Author: Wolfgang

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

Who can inspect used mining and construction equipment on the African continent?

Mevas is based in Germany and having a large network of independent machinery inspectors. Most technicians are based in Europe. However, we know engineers and technicians from the industry in so many countries. It is very likely that we can support with inspections in many areas in Africa. For sure we have inspection partners in South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and in some Arabic countries.

Mining and Plant engineers

Since we are an inspection company, offering this service since 2006 and because Wolfgang is in the industry sine 1982 we have many connections and we know many engineers. We have been inspecting machines in Botswana, Gabun, Tunisia, Nigeria and Ghana. No problem for our technicians to travel to many other countries.

Which inspection level is offered?

Depending on location and who we can send the level of inspection ranges from TA-1 to TA-2 which are Caterpillar descriptions for heavy machinery inspections. get in touch with us for more details and a specific offer.

What kind of equipment can we inspect in Africa?

• bulldozers and tracked loaders
• wheel loaders and backhoe loaders
• earthmoving and mining excavators
• quarry and mining trucks
• road construction machinery
• crushing and screen plant

The inspection fee for machinery in Africa depends very much on location. If you send us a machine list with location, machine types and info about local circumstances in regard of safety we can raise an offer within a few hours.

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.