Well boys been trying to join the equipment operator club for a while and haven't had much luck securing anything through Richie bros. After missing out on eleven different units today and noticing over several months that they seem to be imported units all bearing the same importer treatments, I'm curious if anyone has ever had any luck trying to contact the importer themself and bypassing the auction and making cash offers at market rate to the consignee? Also, if you're out there, whoever is importing the beautiful 1000 hour Komatsu pc70-8s, please give me a shout I can't wait another month Thanks and all the best Matt Cooper
I believe all that is under proprietary contracts
They could be grey market and difficult to get parts or service support. Don't be in a hurry and quick to bid just because they don't have the machine you really want.
CASE and Komatsu dealers have no issue selling parts to grey market machines, unlike Kubota, which have been eliminated from my consideration just based on that one issue. I plan on doing all my own wrenching. I appreciate the reply and its good advice. As for the contacts beibg proprietary to RB/ the consigner, I understabd that situation but if i'm able to locate the consigner I'm not going to hesitate to make a deal. My next plab of attack/research is to attempt to find the auctions these machines are originating from in Japan. Nothing against richie bros, but the snow is about to fly and I need a hoe.
The key with Ritchie in my opinion is to inspect the machines -----In person onsite---- I have seen lots of those 'nicely' repainted Komatsu's at both Chilliwack & Nisku. They typically seem to have strange issues and often have brand new steel tracks (likely poor quality Chinese). Why new tracks at such low hours? I would be HIGHLY skeptical of the hour meters. I sat in, and started up and 'operated' 8 or 10 excavators in Chilliwack...from 3.5 ton up to 21 tons, out of those; a quick walk-around and test 'run' eliminated most immediately....I figured 1 or 2 may have had potential. We had a grey market Hitachi ZX135, and a ZX120 and never had any problem with parts at Wajax. It may take a fair bit of searching to find a good unit, prices here in BC have really gone up in the last few years...(probably similar to other areas as well) Don't discount some of the dealers as well. We got a Deere 50D at Brandt tractor in Vernon a few years ago for a fair price. It was high hours (7100) but very well maintained and cosmetically near perfect...We have had the best success with purchases in winter, very slow time for sales.... Good luck in your search!
I have a ZX40 Hitachi from auction. It was a Nishio rentals machine that somehow ended up in AK. It's an odd machine that it's got a flimsy "ROPS" and canopy, and no seatbelt. Like not even provisions for one. It's a pain trying to use it on slopes and keep sliding in the seat. Also is steel tracks. Has ~5000hrs, but best I can tell it's never had an undercarriage or pins and everything is in good shape. Couple pins/bushings have a bit of slop but I've run couple hundred hr machines with as much. Parts haven't been too bad, though even Google barely pulls up a zx40u3. Most parts cross to Deere and AER was easy to work with for parts. I'd like to find a ~20k lb machine though. This little guy is just that perfect wrong size that you think it can do excavator things, but it doesn't. Like was cleaning up dead fall and it couldn't push ~8" trees over. Something easily done in the 200 I'm used to running. Like could knock them over by "accident" easy.
Thank you so much, I will keep it in mind. I appreciate you for taking the time to write it in brief.
Years ago when my brother was looking for a mini I went with him to look at a grey market machine at a places that buys/sells through RB, they just painted up grey market crap and sent it through it was all junk I wouldn't even consider. One potential way to find out who is selling it is looking at any documents that come with it, although unlikely with that kind of equipment. I've bought plenty of iron from auctions in the past but now I find better dealers from private sellers usually. I also trust RB as far as I can throw them. They allow bigger dealers to buy back equipment, they will bid up their own stuff and also try to help certain buyers buy things (maybe less likely with timed auction now). They also don't guarantee lien removal on purchases, I had an issue thankfully the bank just forgot to remove it but RB basically said you're SOL. If I ever did buy again from them, i'd be doing a lien search and getting it in writing it will be removed before paying. If you're wanting something a bit bigger i'm in Alberta and have a really clean Hitachi 135, or smaller a Takeuchi TB153FR i'm selling
I don't think RB let's anyone buy back equipment but they do give guarantees if you're selling at least 5 major pieces. I think they might buy machines that sell for too little and put them in other auctions. I've seen the same machine in two consecutive auctions. Maybe the buyer backed out and RB sues for the difference if it sells fof less than the original price? They specify free of liens in their brochures. They will also tell you who the seller is and give their contact info. That said I think RB is a worse company since they got so big. Back when they were just an equipment auction company and Dave Ritchie used to help on the ramp they were much much better. You could sell smaller items for 20% commission. Now there's a minimum $100 (I think) on all items under $2000.
The seller does not necessarily "buy it back" themselves. As a seller, you just have a "friendly" dealer,(or other buyer), handy, who just "conveniently" buys it back for you, should your desired price not be reached. Happens all the time. I remember our company doing it way back in the 80's. All the seller is out, are a few small auction fees, but he gets his machine back and can try selling it again, for more.
RB strictly prohibits buy backs by anyone associated with the seller. How strict they are with a high quantity seller may be open to debate.
While I can't say they do for sure I am 99% certain. I have seen various dealers with listings before and after RB sale and inquired on one that was still available after the auction. On a $20k piece of equipment there is no way it would make sense to pay like 11% commission and 10% buyers fee because it went a little cheap. I've seen the things there for 2-3 auctions in a row plenty, unless it's a buyer not paying (doubtful with how many times i've seen it) it should never happen if they are being honest unless someone is paying the commission and buyers fee which I doubt is happening because it wouldn't make sense. I know they say clean title or money back, but it's all BS. I got in emails where they danced around that saying they didn't control liens. They really have changed since getting bigger, when I bought equipment before they were great and even great to setup financing. When I bought a skidsteer years later and some small items I went to pay for the little stuff and when asked about paying for skidsteer I said I was waiting as I may want to finance. Lady acted like it was such a hassle to split it up and said "I doubt they'll even finance that small of amount" this was on nearly $35k. The attitude was insane.
100%. It's so blatantly obvious at live auction the preferential treatment to certain sellers, you don't think they are giving them the same treatment behind closed doors? Watch a mike vail trucking piece go through, they will sit there for 5 mins kissing their *** before selling it.
Most items under about $20K sell really fast so if you want it you better bid quick. There are some that they will spend more time on though. Maybe those are part of a guarantee they made with the seller. Was much better back in the 90's. The overseas implements and crap they sell I think hurts their reputation. I was at the Mike Vail auction. There were a lot of nice dump trucks.
Elected to bid on RB 953 a few times, Then after watching and reading here it had Same S/N on Several Different auctions dates, being 'Sold' and I missed the sale by a few thou. So would be On Dallas, or in Denver later in month same pricing, would throw same bid and come back missed by Same few Thou. Not ever trusting that service.