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Heavy Equipment News & Buying Guides

Expert advice on buying, selling, financing, and maintaining heavy equipment — written for dealers, owners, and operators.

Titles, Liens & Paperwork · July 13, 2026 How to Check if Heavy Equipment Is Stolen Before You Buy A step-by-step theft and identity verification checklist for used excavators, skid steers, loaders, tractors and other equipment. Read article

Latest articles

Titles, Liens & Paperwork · July 13, 2026 How to Check if Heavy Equipment Is Stolen Before You Buy A step-by-step theft and identity verification checklist for used excavators, skid steers, loaders, tractors and other equipment. Read article

Hauling & Maintenance · July 13, 2026 What Size Trailer and Truck Do You Need to Haul a Skid Steer? A weight-first guide to choosing a truck and trailer for a skid steer without guessing from machine size alone. Read article

Picking the Right Machine · July 13, 2026 Skid Steer Pilot Controls vs Hand-and-Foot Controls A buyer’s comparison of traditional hand-and-foot controls, hydraulic pilot joysticks and modern electrohydraulic systems. Read article

Picking the Right Machine · July 13, 2026 Skid Steer Tipping Load vs Rated Operating Capacity (ROC) A plain-English guide to tipping load, rated operating capacity and the attachment and load-center details that change real lifts. Read article

Picking the Right Machine · July 13, 2026 Skid Steer vs Compact Track Loader: Which Costs Less to Own? The cheaper machine is the one that produces the lowest cost per useful hour on your terrain—not always the one with the lower purchase price. Read article

Picking the Right Machine · July 13, 2026 Vertical-Lift vs Radial-Lift Skid Steers: Which Is Better? A job-focused comparison of vertical and radial lift paths for loading, grading, digging and attachment work. Read article

Picking the Right Machine · July 13, 2026 High-Flow vs Standard-Flow Skid Steers: Which Do You Need? Choose the right skid steer hydraulic package by matching flow, pressure and cooling to the attachments that earn your revenue. Read article

Buying Used Equipment · July 13, 2026 Used Mini Excavator Inspection Checklist: A 45-Minute Field Test A timed field inspection for buyers of used mini excavators, from serial-number checks through a warm hydraulic test. Read article

Buying Used Equipment · July 13, 2026 Used Skid Steer Inspection Checklist: 50 Things to Check A field-ready 50-point skid steer inspection sequence to use before making an offer or sending payment. Read article

Buying Used Equipment · July 13, 2026 How Many Hours Is A Lot for a Mini Excavator? How to interpret mini excavator hours and inspect the undercarriage, hydraulics, swing system, pins and engine before buying. Read article

Buying Used Equipment · July 13, 2026 How Many Hours Is a Lot for a Skid Steer? Used-Buyer Guide A buyer-focused guide to skid steer hour ranges, maintenance, duty cycle and the inspections that matter more than the meter alone. Read article

Titles, Liens & Paperwork · July 13, 2026 How to Check for a Lien on Used Heavy Equipment A practical UCC lien-search and payoff checklist for buyers of used construction, farm and industrial equipment. Read article

Titles, Liens & Paperwork · July 13, 2026 Free Skid Steer Bill of Sale Template and Buyer Checklist A copy-ready skid steer bill of sale template plus a practical checklist for serial numbers, liens, attachments and payment. Read article

Equipment Values & Market Trends · July 13, 2026 How Much Is My Skid Steer Worth? 2026 Valuation Guide A practical method for pricing a used skid steer using comparable listings, hours, condition, options and real selling costs. Read article

Titles, Liens & Paperwork · July 13, 2026 Do Excavators Have Titles? Paperwork for Mini and Full-Size Excavators Most mini and full-size excavators are sold without a motor-vehicle title. Here is the paperwork that protects buyers and sellers. Read article

Picking the Right Machine · July 13, 2026 What Size Excavator Do You Need for Land Clearing and Stump Removal? A practical sizing framework for matching excavator weight class and attachments to brush, trees, stumps, access and production. Read article

Picking the Right Machine · July 13, 2026 Zero-Tail-Swing vs Conventional Excavators: Which Should You Buy? Choose an excavator tail configuration based on clearance, stability, lifting, access and the jobs you perform most often. Read article

Titles, Liens & Paperwork · July 13, 2026 Do Farm Tractors Have Titles? What Proves Ownership? How tractor ownership is documented when there is no traditional title, plus lien, theft and bill-of-sale checks for buyers. Read article

Titles, Liens & Paperwork · July 13, 2026 Do Forklifts Have Titles? Used Forklift Ownership Guide The paperwork, serial-number, lien and seller checks buyers need when a used forklift has no vehicle title. Read article

Selling Your Equipment · July 13, 2026 Where Is the Best Place to Sell Heavy Equipment? The best heavy-equipment sales channel depends on your deadline, machine, buyer reach, price control and willingness to handle inquiries. Read article

Hauling & Maintenance · July 13, 2026 How Much Does It Cost to Replace Skid Steer Tracks? Replacing skid steer tracks costs roughly $2,000-$4,000 for a full set installed (both tracks plus labor). A single rubber track runs $500-$900 aftermarket or $900-$1,400 for OEM/p… Read article

Titles, Liens & Paperwork · July 13, 2026 Do Backhoes Have Titles? Proving Ownership on a Used Backhoe In most cases, no. A backhoe loader is off-road equipment, so it usually does not get a motor-vehicle title like a car or pickup. It's identified by a serial number (also called a… Read article

Hauling & Maintenance · July 13, 2026 Mini Excavator Track Replacement Cost: What to Budget by Size Mini excavator track replacement cost runs roughly $250 to $500 per track for a 1-2 ton machine, $500 to $900 for a 3-5 ton, and $900 to $1,500 for a 6-8 ton. Tracks come in pairs,… Read article

Buying Used Equipment · July 13, 2026 How Many Hours Is a Lot for a Backhoe? For a backhoe, anything under 3,000 hours is low, 4,000 to 6,000 is solid mid-life with plenty of work left in it, 6,000 to 8,000 is high and you should budget for wear items, and… Read article

Buying Used Equipment · July 13, 2026 How Many Hours Is a Lot for a Wheel Loader? For a wheel loader, anything under 5,000 hours is low, 5,000 to 10,000 is normal mid-life, and 10,000 to 15,000 is high. Past 15,000 hours a machine is high risk unless records or… Read article

Buying Used Equipment · July 13, 2026 How Many Hours Is a Lot for a Dozer? On a dozer, the hour meter is only half the story. As a rough guide: under 4,000 hours is low, 5,000-8,000 is mid-life, 8,000-12,000 is high hours, and 12,000+ carries more risk. B… Read article

Buying Used Equipment · July 13, 2026 How Many Hours Is a Lot for a Compact Track Loader? For a compact track loader (CTL), under 1,500 hours is low, 2,000 to 4,000 is normal mid-life, 4,000 to 6,000 is high hours where you should budget for undercarriage and track work… Read article

Titles, Liens & Paperwork · July 13, 2026 Do Dozers Have Titles? What Proves Ownership No - most bulldozers do not have a traditional motor-vehicle title. A dozer is off-road equipment, identified by its serial number (also called a PIN) and the data plate on the mac… Read article

Equipment Values & Market Trends · July 13, 2026 How Much Does a Used Mini Excavator Cost? 2026 Price Guide A used mini excavator costs roughly $12,000 to $85,000 in 2026, depending mostly on size class. A 1-ton micro machine sits near the bottom of that range; a 6–8 ton unit sits near t… Read article

Equipment Values & Market Trends · July 13, 2026 How Much Does a Used Skid Steer Cost? 2026 Price Guide A used skid steer in the US typically runs $12,000 to $55,000 in 2026, depending on age, hours and condition. Older high-hour wheeled machines start around $12,000, mid-age units l… Read article

Titles, Liens & Paperwork · June 3, 2026 Do Skid Steers Have Titles? What Buyers And Sellers Need To Know Buying a used skid steer is not like buying a pickup truck. Most skid steers do not come with a traditional title, so buyers need to verify ownership another way before money changes hands. Read article

ML Hauling & Maintenance Hauling & Maintenance · May 4, 2026 Essential Maintenance Tips to Maximize Heavy Machinery Lifespan In the heavy construction, mining, and agriculture industries, downtime is the ultimate enemy of profitability. A broken machine doesn't just cost you the price of parts and emerge… Read article

Equipment Values & Market Trends · May 1, 2026 2026 Heavy Equipment Market Trends: What Buyers and Sellers Need to Know If you bought or sold a piece of heavy equipment over the last few years, you already know the ride: prices that climbed almost every month, used machines selling for nearly the co… Read article

ML Selling Your Equipment Selling Your Equipment · May 1, 2026 How to Get the Maximum Return When Selling Your Used Equipment Liquidating assets or upgrading your fleet shouldn't mean leaving thousands of dollars on the table. However, selling heavy machinery in the balanced market of 2026 requires signif… Read article

ML Picking the Right Machine Picking the Right Machine · May 1, 2026 Crawler Excavators vs. Wheel Loaders: Which is Right for Your Job? New to this topic? Start with our main guide: What Size Excavator Do You Need for Land Clearing and Stump Removal? When outfitting a job site for heavy earthmoving, the two most ub… Read article

Financing & Money · May 1, 2026 Heavy Equipment Financing: Loans, Leases, Rates and Approval A practical contractor’s guide to heavy equipment loans, leases, payment structures, approval documents and total cost. Read article

ML Buying Used Equipment Buying Used Equipment · May 1, 2026 The Ultimate Guide to Buying Used Heavy Equipment in 2026 Purchasing used heavy equipment is one of the smartest strategies for contractors, farmers, and fleet managers looking to scale their operations without absorbing the steep, immedi… Read article