Quick answer
Compare the cost of completing the same work over the same period. Add delivery, inspection, immediate repairs, finance, maintenance and downtime to each purchase offer. A used excavator can be a practical option when its condition, support and final cost fit your work; a lower advertised price alone is not enough.
Key takeaways
- Compare equivalent capacity and attachments.
- Separate quoted amounts from unresolved costs.
- Read the warranty and repair obligations in writing.
- Keep resale assumptions separate from confirmed expenditure.
- Check the delivery date against the date work must begin.
1. Compare machines capable of the same job
Specify digging requirements, material, attachment, access and expected working hours before comparing new and used offers. A smaller or differently equipped machine may appear cheaper while needing extra transport, another attachment or more time to finish the work.
Caterpillar's buying guidance considers the equipment's use and business needs. Apply that approach to your own workload: list committed jobs separately from possible future contracts. Do not turn an optimistic utilisation forecast into a guaranteed saving.
Sources for this section:[1]
2. Build one cost sheet for both offers
Ask each seller to state what the price includes and where responsibility transfers. Record the quotation currency, validity, equipment configuration and delivery terms. Add locally obtained transport, import and service costs where relevant; these cannot be inferred from the overseas machine price.
Use the worksheet below without forcing unknown items to zero. Compare an expected case and a less favourable case using your own documented assumptions. This makes a repair or delivery uncertainty visible before money is committed.
| Cost item | Evidence to request | How to compare |
|---|---|---|
| Machine and attachments | Itemised seller quotation | Same included equipment and terms |
| Delivery and import | Carrier and local adviser quotations | Same destination and responsibility boundary |
| Repairs and servicing | Inspection findings and workshop prices | Work needed before use and during ownership |
| Finance and downtime | Your funding terms and work schedule | Same period and stated assumptions |
3. Price the evidence and the support
For a used machine, connect the serial identity, hour-meter evidence, inspection findings and repair history to the inventory ID being offered. A manufacturer's used-equipment programme may include particular checks or terms; those programme benefits do not automatically apply to machines sold by another company.
For either offer, confirm who supplies parts, performs repairs and responds when the machine stops. Ask what any warranty covers, where it applies and what it excludes. Do not assume a new-machine warranty covers every operating cost, or that a used-machine offer includes a warranty unless agreed in writing.
Sources for this section:[2]
4. Compare time to productive work
A quoted delivery date is not necessarily the first usable working day. Include inspection, agreed repairs, transport, clearance and commissioning in the schedule. Ask who supplies each date and which steps depend on another party. Keep an alternative work plan if a critical date has not been confirmed in writing.
5. Allocate repair responsibilities before payment
Where an inspection identifies work, state whether the seller completes it before shipment or the buyer accepts it in the price. Record parts, labour, acceptance evidence and any exclusions. A general promise to service the excavator does not define the scope. Keep the final agreement with the inventory ID and quotation revision.
6. Decide against your cash and work schedule
A useful comparison is total ownership expenditure over the chosen period, less a separately stated resale assumption. Divide that result by productive hours only when the hours are supported by a realistic work plan. Keep this calculation distinct from accounting depreciation or tax advice.
When requesting a Plinton offer, send your task, destination, preferred inventory IDs and required attachments. Ask for current availability, machine evidence and a written quotation. Plinton sells used excavators from China; this guide does not promise that a used machine will outperform or cost less than every new alternative.
Frequently asked questions
Is buying used always cheaper?
The advertised purchase price is only one part of the comparison. Repairs, delivery, support and lost working time may change the outcome.
Should I choose the machine with fewer advertised hours?
Check the evidence behind the hours and inspect the machine. Hours alone do not establish maintenance quality, remaining life or the cost of the next repair.
References
- Equipment Buying Guide ↗Caterpillar · Accessed 2026-09-19
- Why Buy Used Heavy Equipment? ↗Caterpillar · Accessed 2026-09-19
Editorial standard: Updated 2026-09-19. This guide separates general process guidance from machine-specific facts. Confirm the current inventory ID, machine evidence, inspection scope, carrier quotation and destination requirements before making a transaction decision. Read our editorial and verification standard.