Author: Christina

The first auctions of the year are just around the corner. So the question arises: Is it a good idea to buy machines there? And what needs to be considered? Buying used heavy equipment at an auction can be a good idea, but it comes with both advantages and risks.

The advantages are:

1. Cost savings: Auctions often offer the opportunity to purchase equipment at a lower price than buying new.
2. Choices: Auctions offer a wide range of equipment options, allowing you to choose between different makes, models and conditions. This can be an advantage when it comes to finding equipment that meets your specific needs.
3. Potential for bargains: Occasionally you can find bargains or undervalued equipment at auctions, especially if there is less competition from other bidders.

But there are also risks that need to be considered:

1. Do research first: Find out the market value of the equipment you are interested in so you can get a fair offer.
2. Understand the auction terms and conditions: Familiarise yourself with the auction terms and conditions, including any buyer’s premiums or fees.
3. Do a pre-inspection of the equipment: If possible, inspect the equipment before the auction. If you are to far away ask an expert. Mevas-Technicians can help you. Drop a message here.

Reminder: Set a budget and stick to it. This will prevent you from getting bogged down and investing more than planned.

Heavy Equipment Auctions

Euroauctions Leeds, GBR starts on Wednesday January 24, 2024 and RB auction Maltby, GBR starts on Wednesday Feburary 14, 2024. Mevas inspectors are available for on-site inspections for both auctions. If you need an independent machinery expert for unbiased inspection get in touch. We are www.mevas.co.uk and we are present in the United Kingdom with local inspectors.

We have created an overview of all other dates for heavy machinery inspections in Europe. This is constantly updated and can be accessed here. Our technicians are also available for auctions in Germany, Dormagen, The Netherlands, Moerdijk and many other locations. 

Shorter inspections for auctions

On auction sites, it is often not possible or practical to carry out the full scope of a TA1-plus inspection. On the one hand, the possibility to operate machines is often limited. On the other hand, it does not always make sense to pay for a full inspection for a large number of machines, as the chance of becoming the highest bidder is limited. Therefore, we offer shorter inspections at a lower price. The final fee depends on where the auction takes place and how many machines someone wants to have inspected.

Sample reports for auction-site inspection

Below sample shows how a shortened inspection report looks like. Here you can download a PDF-sample.

Does it make sense to inspect used machines before you buy them?

Yes, it does. These machines are working in rough conditions and if you are purchasing this kind of used machinery there is always some risk. We have seen in the past many costly problems on these machines. Small repairs such as a leaking cylinder or a broken window can sum up to several hundred Euros. But if the engine has low performance or the undercarriage is worn the repairs can easily extend to some thousand Euro. Therefore we recommend an unbiased inspection before you send money to the supplier.

Who can evaluate the current value and condition of big iron without a conflict of interest?

Mevas can. For our technicians inspecting large machines is part of their daily work. They look at the machines with the eyes of a future user. Our inspections focus on the technical details rather than the appearance of the equipment. So if you want to avoid an unpleasant and costly surprise, talk to us about the price of a pre-used machine inspection.

We carry out inspections for equipment of various types according to customer requirements, for individual machines or entire fleets. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a truck, an excavator, a crusher, a bulldozer, a screening plant or a drilling rig.

Global inspection service

We inspect and evaluate heavy machinery wherever it is located: This year we have done inspections for machines & trucks in Qatar for PlantAndEquipment.com Detailed condition reports, pictures and videos were prepared for more than one hundred units.

This was already our second large project in Qatar. Our team has been for big projects with over one hundred and fifty inspections in Gabon, French Guyana and in the UK. We have also inspected heavy construction equipment in Kazakhstan, Siberia and in Australia.

If you need an independent assessment of the condition of a used machine fleet or individual machines, then you have come to the right place.

Before you buy a used wheel loader, you should check and test the machine. Here we show you what you should look out for.

16+ Years of Experience

Since we have been doing nothing but assessing the condition of used machines for our customers for over 16 years, we know wheel loaders very well. With Volvo and Caterpillar machines, for example, we can read out the ECM and thus obtain data on the machine history and we know the weak points of some series.

We are MEVAS – The Heavy Equipment inspectors. Our intention is to set the standards for independent used equipment inspections in Europe.

16+ Years of Experience

Mevas (the acronym stands for Machinery Evaluation Services) was founded in 2006 to provide an independent inspection service for used heavy machinery. Our office is located in Germany. However, through our network of contract inspectors and technicians, we can offer our inspection service in almost all European countries, the Middle East, parts of Africa, Shanghai/China and Australia. This means that we are often not too far away from the plants to be inspected. This allows us to react flexibly to customer requests.

Independent and reliable

The basis of our policy is absolute independence from sellers, providers and dealers of used machinery. MEVAS and all commissioned equipment inspectors are not involved in the machinery trade. We do not accept commissions and do not prepare appraisals for the benefit of third parties. Rather, we pride ourselves on providing a completely unbiased assessment of all machinery we inspect.

We keep our client relationships and inspection results confidential. A completed inspection report is for the exclusive use of the client. We do not speak anywhere about machines we have inspected or about other machines we have seen.

Clients around the globe

Many customers from around the world trust in our services. In an average year we inspect approximately 800 used machines, trucks and cranes. We inspect small machines such as mini excavators as well as large machines in the mining industry and are also able to carry out large assessment projects. Contact us if you have any questions.

You want to purchase used heavy equipment but you don’t know the seller? The machine is in the United Kingdom or Ireland and too far for you to inspect yourself? Send a specialized engineer to inspect it on your behalf for a fair price. It pays off. Our engineers inspect excavators, tractors, dozers, trucks, concrete pumps, wheel loaders, cranes and other heavy equipment.

Local technicians

MEVAS is based in Germany but we have a local engineers in the United Kingdom and Ireland for machinery and crane inspections. We are specialized in Caterpillar, Komatsu, Hitachi, JCB, Volvo and some other brands.

Pre Purchase machinery inspection

Is a pre-purchase inspection for used heavy machinery profitable? In most cases it is. MEVAS engineers often find problems the seller did not mention. The inspection report allows you to negotiate repairs or a better price. In some cases, we simply protect the buyer from paying a lot of money for a bad machine.

Our engineers in the UK and in Ireland have years of experience with heavy machinery. They have been approved by our management to meet MEVAS inspection standards.

Contact us

Feel free to ask for a quotation. Please send us a description of items, tell us the day you need the inspections and how flexible the inspection date is. More info is available also on our website www.mevas.co.uk

Do you have half a minute to answer a question?

We are interested in where decision makers and technicians from the construction and mining sectors look for information. Main reason is to decide where to spend our limited marketing budget.

What is your first choice if you search for knowledge about specific technical (machinery & equipment) topics for mining & construction? Please click on this Linkedin link and indicate which answer applies. Thank you for your participation – it is very much appreciated.

Meanwhile the poll on Linkedin has been closed. Thank you for participating. The result was:

Changing the hour meter reading at Caterpillar

How is it possible to edit the hour meter on my CAT machine? Is there a possibility to change hour reading on the ECM or ECU of the machine? Can I do this with the CAT Electronic Technician? Will it be possible to see the attempt to change the hours? 

Do I need a factory passkey?

Some interesting questions, do you agree? I wonder why someone is asking Google for it. Does he want to betray a potential buyer? Some forums are full of those questions. Obviously many people have an interest to reduce the hour meter reading.

If you go to Google and start a search Google-Instant will show you the most relevant entries. It means Google proposes what many others are looking for. The screenshots I made are shoing there is a high interest in this issue. Most relevant search is Caterpillar Hour Meter Reset 🙁

How can you avoid to become a victim of hour meter fraud?

The answer is easy. Send a professional inspector to check the machine on your behalf before you purchase it. I will keep this post updated how many clicks it got from the Google search. It will show how many people are looking for this topic.

Is it possible and legal to change the hour meter reading?

Yes, it is technically possible to change the service hour meter reading on a used heavy machine. However, it is illegal in many jurisdictions as it involves tampering with the machine’s records, which could be considered as fraud or misrepresentation.

In some countries, tampering with hour meter readings is a serious violation of the law and can result in heavy fines or even imprisonment.

It is always recommended to buy used heavy equipment from a reputable source and have a thorough inspection performed by a professional inspector to ensure accurate hour meter readings and the overall condition of the machine.

Did you ever measure undercarriage components to know their remaining life?

The most expensive and most important assembly when evaluating a bulldozer is certainly the undercarriage. Therefore, when inspecting bulldozers, we pay special attention to the condition of the undercarriage. We have reference values for Caterpillar machines and measure all components. This allows us to accurately determine the remaining service life. We have created an instruction in which we explain our procedure step by step. Click here to watch it. After watching you know what to look for when measuring the track shoes, sprockets, track links, bushings and idlers. If you are not sure about measuring or have any questions – just contact us.

Is this service included in an Mevas inspection?

Yes, on request and for larger machines this service is included for tracked machines from Caterpillar. We do measure all components. Remaining life values will be calculated with the CAT CTS Undercarriage Handbook. When inspecting machines of other brands, we assess the remaining service life based on our experience. Click here for our video explaining the measurement of the undercarriage step by step.

Since the undercarriage is one of the most expensive components on these machines and can be very expensive to replace, we recommend special attention to inspection here. If you are looking to buy a second hand machine in Europe – get the remaining life of the U/C confirmed by MEVAS.

Which tools can be used to measure U/C components?

To measure undercarriage components of a track type tractor or an excavator, the following tools can be used:

1. Track Gauge or meter – It is used to measure the track gauge, or the distance between the tracks, to ensure that it is within the manufacturer’s specifications.
2. Track Roller Caliper – It is used to measure the diameter of the track rollers and the wear on the bottom of the track roller.
3. Idler Pin Gauge – It is used to measure the idler’s diameter and the wear on the idler’s bearing surfaces.
4. Ultrasonic Gauge – It is used to measure the thickness of the track links and the wear on the bushings.
5. Chain Wear Gauge – It is used to measure the wear on the track chain and to determine if the chain needs to be replaced.
6. Shoe Height Gauge – It is used to measure the wear on the track shoe and to determine if the shoe needs to be replaced.

By using these tools, it is possible to accurately measure the wear on the undercarriage components and determine when they need to be replaced or repaired, which helps to extend the life of the track type tractor and reduce maintenance costs.

What about wear in other undercarriage components?

Other important points when inspecting a used dozer are the play in the joints and bearings, especially in the so-called equalizer bar. This cross member connects the right and left undercarriage frames on many bulldozers. Together with the pivots in the rear area of ​​the drive frame, this cross member enables the drives to move horizontally. If you want to know more – get here to a short film. Make sure  that you look for these points, otherwise very expensive repairs may become necessary.

Where can I find a professional inspector?

We would like to introduce ourselves briefly: Mevas has been testing the condition of heavy used machinery for over 16 years. The idea came about because the owner of the company, in his previous job, had to realise when buying used machines that the machines sold were often in worse condition than stated by the seller.

So the idea was born to check the machines carefully before purchasing them. We do this for a growing clientele from all over the world. In the same way, we offer this service to sellers to make it easier to sell the machines with an inspection by an independent third party.

What does an Mevas inspection report contain?

We have structured inspection report for each type of used construction machinery or construction vehicles. First, the inspector notes the equipment of the construction machine or crane. He pays attention, for example, to whether the machine has air conditioning, additional hydraulic lines, if the excavator has a dozer blade, a CE certificate or whether it has a quick coupling. Now the actual inspection begins. The technician checks the condition of the cab, seat, switches, display instruments, air conditioning, windows, mirrors and windscreen wipers. 

Now it is time to inspect the engine. After checking the operating fluids such as coolant and oil condition, the engine is started. The inspector checks if the engine smokes unusually, makes noises or shows other signs of increased wear. 
After checking the engine, an inspection of the machine’s external components is done. This involves checking the frame, boom or lift arm and, of course, all doors, hatches, storage compartments, lighting and paintwork. After this inspection, we focus on the hydraulic system. We inspect the hoses, look for leaks in the cylinders, listen for noises from the hydraulic pump and check for leaks in the pump or valve block. Now the functional test starts. During this, the inspector checks whether there is play in the joints, whether the drive functions properly, whether there are any unusual noises, whether all functions work normally? Depending on the type of machine, of course, different things are checked. The attachments, such as buckets or shovels, are also checked and their data recorded. Then the tyres or undercarriages are checked for wear and analysed. In the last section of our inspection report, any problems that do not fit into the previous sections are noted. Finally, the inspector leaves a comment on the general condition of the machine. At the end, the transport dimensions are usually given.

Which used heavy machines can be inspected?

Mevas inspectors can perform inspections for:

1. Excavators (track excavators, mobile excavators, min diggers, quarry shovels)
2. Bulldozers and Tracked Loaders
3. Loaders (Wheel Loaders, Skid Steer Loaders, Backhoe Loaders)
4. Graders and Wheel dozers
5. Dump Trucks
6. Compactors for Soil and Waste
7. Rollers (Vibratory Rollers, Pneumatic Rollers, Tandem Rollers)
8. Scrapers and Bucket Dozers
9. Off-Highway Trucks and on the Road Trucks
10. Drilling Rigs, Pile Drivers, Surface Drills, Civil Engineering Machinery
11. Concrete Mixers, concrete pumps and readymix trucks
12. Pavers for Asphalt and Concrete
13. Telehandlers, Telescopic Forklifts
14. Trenchers, Milling Machines, Reclaimer and Recycler
15. Reach Stackers and Container Handlers
16. Agricultural Tractors, Combines, Harvester

This list is not exhaustive, but covers the most commonly used earthmoving and construction machines. The specific machines used for a construction project depends on the type and scope of the work, as well as the local conditions and regulations.