Author: Christina

Is it a good idea to buy heavy equipment on auctions?

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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.

Wheel loaders on auction site

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.

Checklist for machinery inspection on auction
Checklist for heavy machinery on auction-site.

Mining Plant inspection

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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.

Used wheel loader inspection

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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.

Third Party Heavy Machinery Inspection

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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.

Volvo A30G
Hitachi ZX350
Komatsu D65EX

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.

UK Heavy machinery inspections

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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.

JCB 540-170 Telescopic loader
CAT 323D excavator
CAT 777G Dump truck

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

Compra de maquinaria usada en Internet

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As-tu déjà acheté des machines lourdes d’occasion via un revendeur sur Internet?

Con la creciente disponibilidad de maquinaria pesada usada en Internet, puede resultar tentador aprovechar las buenas ofertas en maquinaria usada. Sin embargo, comprar maquinaria usada en Internet puede ser peligroso y conducir a costosos errores.

Muchos anuncios en línea pueden ser engañosos, ya que los vendedores ocultan información esencial sobre el historial, el mantenimiento y el estado de los equipos. Esto puede conducir a la compra de equipos en mal estado, implicados en un accidente o que no cumplen las normas de seguridad.

Soldaduras en el bastidor
Hydraulic cylinder
Cilindro hidráulico
Pluma con soldadura
Pluma soldada

Aquí es donde entra en juego un proveedor de servicios como Mevas. Los inspectores experimentados realizan inspecciones exhaustivas de la maquinaria pesada usada y le proporcionan un informe completo en el que se detalla el estado de la maquinaria, su historial de mantenimiento y cualquier problema potencial.

Si recurre a un servicio de inspección profesional, puede estar seguro de que el equipo que adquiere es seguro, fiable y adecuado para su fin. Los inspectores de Mevas tienen la experiencia necesaria para identificar problemas ocultos y evaluar el estado general de los equipos.

Creemos que la tranquilidad es esencial a la hora de realizar una inversión importante, y los servicios de inspección de Mevas pueden darle la confianza que necesita para realizar una compra informada.

Acheter des machines d’occasion à bas prix et en toute sécurité

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As-tu déjà acheté des machines lourdes d’occasion via un revendeur sur Internet?

Avec la disponibilité croissante d’équipements lourds d’occasion sur internet, il peut être tentant de profiter de bonnes affaires sur des machines d’occasion. Cependant, l’achat de machines d’occasion sur internet peut être dangereux et entraîner des erreurs coûteuses.

De nombreuses annonces en ligne peuvent être trompeuses, avec des vendeurs dissimulant des informations critiques sur l’historique, la maintenance et l’état de l’équipement. Cela peut entraîner l’achat d’un équipement en mauvais état, impliqué dans un accident ou ne répondant pas aux normes de sécurité.

C’est là que le prestataire de services comme Mevas entre en jeu. Des inspecteurs expérimentés effectuent des inspections approfondies sur les équipements lourds d’occasion, vous fournissant un rapport complet qui détaille l’état de l’équipement, son historique de maintenance et tout problème potentiel.

Hydraulic cylinder
Hydraulic cylinder
Welds on the frame
Fleche soudé
Welded boom

En utilisant un service d’inspection professionnel, vous pouvez être confiant que l’équipement que vous achetez est sûr, fiable et adapté à son usage. Les inspecteurs de Mevas ont l’expertise pour identifier les problèmes cachés et évaluer l’état général de l’équipement.

Nous croyons que la tranquillité d’esprit est essentielle lors de la réalisation d’un grand investissement, et les services d’inspection de Mevas peuvent vous donner la confiance dont vous avez besoin pour faire un achat informé.

Where do you find out about used machinery, mining machinery?

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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.

Inspected tracked excavator by Mevas

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

How to change the hour meter on a Caterpillar excavator?

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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.

Ist 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.

What to check before starting an excavator or wheel loader?

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Free pre-operational checklist for machinery operators

Do you know what to check at the machine before you start working? We have a free checklist for heavy equipment operators. You can use it to make sure, that you do not forget to check important items. You can download it here.

Mevas free daily checklist for machinery operators

What should the operator of an excavator or wheel loader check before he starts machine at begin of his shift?

Before starting an excavator or wheel loader at the beginning of a shift, the operator should perform a pre-operational inspection to ensure the machine’s safety and readiness for work. The following is a general guideline of the items to be checked:

  1. Fuel and oil levels – Check that there is enough fuel and oil to run the machine for the shift and top up if necessary.
  2. Engine performance – Start the engine and check that it runs smoothly, with no unusual sounds or vibrations.
  3. Hydraulic system – Check for any leaks in the hydraulic system and verify that all hydraulic components are functioning properly.
  4. Tires – Check the tire pressure and inspect for any damage or excessive wear.
  5. Lights and alarms – Check the machine’s lights, alarms, and warning signals to ensure that they are functioning properly.
  6. Control systems – Ensure that all control systems are working correctly and that the operator has full control of the machine.
  7. Attachments – Inspect all attachments, such as buckets or hammers, to ensure that they are properly secured and free of any cracks or damage.
  8. Safety features – Check the seatbelt, rollover protection system, and other safety features to ensure that they are working correctly.

By performing a pre-operational inspection, the operator can identify any potential issues with the machine before starting work, which helps to prevent accidents, equipment damage, and costly downtime.