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Ritchie Bros insanity

Welder Dave · 2026-09-23 19:26

I was bidding on a few things in the Sep. 22-25 auction in Nisku. There's almost 10,000 lots! Would take a few days to look at just the stuff for timed lots online. I wish they'd have 2 day auctions with a 1/4 of the lots.

Replies19
  1. #1Elopster2026-09-24 02:13

    Yeah, then everytime you win something you gotta make sure to go early in the morning one of the days since it takes hours usually to get your items at that Nisku yard.

  2. #2Welder Dave2026-09-24 12:25

    They're really fussy in the yard too. I drove around the back to get it line and didn't realize I had to stop right at the building. I stopped about 40' past it and it must have been a struggle for the guy to walk that far. They are pretty careful loading stuff though.

  3. #3BC Placer gold2026-09-29 14:07

    I found out they have an online pickup time. You go to website and setup pickup time. This really helped me last December when I picked up our Cornell water pump/light tower . Allows you to advance thru entry and pick up item at a set time. These items were acquired for pennys on the dollar. The Cornell pump has been invaluable for our operation. (7850$) versus $4000$/month rental. This is a real help for a ma/pa operation! Worked pretty well; still took about 1 hour to get item. It’s a huge auction for sure! We have done well there. It does demand in person inspections. Pretty fun to check out all the machines for sale! My largest failure was a F150 (hdpp) …should have inspected in person. The 3.5ecoboost was rattling bad (cam phasers). Would have found this out in 10seconds of a personal inspection! Would have focused on a 2.7l ecoboost instead! A lot of items at Nisku are in really good condition!

  4. #4BC Placer gold2026-09-29 14:12

    It’s huge for sure! Like Disneyland for equipment! I showed up in December of 2024 (on foot from motel). Flew in on cheap flight…. They shuttled me to items in pickup. I thanked them as was -20c with wind! Very helpful staff!

  5. #5Welder Dave2026-09-30 00:08

    When they used to drive around to all the lots in the yard they had busses for people to go in to warm up. Now they aren't even open on the Sunday right after a sale to pick up items. They went downhill a lot the bigger they got. Minimum $100 buyers premium on all small lots. I almost had a crabbing bucket for $5. Glad someone else wanted it. Even at $5 I would have had to pay a$100 buyers premium. That's just greed but they get away with it because they are so big. I have a 2.7 Eco boost and it's great. Must have been a large oilfield hauling outfit retiring or just closing down. Lots of mint condition trucks and quite a few huge 8x8 bed trucks, some with extra wide flotation tires. It's pretty incredible how much equipment they get in their auctions. A couple hundred million minimum at their 4 or 5 day auctions. I think they set a record a few years ago and it was close to $300,000,000.00, like $287,000,000.00. You walk around and just see dollar signs.

  6. #6BC Placer gold2026-09-30 21:06

    Looks like a great purchase; Better too heavy than too light! North American build…nice. Remember looking at some SEC excavator buckets (China) some years ago. Looked nice..but soft as cheese. The 2.7 ecoboost sounds like a real solid engine. I could have avoided my 3.5l ecoboost mistake if only I had followed my rule (inspect in person! lol!). Didn’t make that mistake again. (Couldn’t hear cam phaser rattle in engine video). The truck sounded like a diesel! The pickup itself was really nice. The aluminum body is brilliant! We have done very well at Nisku over the years. Very impressive amount of really nice condition machinery. Worth the long drive from the North Okanagan!

  7. #7Welder Dave2026-10-01 01:03

    I've had pretty good luck at RB's too just liked it a lot better when Dave Ritchie used help get bids on the ramp. The buyers and sellers premiums on smaller items are insane.

  8. #8BC Placer gold2026-10-01 16:46

    Definitely getting pricey on smaller items. We got a couple of portable 4” Tsurumi water pumps for around $250-300. The fees sure added up…. That said, well worth it! Running one at the moment (it supplies water from river to Cornell pressure pump).

  9. #9Welder Dave2026-10-02 12:09

    I agree you can still get good deals but they're greedy at the same time.

  10. #10dayexco2026-10-02 19:18

    dumb question. i know at a barret jackson auction...in order to bid, you have to give them an irrevocable letter of credit from you bank for "x" amount of dollars. ritchie require that too? i'd be afraid of guys bidding, and not secured financing before auction?

  11. #11Tyler d4c2026-10-02 19:56

    When you sign up as a new bidder on ritchie bros you get a 75000 dollar limit you can up this if you bid and dont pay youll never bid again. They will resell it then On iron planet you get 150000 same if you domt pay youll never bid again

  12. #12CM19952026-10-02 20:26

    I don't think a minimum $100 buyers premium is outrageous for anything heavy equipment related.

  13. #13Tyler d4c2026-10-02 20:38

    I never realized it wqs 100 minumin till i bought a 80 dollar jack that cost me 300

  14. #14CM19952026-10-02 21:38

    $80 + $100 = $180. Taxes for the difference?

  15. #15Welder Dave2026-10-02 23:26

    RB also charges a minimum $100 sellers premium. I thought I had a cribbing bucket for $5. It would have cost $105 plus GST. Selling small stuff can actually cost you to sell it. They would have made $200 on that bucket and the seller is out $95. That is insane! I would bet large consignor don't pay the min. $100 sellers premium.

  16. #16Tyler d4c2026-10-03 08:19

    I dont rember the exact figures was more then 80 bucks made a good deal a i wouldnt have bought it deal

  17. #17Mr. Wrench2026-10-03 08:20

    I think some of the fees are to discourage people from consigning low value, low profit items.

  18. #18CM19952026-10-03 10:45

    Without a doubt. We all have our minimum charges/job fees, etc.

  19. #19Mr. Wrench2026-10-03 21:06

    Three things a sale yard does not like to see come in: A pallet of old tires. A boat. An RV. In that order.