As a side, I went to a couple RB bro auctions and I saw something, they had new equipment, usually skid steer attachments etc, Also things like pressure washers and the like. I'd guess all from China but here is the scoop, there's a lot of 20 of them say, and the bidding starts, now if the bidding slows down before some magical price is reached, some guy who hasn't been bidding will bid, lets say its a brush mower, this guy will keep upping the price until it hits a magical number. They call it sold and then offer up other units for the same price but won't revisit the auction. If the lot shill isn't needed, say the price gets up to 1k, the auctioneer asks how many units he'd like, and offers that price to the crowd, then the lot opens up again for more bidding where the shill nudges the price upwards and if he wins, they don't offer the price to the crowd. Rules say shill bidding isn't allowed but must have forgotten the * under house rules where the house makes the rules.
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Auction equipment.................discuss.
- Thread starter Vetech63
- Start date
Wes Jackson
Well-Known Member
I see a lot of rigged bidding going on at auctions around here, a lot of times the auction company owns the equipment and it moves from auction to auction, then there are the on line and on the phone bidders. I like to go to auctions but very seldom buy from them, I look around and buy from individuals or construction companies that I know, been lucky so far.
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Movindirt2020
Member
I’m glad I came across this forum and this topic! I was going to be one of those suckers buying a “gently” used skid steer from a RB auction and would expect it to go right to work. I’m a newbie as far as running my own show. I’ve worked for various excavating companies but I want to get out on my own starting with a skid steer. I’ll stay away from auctions at this time.
Of all machines, a skidsteer is the last thing I'd buy at ritchie bros, especially if you don't see the machine in person ahead of time. Ritchie is a place you unload junk that you'd otherwise feel guilty about selling privately.
Now some auctions can be ok for a skidsteer. Look for machines from rental fleets where they have to renew their equipment, and sell off the old. Check out the seller 'bidadoo_business and bidadoo_business on eBay. They are always auctioning off rental fleet equipment.
Welder Dave
Senior Member
Ritchie Bros. sell rental fleets too. No matter where you buy it's important to thoroughly inspect any machine you're considering buying. A lot of sellers go with RB because they have the best marketing by far. Kind of like Cat compared to everyone else for product support. Saying they sell junk is not a fair statement. I've seen brand new equipment with full warranty sold at the RB here.
Movindirt2020
Member
Thanks for the replies guys.
what’s the other company on eBay? You accidentally listed one of them twice
Thanks!
Movindirt2020
Member
Thanks for your reply. I’ll keep an open mind then. I will definitely take a more experienced operator with me regardless of where I buy.
Well at least here at Chicago auction, I'm shocked at how beat and worn some of the skidsteers they sell. Never buy at ritchie site unseen.
My bad. It's bidadoo_auctions. Same seller but they have two accounts on ebay.Thanks for the replies guys.
what’s the other company on eBay? You accidentally listed one of them twice
Thanks!
https://www.bidadoo.com/
You can also try Ironplanet.com they do inspections on equipment and sell a lot of rental equipment. Even though they got bought by ritchie, they are ok with their inspection reports.
Welder Dave
Senior Member
RB's Nisku site is one of their 2 biggest sites in N. America so they sell everything from worn out machines for parts to new machines and everything in between. I don't like that they buy quantities of new stuff to sell and offer no warranties what-so-ever on it. I think it cheapens their reputation but they likely don't care. They are not suffering in the least. Dave Ritchie wasn't bothered at all when he sold the yacht he put more than 100 million into for 46 million a couple years later. Gotta be bucks up to spend close to 60 million for a 2 year vacation on yacht. Back in the 80's saw Dave Ritchie quite a few times at the auction.
DMiller
Senior Member
Can be real deals at a auction, some times. Most times have either shills to jack up or undereducated want it worse than sensibility that up bid just to get a piece they really do not understand value of. The shill bids are not easy to spot until the same s/n machine repeats at next sales or moves to a different yard and if watch the sales will catch onto those pretty quick as the pictures do not get renewed either. Talk about Mr. Obvious, wow.
Yea Ritchie's sells everything from new to old junk, by far the best selection of equipment anywhere. It would be a very wrong opinion to assume it's just junk at any auction. The other advantage is the vast amount of pictures they provide of equipment, again better then everyone else. They use to be better many years ago, but prices have gotten so high it's better to buy equipment and trucks privately in most cases. There is few year old pieces getting more then new in so many cases, it never stops amazing me how many stupid buyers there are. I've also noticed the odd bidding differences. I know Ritchie's buys some equipment or offers guarantees so I know they either bid up some stuff or buy it if they don't get what they want. Also noticed how one piece they will spend a ton of time on, the next could be almost identical and it doesn't get near the time.
I absolutely hate Ritchie's though and avoid them as much as I can. Use to be great to deal with, but now they've got a bad attitude and it's like their doing you a favor letting you buy stuff there. Financing use to be great but got terrible also.
I absolutely hate Ritchie's though and avoid them as much as I can. Use to be great to deal with, but now they've got a bad attitude and it's like their doing you a favor letting you buy stuff there. Financing use to be great but got terrible also.
I wouldn't buy a toaster at an auction much less a piece of heavy equipment. I just had a customer here get jacked locally on a JD 332 skid loader. The engine barely ran when they bought and loaded it. They got it back to their place and cranked on the engine trying to start it until the fried the starter motor. When I arrived on the scene, there was little fuel pressure and the governor control screw in the front cover had been screwed with (had no locknut and had been run out as far as it would go : JD 5030 engine no less). After some discussion the customer decided to ok me opening up the top of the engine. I removed the valve cover and spun her over......4 & 5 pushing compression back into the intake manifold. So I pulled the head. It was pretty obvious it was a flood machine, rusted intake ports, rusted cylinder walls, etc. It was going to cost too much to pull this engine for an overhaul and do the fuel component updates...............so the customer had me put the engine back together like it was. They just picked it up last week so they could push it over the auction block again just to get rid of it. They told me they paid $24K for it. I doubt it brings $10K now.
That is unfortunate but the thing so many people forget is buyer beware with auctions, you gotta inspect and run anything before you buy. I've bought stuff I haven't looked over as much as I should and made out great and other times got bent over.
I bought a trailer at Ritchies few years ago for $30k, inspection only a few months old. When I got it inspected a few months later and virtually no use, $7k bill for it, the previous inspection was a complete lie about everything, brakes, bearings, kingpin everything shot. Ended up selling it after a little over a year, brought $20k at Ritchies. Lost about $20k on it. I learned a harsh lesson, inspections on anything mean absolutely NOTHING. You gotta look over things very well, or have someone you trust do it.
Yea you'll miss little things still, but considering it's an auction the only way I buy is if i'm getting a better deal then buying elsewhere. I've bought tons of equipment and trucks at auctions and only really got burnt that once.
DMiller
Senior Member
Walked auction lots looking at specific machines for people, have walked away from more than gained any interest in them.
My mini ex which was a great buy was from a big company who gets rid of machines at a certain age and had 2 exact same machines, and has been fantastic. CTL was a rental same deal multiples of same age/hours, it's had a few issues but nothing too bad and happy enough with what I paid. If you don't know what to look for there is lots of worn out junk that still gets a decent dollar.
Prices are so odd though. My 25 ton tag I paid $20k for, great deal knew it needed work dropped about $7k into it. Last auction, exact same trailer just in better shape, $46k! And I bought mine 3 years ago and with the work I put into it it's easily as good if not a better trailer then the one for $46k. I don't know exact price but I am positive they are only low 40's new.
.RC.
Senior Member
I watched an auction the other day that was onsite and online at the same time. How about US$50 000 for a D6C direct drive 71A which is equivalent to a 74A. I did not think there was anything special about it. It looked in good condition for it's vintage, which would be early 1960's.
I'm reading these horror storys sitting here thinking I'd love to get my paws on these junks to fix them up use a bit then do it all over again bit thats my hobby I guess. Out of the 15 to 20 machines I've owned so far only about 3 drove in to the shop under there own power. I guess my point is you got to buy at these sales with the intentions of rebuilding it from one end to the other.
Welder Dave
Senior Member
I don't know what it's like now with the Covid but Ritchie Bros. does give you ample time before the sale to inspect and run machines. They'll usually tell you who the seller is too. Better machines will have the service records. You used to have to have at least 5 machines in the sale to get a guaranteed minimum. If someone's looking at an older machine there isn't much difference where you buy it. You pays your money, you takes your chances. Buying private doesn't automatically make the seller more honest or the machine in better condition.
Spud_Monkey
Senior Member
With Covid-19 it's limited inspections and online auctioning only right now at Ritchie Bros.. I'm looking for drop deck trailers about to go for sale in Denver I "might" bid on but from these stories I MIGHT want to avoid it unless I towed it to a garage within 50 miles afterwards to fix it myself. Seen a stack of them outside Kansas City MO that looked tasty for a drop deck trailer that will fit my needs, but on verge of outside my price range of $9500 @ same time might have to suck it up and just go that route.
Buying private means you got more time to inspect something and if you are good enough you can test out your BS meter if you stick around long enough asking questions of different topics, Ones place might tell a story of the owner too and how said equipment is taken care of.