Buying a Used Rental Skidsteer

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chuckwood

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Dec 17, 2011
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I'm fairly new here and have been doing a ton of reading and research. This site is a great resource with plenty of very knowlegeable posters and moderators. I live in lloydminster Alberta and am planning on buying a used skidsteer to help in building a house on an acreage/farm and then to do some work around the farm after the house is built. I've been perusing Kijiji and a few other classified sites to get an idea of pricing and availability and am thinking something in the Cat 232b type might be the right size for what I plan on using it for. My question is has onyone had any experience importing a machine from the US and did you really save any money in the end? Or has anyone bought a used rental machine from a place like Battlefied Equipment or is that something to avoid http://used.battlefieldequipment.ca/?gclid=COmG2paJjK0CFcYRNAodmkrOmg Thanks in advance and I hope you and yours have a great Xmas. Chuck
 

Child of the Corn

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Jan 4, 2012
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Hi Chuck, I haven't bought from Battlefield Equipment but I did import some CAT machines from US to Perth, Australia. Research and experience showed that AQIS are really anal with their quarantine rules and I didn't know all the paperwork and forms you need to import used machinery. A mate of mine recommended Freightplus for importing used machinery. I rang their office in Perth (they have offices all over OZ and in US as well) and the guys there explained everything very good. And made me a very good price. I rang some other companies as well to get quotes but Freightplus were the only ones that offered fixed price quarantine cleaning, fixed price inspections, fixed price shipping etc. Plus they were the only ones to give me a fixed date for delivery! I got cheaper quotes but the Freightplus quote was just a piece-of-mind-thing and that was all I wanted really. The import was smooth (as far as I know) as I didn't had to do anything except pay and wait for the delivery to my doorstep :) Hope I could help!
 

Fishfiles

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Feb 8, 2007
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1,698
Hi Chuck, I haven't bought from Battlefield Equipment but I did import some CAT machines from US to Perth, Australia. Research and experience showed that AQIS are really anal with their quarantine rules and I didn't know all the paperwork and forms you need to import used machinery. A mate of mine recommended Freightplus for importing used machinery. I rang their office in Perth (they have offices all over OZ and in US as well) and the guys there explained everything very good. And made me a very good price. I rang some other companies as well to get quotes but Freightplus were the only ones that offered fixed price quarantine cleaning, fixed price inspections, fixed price shipping etc. Plus they were the only ones to give me a fixed date for delivery! I got cheaper quotes but the Freightplus quote was just a piece-of-mind-thing and that was all I wanted really. The import was smooth (as far as I know) as I didn't had to do anything except pay and wait for the delivery to my doorstep :) Hope I could help!
Some thoughts I have : here in the USA we call machines that are imported but not directly from the factory Gray / or Worls Market machines , these machines can be a nightmare getting parts for , there are differences in them and parts that fit one will not fit the other , getting any support from the dealer is hard to say the least as I think they fret on loosing sales to Gray Market , Catapillar is the worst on this -------- I think I would have to go with a brand that the dealer was closest to me -------------- if I was in the boonies and wanted a machine I thought I would have the best chance of keeping it running with litttle down time I would get a Takeuchi TL series , you can call thier service department in Atlanta and they will walk you thru a problem , they won't ship parts to you direct , but will put you in touch with a dealer that will drop ship it for you if you pay in advance with a credit card
 
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chuckwood

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Dec 17, 2011
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Some thoughts I have : here in the USA we call machines that are imported but not directly from the factory Gray / or Worls Market machines , these machines can be a nightmare getting parts for , there are differences in them and parts that fit one will not fit the other , getting any support from the dealer is hard to say the least as I think they fret on loosing sales to Gray Market , Catapillar is the worst on this -------- I think I would have to go with a brand that the dealer was closest to me -------------- if I was in the boonies and wanted a machine I thought I would have the best chance of keeping it running with litttle down time I would get a Takeuchi TL series , you can call thier service department in Atlanta and they will walk you thru a problem , they won't ship parts to you direct , but will put you in touch with a dealer that will drop ship it for you if you pay in advance with a credit card
Child of the Corn and Fishflies thanks for sharing your thoughts. The wife and I usually vacation in Washington, Montana or one of the Dakotas so I was thinking if I found a decent used one there I might pull it back to Canada with me depending how much hassel getting it across the border might be. I live in the middle of oil country and have all the major brands of skid steers here in town. Bobcat, Cat, Case and Tak. so access to parts should be fairly easy. There just doesn't seem to be much in the used market available and when I do find something they want close to new prices even on a machine with significant hours on it. Chuck
 

StaceyBieber

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Jan 22, 2012
Messages
6
Child of the Corn and Fishflies thanks for sharing your thoughts. The wife and I usually vacation in Washington, Montana or one of the Dakotas so I was thinking if I found a decent used one there I might pull it back to Canada with me depending how much hassel getting it across the border might be. I live in the middle of oil country and have all the major brands of skid steers here in town. Bobcat, Cat, Case and Tak. so access to parts should be fairly easy. There just doesn't seem to be much in the used market available and when I do find something they want close to new prices even on a machine with significant hours on it. Chuck
I am looking at a 1988 Bobcat 843 for my country property. Its $6500 and looks in decent shape, except it needs a new seat, hour meter and it creeps forward slowly. Thoughts?
 

StaceyBieber

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Jan 22, 2012
Messages
6
I am looking at a 1988 Bobcat 843 for my country property. Its $6500 and looks in decent shape, except it needs a new seat, hour meter and it creeps forward slowly. Thoughts?
843 were junk when new try newholland better lifting ,good machine don;t even think cat or jd good luck
 

RJSStamps

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Apr 13, 2012
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Wow! I think that is called a "Split Personality" for sure!!
LOL, thats funny.....

RE: Gray Market - the big issue with gray mark items is that you get it cheaper but it has no warranty. US/Canada dealers won't work on them because of the fact they do not want to be responsible due to out of country purchase. The out of country equipment usually doesn't have required safety and EPA equipment and other parts can be different as well and getting those parts is difficult at best.
 

Bobcatdan

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May 3, 2012
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LOL, thats funny.....

RE: Gray Market - the big issue with gray mark items is that you get it cheaper but it has no warranty. US/Canada dealers won't work on them because of the fact they do not want to be responsible due to out of country purchase. The out of country equipment usually doesn't have required safety and EPA equipment and other parts can be different as well and getting those parts is difficult at best.
I have no experiance with importing to Cananda, but seeing how a skidsteer does not have a title, I'm thinking it would not be a big deal. As for buying a retal, as long as it is a well know rentnal place, I don't think I would have a problem. Rentals are operated by eveyone under the sun in everyway so abuse can happen. If the rental shop is keeps up on maintance, these machine are very well cared for compared to a lot of peoples machine. Our rentals are greased between every rent. Fluids, tires, belts and hoses looked over depending daily. Service intrivals are kept best as possible. My goal is to have no problems on rent. That said, I wouldn't have a problem buying most of rentals used if I need one.
 

bobkat843

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May 1, 2011
Messages
69
843 were junk when new try newholland better lifting ,good machine don;t even think cat or jd good luck
Stacey saying bobcat 843 are junk? I've own and 843 for over 12 years with the Perkins eng . love how it performs . Very powerful .Built like a Sherman tank!
 

skidsteer.ca

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Jan 20, 2006
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Stacey saying bobcat 843 are junk? I've own and 843 for over 12 years with the Perkins eng . love how it performs . Very powerful .Built like a Sherman tank!
Chuckwood
I have done this b4. Anything self propelled leaving the US must have the serial # searched by US customs for liens b4 it can leave the country. You need to have a purchase agreement with the vendor before the customs will search it. It Takes up to 72 hrs before they have to tell you that its admissable or not. I like to have this done before I pay for the machine. Because if it has a lien on it you are not going any farther.
I like to get a written agreement from the vendor, with serial number, price and date, you also have to submit this to US customs with your ID 72 hours before you go. Usually customs is ok with this approach, but I have had some tell me the results of the search when I go into the US to pick the machine up (so I know its ok to pay for it), and other officers that say the search is not for my info and they don't want to fess up the results.
If it has been cleared , then you can pay the vendor and bring the item to US Customs, they will check the serial # is correct with your papers you faxed in and stamp it.
At canada customs they will collect the gst only, if you are a business, But if your a business you have to have a broker do the paperwork for you. Or you can do a B3 entry yourself if you know how.
If you not a business, they will collect the gst and pst (unless your in Alberta, then gst only, or hst) and do the paper work for you.
Attachment or anything not self propelled does not go through this process.
Ken
 

Tigerhaze

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Nov 3, 2011
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123
Stacey saying bobcat 843 are junk? I've own and 843 for over 12 years with the Perkins eng . love how it performs . Very powerful .Built like a Sherman tank!
This is not a commentary on the 843 so sorry for the digression, but I had to laugh at the comment about "built like a Sherman tank". My grandpa was a Sherman tank driver in WWII; 6 of them he was driving were destroyed and he was on his 7th when his involvement in the war ended. He said the tank drivers were always wishing they had the newer, heavier Pershing tanks because the lighter armor and gas engines on the Shermans made them into a fireball if hit. My grandpa actually had a tank shell pass between his legs and through his tank. There is actually a good book about the Sherman's weaknesses authored by Lt. Belton Cooper, who my grandpa met on the battlefield.
Anyhow, the comment would have given my grandpa a good laugh- he passed away this year so his comments on the Sherman are still fresh in my mind.
 
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