Buying a used Bobcat

[Marc1]

I am looking for a good place to buy a bobcat. You know, sort of honest, not expensive, reliable for shipping, good stock of choices etc Auction or otherwise. Possibly west coast. Thank you Marc

 

[Tazza]

There is no one good place, you really need to just look around. Your dealer will get trades but they are usually not really cheap. Auction is a good place but you can never be sure if what you will get, but you can get some bargains! Depending if you want a machine to work on to get up to scratch also needs to be thought about. If you know what you are doing you can pick up a cheap non working machine and save heaps, but if you need to get your dealer to get it up to scratch you will get badly burnt, getting all your repairs done by a dealer will add up, and FAST.
Depending on the brand you look at, be sure you can still get parts. Bobcat you can get parts still, even 30 year old machines. Thomas i hear is a little tough. Cat i hear is good for parts. There will be others, but i can't comment on them.

 

[BPS]

There is no one good place, you really need to just look around. Your dealer will get trades but they are usually not really cheap. Auction is a good place but you can never be sure if what you will get, but you can get some bargains! Depending if you want a machine to work on to get up to scratch also needs to be thought about. If you know what you are doing you can pick up a cheap non working machine and save heaps, but if you need to get your dealer to get it up to scratch you will get badly burnt, getting all your repairs done by a dealer will add up, and FAST.
Depending on the brand you look at, be sure you can still get parts. Bobcat you can get parts still, even 30 year old machines. Thomas i hear is a little tough. Cat i hear is good for parts. There will be others, but i can't comment on them.

Depending on how new of a machine you are considering, looking at a new machine isn't necessarily a bad idea. You have a new machine, 0% financing and you know the history of it. That's why I decided to go new. Once I found what I wanted in a machine, the used machines, especially at dealers were priced very high. Not having to pay interest for 4 years was a big incentive and they gave me a free bucket.
All together I may have paid an extra 2500, but I know the history of the machine it doesn't have 1000 hours on it. If that is not an option for you an auction isn't a bad way to go. With the economy the way it is, there are many good machines out there in different parts of the country.

 

[Marc1]

Depending on how new of a machine you are considering, looking at a new machine isn't necessarily a bad idea. You have a new machine, 0% financing and you know the history of it. That's why I decided to go new. Once I found what I wanted in a machine, the used machines, especially at dealers were priced very high. Not having to pay interest for 4 years was a big incentive and they gave me a free bucket.
All together I may have paid an extra 2500, but I know the history of the machine it doesn't have 1000 hours on it. If that is not an option for you an auction isn't a bad way to go. With the economy the way it is, there are many good machines out there in different parts of the country.

Tank you for your answers. I should ave been a bit more explicit. I live in Sydney Australia. Prices for bobcats here are high some times as high as almost double what you pay there, comparing similar machines with similar hours. I will still be miles ahead after paying the shipping charges. I am after a little 463, 2002 or later, the one with 21HP engine. I can either pay for the trip there or buy from here. The only way for me to buy from here is from a reputable dealer. Not an easy choice. What do you say?

 

[Tazza]

Tank you for your answers. I should ave been a bit more explicit. I live in Sydney Australia. Prices for bobcats here are high some times as high as almost double what you pay there, comparing similar machines with similar hours. I will still be miles ahead after paying the shipping charges. I am after a little 463, 2002 or later, the one with 21HP engine. I can either pay for the trip there or buy from here. The only way for me to buy from here is from a reputable dealer. Not an easy choice. What do you say?

I wouldn't be so sure you would be ahead if you tried to import a machine. I got a quote for a 20' box from Kansas City to Brisbane, the freight component is reasonable, about 2,500 USD but all the other charges! all up we will be up for about AUD 5K. As its a second hand machine quarantine will want to have a poke around and fumigate it as you can get bugs in the dirt that will no doubt still be on it. They will take your air filter(s) and burn them. If you are thinking of doing this, do your research first, you don't want to be bitten. You will also have to pay duty and GST. As the machine is made in the USA you technically can get away with filling out paperwork and use the free trade agreement so you don't need to pay duty.
Our prices are indeed more than they are over seas, but not double. If you keep an eye out, you will find something.
The 463 size machines will always be a little more than you would like as they are a small unit and not as popular. The *7* series are by far the most popular which will make their prices reasonable.

 

[Marc1]

I wouldn't be so sure you would be ahead if you tried to import a machine. I got a quote for a 20' box from Kansas City to Brisbane, the freight component is reasonable, about 2,500 USD but all the other charges! all up we will be up for about AUD 5K. As its a second hand machine quarantine will want to have a poke around and fumigate it as you can get bugs in the dirt that will no doubt still be on it. They will take your air filter(s) and burn them. If you are thinking of doing this, do your research first, you don't want to be bitten. You will also have to pay duty and GST. As the machine is made in the USA you technically can get away with filling out paperwork and use the free trade agreement so you don't need to pay duty.
Our prices are indeed more than they are over seas, but not double. If you keep an eye out, you will find something.
The 463 size machines will always be a little more than you would like as they are a small unit and not as popular. The *7* series are by far the most popular which will make their prices reasonable.

What do you know about this auction site? http://www.ironplanet.com/index.jsp Are you in Brizzy?

 

[Marc1]

I wouldn't be so sure you would be ahead if you tried to import a machine. I got a quote for a 20' box from Kansas City to Brisbane, the freight component is reasonable, about 2,500 USD but all the other charges! all up we will be up for about AUD 5K. As its a second hand machine quarantine will want to have a poke around and fumigate it as you can get bugs in the dirt that will no doubt still be on it. They will take your air filter(s) and burn them. If you are thinking of doing this, do your research first, you don't want to be bitten. You will also have to pay duty and GST. As the machine is made in the USA you technically can get away with filling out paperwork and use the free trade agreement so you don't need to pay duty.
Our prices are indeed more than they are over seas, but not double. If you keep an eye out, you will find something.
The 463 size machines will always be a little more than you would like as they are a small unit and not as popular. The *7* series are by far the most popular which will make their prices reasonable.

What do you know about this auction site? http://www.ironplanet.com/index.jsp Are you in Brizzy?

 

[Tazza]

What do you know about this auction site? http://www.ironplanet.com/index.jsp Are you in Brizzy?

Yeah i'm from Brizzy.
I have never bought earthmoving gear from overseas as shipping is a real problem. Have you had a look around the local auctions at all? I just bought a 753 from Mackay, thats about 1,100 or so km away, its going to cost me about $1,100 to get it here..... The main problem is you can't see what its like, you will have the same problem if you buy it and get it shipped over. All i could work from was 1 picture and just what they were told that was wrong with it.
If you really had your heart set on it, you would need to get to know someone over there that has the ability to steam clean the ENTIRE machine to ensure all traces of grease and dirt are gone. Quarantine think seeds can be trapped in the grease, so it must be spotless. They will pinch your air filters, so make sure it will not run or you *may* risk them starting it to move without filters and dusting the engine. They will also need to have somewhere they can load it into a container, preferably other things too, no point in wasting all that available space for one machine.
I would contact a freight company first too, get an idea on shipping charges. We use Expeditors, but there are many others. Ask them about what will be required from quarantine, and also the customs side, ask for the charges and duty and inspection and delivery fees. We import from the USA pretty much once a month, its really not as simple as it may seem. We ship a full container only once a year, all the other times its LCL (loose container load).
Make a few calls, do your sums and think if its really worth it or not.
Good luck with which ever way you decide to go.

 

[Marc1]

Yeah i'm from Brizzy.
I have never bought earthmoving gear from overseas as shipping is a real problem. Have you had a look around the local auctions at all? I just bought a 753 from Mackay, thats about 1,100 or so km away, its going to cost me about $1,100 to get it here..... The main problem is you can't see what its like, you will have the same problem if you buy it and get it shipped over. All i could work from was 1 picture and just what they were told that was wrong with it.
If you really had your heart set on it, you would need to get to know someone over there that has the ability to steam clean the ENTIRE machine to ensure all traces of grease and dirt are gone. Quarantine think seeds can be trapped in the grease, so it must be spotless. They will pinch your air filters, so make sure it will not run or you *may* risk them starting it to move without filters and dusting the engine. They will also need to have somewhere they can load it into a container, preferably other things too, no point in wasting all that available space for one machine.
I would contact a freight company first too, get an idea on shipping charges. We use Expeditors, but there are many others. Ask them about what will be required from quarantine, and also the customs side, ask for the charges and duty and inspection and delivery fees. We import from the USA pretty much once a month, its really not as simple as it may seem. We ship a full container only once a year, all the other times its LCL (loose container load).
Make a few calls, do your sums and think if its really worth it or not.
Good luck with which ever way you decide to go.

Thank you for that, I knew about quarantine. Friend of mine brings in muscle cars by the container load every year. He gets a place in quarantine were they let him house the cars down. The interesting part is that the wash water runs off in the Cook's river. What do you bring in from the US? How do you edit your post here?

 

[Tazza]

Thank you for that, I knew about quarantine. Friend of mine brings in muscle cars by the container load every year. He gets a place in quarantine were they let him house the cars down. The interesting part is that the wash water runs off in the Cook's river. What do you bring in from the US? How do you edit your post here?

Only moderators can edit posts at the moment, i think this will change when the site is upgraded, i was sure it was on the "to do" list.
Its really embarrassing what we deal in! when i tell people that we import fabric the look of WTF on their face. Especially when they know what i do as a hobby, they are always at me to find something that use those "skills". So yeah, we are a fabric wholesaler, i do more or less everything there, i just don't go out on the road selling. We have brought machinery in before and had the whole quarantine fiasco.
Yep, i know i'm gonna get grief about telling you i work in the rag trade......

 

[Tazza]

Only moderators can edit posts at the moment, i think this will change when the site is upgraded, i was sure it was on the "to do" list.
Its really embarrassing what we deal in! when i tell people that we import fabric the look of WTF on their face. Especially when they know what i do as a hobby, they are always at me to find something that use those "skills". So yeah, we are a fabric wholesaler, i do more or less everything there, i just don't go out on the road selling. We have brought machinery in before and had the whole quarantine fiasco.
Yep, i know i'm gonna get grief about telling you i work in the rag trade......

Marc - can you send me an e-mail? "taz38sup at yahoo.com.au" the at is @ of course.
I *may* know where you can get hold of a 453, its a little older than the 463 you were wanting but its an option. If you think it may do the job for you, let me know.