Before seeking a deal on used equipment, county officials need to put pen to paper and answer one key question: Exactly what am I looking for?
“You’ve got to know what you want,” said Cody Dodson, owner of Red River Equipment Company. There are several vital questions would-be buyers need to ask themselves before they shop including:
Do I want a particular brand?
How will this equipment be used?
What applications do I need?
How much can I spend?
These types of basic questions are important, said Hardeman County Commissioner C.L. Wall, who purchased a used truck for his precinct in March.
“I needed to make sure the truck would meet the requirement to do the job,” Wall added.
With pertinent information readily in hand, officials can make smart choices when narrowing down a list of possible purchases. But before buying, they need to ask additional key questions – this time about the specific machine under consideration.
One primary question pertains to reliability, said Wilbarger County Judge Gary Streit.
Take a dozer, for instance. The undercarriage is the main item, Dodson said, so to determine the reliability of a dozer, buyers need to gauge what percent of the undercarriage is still usable. Key questions would address the height of the grousers, and the wear on the pins, idlers and the rail.
A crucial element of reliability, regardless of the specific type of equipment, is number of hours in service. Ask the seller about the hours already used and whether or not the hour meter has been changed out, Dodson stressed.
“Authenticate the hours if at all possible,” he added.
Sometimes, the owner will have previous service records on hand, said Richard Crossland, service manager with Red River Equipment Company. Ask to view the records, if possible secure a copy, and read over the documents thoroughly.
Time to Sell
Counties have a good reputation when it comes to keeping service records on their own equipment, making their equipment easier to sell.
“I’d just as soon buy county equipment over anything because they typically have service records,” said Dodson, whose company both sells and buys used equipment.
Of course, counties have to follow laws pertaining to buying and selling, Crossland said, such as soliciting bids. When it comes to advertising used equipment, Crossland encouraged counties to branch outside local newspapers and advertise in neighboring communities.
“The more people who get involved, the better price you’re going to get for the equipment,” he said, so go outside the immediate circulation area.
Some counties will send out information to a select group of vendors, but Crossland suggested broadening vendor lists to include as many as possible.
In some instances counties will find themselves in seemingly dire straits, needing to make quick decisions to replace broken equipment and complete important tasks. However, rushing into deals without taking the time to ask questions could mean settling for sub-par equipment and spending more time and money in the long run.
Julie Anderson, Editor