The first word that comes to the mind of any structural engineer when he thinks about heavy equipment and machinery is Caterpillar. Caterpillar Inc. is the world’s largest producer of such heavy equipment and the nearest competitor doesn’t even have half the market share if compared to Caterpillar’s. Mining equipment, trucks, cranes, demolition equipment and every kind of machinery, the list of products from this machinery mogul goes up to almost four hundred. The eighty-five year old company has its annual revenue in the range of thirty-three million US Dollars while its assets are worth more than seven billion US Dollars. Acquisitions from time to time have been a very important part of the expansion process of the firm. The American giant has made construction a very efficient process over time. Along with the huge market for its machinery the world over, there is also a huge global demand for used Caterpillar equipment.
Many new companies come into existence and suffer losses and eventually shut down. The infrastructure boom which the world has witnessed in the past decade has sent property prices skyrocketing the world over. Many people tried to capitalize on this trend and entered this field without doing any proper analysis beforehand. They invested large sums of money without even caring to have a cushion to fall back on. Even Darwin knew that only the fittest would survive and that’s exactly what happened. What followed was a serious global meltdown and the effects of this recession were compared to the Great Depression of 1929. Many infrastructure companies made huge losses and had to shut down eventually. These firms had to list their products for sale. The used equipment market has seen a very large addition ever since and many used products have been up for grabs and provided many people with the best deals.
The heavy machinery manufactured by Caterpillar is very strong and is known to stay in a good working condition, as long as it is not neglected by the owners. Unless you are a multinational company with global assets and soaring revenues you do not need to actually buy new Caterpillar products. Also, unless you are a very small firm with a limited period of operation, renting used Caterpillar equipment may also not be your idea of functioning. A rented product comes with a lot of conditions. The security deposit alone may be worth around half the used equipment’s value. It is the best option for businessmen of all types to go in for used Caterpillar equipment.
There are many storehouses of used Caterpillar equipment and machinery which offer them at different prices depending on a variety of factors. The most common of these may be those depending on the product’s age, period of use, condition and model. The best deals are available for the patient businessman in this market. Most cities have authorized resellers of used Caterpillar equipment while great deals can be reached online as well. Many websites are available which are into the selling business. Some very common products include Dozers, Loaders, Material Handlers, Compactors and almost every other commonly used set of equipment manufactured by Caterpillar.
Buying previously used Caterpillar equipment could be extremely beneficial for the newer entrants in to the world of business. First of all, he should consider the initial investment which will be required. Since the firm has no idea what their situation will be after a certain period of time, the initial investment should be minimized. Secondly, as the scale of use and the duration of use are unknown, there is no need to invest in anything new, for as long as possible. Used products can be obtained at half the price and some of them are in conditions not very different from the newer products. In addition to all these factors, used Caterpillar equipment comes in with a host of other advantages which come straight from the manufacturer. If you have purchased the product from a certified dealer, despite owning a second hand product, you still get most of the benefits of the after sale services they provide. Many forms of the annual maintenance contracts are also available and the registration of the product in the name of the new owner is also a very quick and easy task.
A unique feature of the used Caterpillar equipment is that it is available straight from the manufacturer as well. A significant part of the revenue of this firm is from reselling its products. They buy back the products from interested sellers and then, after examining and debugging the product for errors, resell it. One of the many advantages of going in for such a product is that the product is inspected by the manufacturer himself. The product also comes with some maintenance and service options and this is very advantageous due to the vast network of caterpillar service centers worldwide. An important point to note here is that these products come in at a premium. Other sources of used Caterpillar products are cheaper.
Despite the array of advantages in favor of the used equipment there are some things which every buyer should consider before buying. It is more than obvious that no seller will inform you about any dysfunctionality in the product. Rather, he will try to sell such a product before anything else. Also, in most of the cases, the best possible deal will be the most likely to have a flipside which you may be unfortunate enough to discover only after you make the purchase. Keep in mind the age, duration of use, degree of use and most importantly, the condition of the equipment. In most cases, the experienced eye will be able to point out the condition of the equipment just by looking at it. Consider taking the help of such a person before you actually go in for such a deal.
Caterpillar products are the best in the market and going in for this path breaking technology becomes very affordable if you go in for used equipment.