For several years people had been telling me about a Studebaker dump truck that was for sale in Colorado. Our machinist, Dave, tracked down a phone number for the owners, called them up, talked them down on the price, and bought the truck over the phone without seeing the equipment, let alone inspecting it. After purchasing the truck, we loaded our flat bed truck with cans of fresh gas, grease, gear oil, and a hot battery and drove to Colorado to pick up the dump truck. Luckily, after greasing, fueling, and oiling, it fired right up and we drove it the 250 miles home without incident. It was not the proper way to buy used equipment, but it is typical of the way I have acquired most of the equipment I have. After that example, I might not seem like the best person to give advice on buying, selling, or trading used equipment, but I have been a shop mechanic for a large utility construction company, and I know a few tips (even if I don't often listen to them!).
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