Over half of CAT’s sales are to customers in overseas areas. CAT products are sold in almost 200 different countries. The company has a worldwide network of over 200 dealers - 63 in the United States and over 150 in other countries.

CAT equipment and components are manufactured in 42 plants in the United States and 58 plants in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, England, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, and several other countries.

Labor CAT almost went down in the early due to the massive union strikes and a down turn in product demand. At the time, several news reports indicated that products were piling up so high in facilities that temporary workers hired to work the lines could barely get to their stations to perform their jobs.

CAT suffered yet another long strike in which the company hired what it deemed to be permanent replacements for union workers that were on strike. During both strikes, jack rocks were placed in the home entrances of many of CATs top executives and employees, puncturing the tires of their vehicles and making things worse for the company.

Not long after the strike of ended and the economy started to get back up again, CAT adopted the “6 Sigma” quality management program, to help reduce costs and inventory and identify and correct the defects in processes and products.

The D-11 from Caterpillar Equipment is among the series of tracked type tractors are among the largest conventional bulldozers in the world, second to the Komatsu D575. It comes in two variations, the standard D-11R and the bigger and heavier D-11R CD.

The D-11 bulldozer is among the upper end of Caterpillars track type tractors, which range in power and size from the D-3 (77 HP) to the D-11R (935 HP).

The primary use for the D-11 is for moving large quantities of rock, dirt, etc. short distances in confined spaces. The D-11 is often times used in quarries. The price, size, power and weight of the D11 dictate that they are used primarily for major products. You can normally find the D11 used in forestry, mining, excavation, and quarry operations.

The D-11 is high known and favoured for its amazing power and ability to rip into the earth, making them ideal for agricultural and rock ripping type work. The ripper is the long claw like device you can find on the back of the D-11.

Rippers come in single shank or in groups of two or more, known as multi shank rippers. Normally, a single shank is all you need for heavy ripping work.

The ripping of rock will allow the ground surface rock to be broken up into small, easy to handle and transport rubble which can then be removed so that you can grade the area.

The agricultural equipment ripping feature will allow rocky or very hard ground to be broken up so that otherwise un-arable land can be put to use with agricultural applications.

The blade on the front of the D-11 comes in 3 varieties:

1. A straight blade which is short and has no lateral curve, no side wings, and is ideal for fine grading.

2. A universal blade which is tall and very curved, and has large side wings which can carry more material.

3. A combination blade that is shorter, has less curvature, and smaller wings on the side.

The nearest competition for the Caterpillar D-11 is the Komatsu Equipment. The Caterpillar can best be distinguished from the Komatsu by the elevated drive sprocket or high drive system that results in a triangular, rather than oval, shaped caterpillar track.

The D-11 is a fine testament to the superb products Caterpillar offers. They are great for excavation and clearing dirt, as they can push large piles of dirt. They are also good for rock, as they can move even the biggest of rocks from the ground without breaking a sweat. If you’ve wanted a bulldozer with uncanny strength and abilities, the D-11 is just what you need on your job site.

Four new hydrostatic, four-wheel-drive compact utility tractors expand the large end of Bobcat new lineup to nine models. The CT335 has a 38-horsepower diesel and front-loader rated operating capacity (ROC), with counterweight, of 1,650 pounds. Three-point lift capacity is 2,475 pounds. The CT440, CT445, and CT450 all have front-loader ROC of 2,600 pounds and three-point lift capacity of 2,625 pounds, but they come powered by 41-horsepower, 45-horsepower, and 50-horsepower diesels, respectively. The Bob-Tach quick-attachment mounting system is now available on the optional front loader of all nine models. Currently, a bucket and pallet forks are available for use on the loader.

The 8.3-liter, Tier-3 Cummins in Dressta’s TD20M Extra crawler dozer delivers 240 net horsepower – an increase of 15 horsepower compared to the H model. An air-grid heater is standard equipment to aid cold-weather starting. The 52,140-pound machine’s new cooling module with hydraulically driven fan has replaceable sections including a charge-air cooler, transmission-oil cooler, radiator, and hydraulic-oil/fan-drive oil cooler. A single left-hand joystick replaces two steering levers and a gear-shift lever used on the H. “Great efforts have been made to eliminate or greatly reduce the need for . . . electronic systems,” Dressta says, “The TD20M Extra . . . with the exception of the engine, does not require a computer to diagnose problems.”

The 279C, 289C and 299C are the latest additions to Caterpillar equipment line of compact track loaders, which sport durable, steel-embedded track and steel-undercarriage components for extended life in aggressive applications. A new fully suspended undercarriage employs four independent torsion axles for a smoother ride and improved bucket load retention. Rated operating capacity ranges from 3,200 to 4,150 pounds, and horsepower from 82 to 90.

The RTX750 is the newest addition to Vermeer’s utility installation product lineup to feature the quad-track system, designed to maximize tractive effort and stability by maintaining constant four-point ground contact and providing full power to all four tracks. As compared to a dual-track system, the quad-track design has relatively no “breakover” point, With the RTX750, customers can choose between the quad tracks or rubber tires. When equipped with tires and rear steer, the heavy machine has an outside turning diameter of 17 feet. Powered by a 74-horsepower Cummins engine, the RTX750 will be available with a vibratory plow, trencher, sliding offset trencher, combo trencher/plow, reel carrier and backhoe attachments. Attachment controls are located on the right side of the operator’s station within easy reach from the seat.