How to Evaluate the Quality of a Used Skid Steer
By Billings Farnsworth

Skid Steers are a great piece of equipment to buy used. Just like a used vehicle, you can save a lot of money by purchasing a gently used skid steer that fits your needs. However, one must be careful to evaluate the wear and tear of a skid steer prior to writing that big check. A couple of things that will help you determine if the skid steer is worthy of your purchase are taking it for a ride while using the equipment and doing a thorough inspection of the body.

Take a thorough test drive. Be prepared to drive between 30 and 60 minutes. During that time, you'll want to use the loader, scoop loose fill, dig a hole, level a filled hole, and any other typical things you will be doing with it. If you are planning on buying additional attachments, be sure to test those out as well. Finally, in your test drive, be sure to experiment with few different gears and at varying speeds.

Inspect the external body. Some things to look for would be any rust covered up by paint, signs of leaking hydraulic fluid or oil. If the machine has any dents, this shouldn't be a big concern. But, be prepared to address those dented areas and find out about any repairs that have been done to the machine.

If the skid steer hits all the right marks, buying used can be a great deal. A final suggestion would be to get in contact with a dealer (unless you are already buying the skid steer from a dealership, then just check to make sure you can trust them!) in order to schedule any preventative maintenance and discuss and repairs you may need to make now or in the future.

Texas Skid Steer (http://www.texasskidsteer.com/) has a large selection of used Skid Steer Loaders for sale at all times.

Billings Farnsworth is a freelance writer.

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