Buying Construction Equipment

Buying construction equipment can be daunting prospect. For one, it is a long-term investment that typically requires you to either fork out a considerable amount of money, and more often than not, apply for machinery finance. Considering the costs involved, many business operators looking to buy heavy equipment, may be reluctant to buy construction equipment online as, naturally, every construction machinery supplier on the web, is likely to advertise their stock as the best construction equipment on the market. Of course, we at Machinery Direct also believe that our range is the best, but to make the process a little bit more transparent and to help you with your decision making, we have prepared this guide to buying construction equipment, especially for those of our readers, who are looking to buy construction equipment online. Read on to learn more.

Determine Your Needs

Buying construction equipment is no different from any other purchase aiming to satisfy a specific purpose. Before you start browsing construction equipment and getting overwhelmed by colorful marketing brochures and feature rich product descriptions on manufacturer websites, make a list of the features the best construction equipment should have in your eyes. Having a list of what you simply cannot go without, will help you to stay focused on the features you want and better prepare you to resist being distracted by, perhaps useful, but not always necessary bells, whistles and trimmings.

Consider Jobsite Conditions

Think about what kind of jobs you usually do and what kind of jobsites you typically work at. If you are typically involved in projects on smaller sites, it would only be prudent to focus on something more compact than what you would typically consider when looking to buy heavy equipment. Buying construction equipment does not necessarily have to mean purchasing huge machinery and it is worth keeping in mind, especially if you are looking to buy construction equipment online, that compact construction equipment options are available.

Additionally, consider the type of terrain you normally find yourself working on. Whether you are working on sealed or loose surfaces, you need to be able to effectively move around the jobsite and your expected mobility needs, should factor into your decision making when shortlisting prospective equipment.

Shortlist the Equipment That Best Suits Your Needs

Speaking of shortlisting, jot down the machinery options that caught your eye by having the features and characteristics you have previously identified as your “must-haves”. Having a shortlist directly addressing your machinery needs will help you buy heavy equipment that best suits your specific needs and should help you avoid overpaying on features not important or necessary for your work.

Consider the Manufacturer’s Reputation when Buying Construction Equipment

If any particular machinery makes it to your shortlist, research its manufacturer. This is especially important for construction equipment made by manufacturers you may be unfamiliar with. Do not be prejudiced against brand names you have not heard before, consider that new makes enter the market frequently and may even innovate where products of major name brands are only iterative and offer only minor improvements on every new model released. Big manufacturers can overdesign on their top end machines, many of which are expected to be heavily computerised these days, but as per our first point “Determine Your Needs” decide whether these features are something you need or just something you want and stack them up against the cost of purchasing a machine with extra trimmings that you could do without.

When Looking to Buy Construction Equipment Online, Consider the Warranty and Aftersales Support

One point worth paying extra attention to when researching manufacturers, are the warranty terms and aftersales support. How easy will it be for you to make a warranty claim, what are your servicing options and what is the spare parts availability outside of the warranty period. Will you be well looked after when your warranty expires? This is especially important for high-tech computerized machinery. You do not want to get caught out and unable to work just because of a broken, hard to get, small electronic component that disables your machine, if replacement parts and servicing options are not readily available. If your machinery is not working, its not paying for itself.

Research the Machinery Your Are Interested in Further

It’s time to narrow your list down further. At this point you should have specific model names of the construction machinery that looks like a good choice for your needs. Take specific model numbers and look them up online to see what those who have already bought them are saying. At the same time, remember to think critically about anything you read on the web, whether good or bad. As they saying goes “Your mileage may vary” and you should make your own informed decisions without solely relying on the opinions of others. This is also a good way making sure that you will be truly happy with your purchase.

Consider Your Delivery Options

Once you are pretty sure you have a solid candidate for a purchase, consider your equipment collection or delivery options. Are you going to have to travel to collect your new purchase? Will you need to make difficult heavy transport arrangements? It’s always worth checking out what delivery options can your supplier offer. For instance, if you buy your construction and earth moving equipment with us, you can have your machinery shipped to anywhere in Australia. We have delivered machinery across the country, from Perth to Tasmania with our carefully selected, specialised transport providers, offering Australia wide delivery at a fraction of the cost charged by some of our competitors.

Decide Whether You Will Require Finance when Buying Construction Equipment

Buying construction equipment is both an investment and a financial commitment and you may be apprehensive about forking out a significant lump sum at once, even if you are confident in your machinery choice and where you would like to buy it for. Does your preferred supplier offer financing options? Will you need to organise everything yourself or will you get help? As one example, at Machinery Direct if you need construction equipment finance to buy one of our machines, we can help you.

Are you looking to buy construction equipment online? Browse the Machinery Direct range of construction equipment we have available for Australia wide delivery and pick up on the Gold Coast. Get in touch with us by calling 1300 794 684 or e-mailing sales@machinerydirect.com.au if you have any further questions or if you just need help choosing the best construction equipment for the job. We are here to help.