Steven Gamsby "The Equipment Guy" - Lets Talk Heavy Equipment.

Heavy equipment bought, sold, appraised & financed across Canada — that is the work. The other half of the job is staying easy to find, and as of this week every one of our channels is connected. The footer at the bottom of eqguy.ca now links to all of them, and here is what each one is for. The website: eqguy.ca Home base. Current listings, services, appraisals, and this blog — Let's Talk Heavy Equipment — where a new article goes up every day on buying, selling, valuing, and financing used iron. Facebook The Equipment Guy Facebook Page is where listings and day-to-day updates land first: machines moving across Canada, buying and selling tips, and what's new at eqguy.ca. Follow the Page here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61595977666634 Instagram and Threads Photos and short updates from yards and sites, plus the daily post. Find us at @equipmentguy.steve on both: https://www.instagram.com/equipmentguy.steve and https://www.threads.com/@equipmentguy.steve Linked...

A used machine tells two stories. One is what you can see — paint, tyres, undercarriage, leaks. The other is in its history: service records, telematics, and repair invoices. Buyers who read both stories make far fewer expensive mistakes. Start with the service records Ask for records, not reassurance. A well-kept file shows oil and filter intervals, hydraulic service, coolant changes, and major component work with dates and hours that line up with the meter. Gaps matter. If a machine shows 8,000 hours but only two services on paper, either the work was done off the books or it wasn't done at all — and you should price that risk in. Look for patterns, not just stamps. Repeated hose failures, recurring electrical faults, or the same injector replaced twice can point to a root cause that was never fixed. A single major repair, done properly by a dealer with an invoice to prove it, is usually a better sign than a machine with no repair history at all. What telematics can — and can...

  A lot of sellers take their machines off the market in winter, assuming nobody buys until spring. That thinking leaves money on the table. Contractors who won winter work, snow and municipal crews, and buyers planning for spring are all shopping right now — and with fewer listings out there, a clean, well-presented machine stands out. Here is how to get a strong price when the yards slow down. Winter buyers are serious buyers Tire-kickers disappear in November. The people calling in winter usually have a job to fill, a breakdown to replace, or a spring plan they want locked in before prices climb. That means fewer time-wasters and more real offers — if your machine is ready to be looked at seriously. Price it on real market value, not on hope, and be ready to show records and answer questions quickly. A serious buyer who gets straight answers moves faster than one who has to chase you. Clean it, even in the cold A machine covered in last season's mud reads as neglected, no matter...

  Some of the best used machines in Canada are not in your province. A clean excavator in Alberta, a loader in Quebec, a dozer in the Maritimes — the right machine at the right price is often a few provinces away. Buying out of province can be a smart move, but only if you sort the transport, taxes, and paperwork before the money moves. Here is what to work through. Start with the machine, not the distance Distance does not change the basics. Verify the serial number, check service records, look at undercarriage and hydraulics, and confirm the seller actually owns the machine free and clear. A lien search matters even more when you cannot walk into the seller's yard easily. Get photos and video of a cold start, all functions working, and any leaks or damage — close up, not just wide shots. If the price justifies it, pay for an independent inspection in that province. It is far cheaper than discovering a problem after the truck has already delivered it. Transport is a real cost — ge...

The sticker price is only the first number. Ask any contractor who bought the cheapest machine on the lot and they'll tell you the same thing: the real cost of a used machine shows up after the deal is done. If you're budgeting for your next purchase, here's what to count beyond the price on the listing. Transport and Delivery A machine in Alberta doesn't do you much good in Ontario until it's on your site. Float trucking, permits for oversize loads, and loading and unloading all add up — often $2,000 to $5,000 or more depending on distance and machine size. Get the transport quote before you agree on a price, not after. The First Service Every used machine you buy should get a full service on day one: engine oil and filters, hydraulic oil and filters, fuel filters, coolant, and a grease job through every pin. Budget $1,000 to $2,500 for a mid-size excavator or loader, and more if the previous owner skipped services. It's cheap insurance against a much bigger re...

What Goes Into a Heavy Equipment Appraisal — and Why It Matters Before You Buy or Sell Whether you're buying your next machine, selling one that's been sitting in the yard, or sorting out financing, sooner or later someone is going to ask: what's it actually worth? That's what an equipment appraisal answers. Not a guess, not a listing price, and not what your neighbour got for his — a grounded, defensible number based on the machine in front of you and the market it's selling into. Here's what goes into one, and why it matters before money changes hands. It starts with the machine itself A proper appraisal starts on the ground, not on a computer. The appraiser walks the machine, checks the hour meter, and looks at the things that actually move value: undercarriage wear on a tracked machine, tire condition on a wheeled one, bucket and attachment wear, hydraulic leaks, and how it starts and runs cold. Service history matters as much as anything. A machine wi...

Equipment Guy has its own Facebook Page now, and that’s where everything is going. For a long time, the updates, the machines, and the buying advice lived on my personal profile. That worked fine when this was a smaller operation. But Equipment Guy has grown — 12 people, buyers and sellers across Canada — and the work needed a home of its own. So we built one: Steven Gamsby 'The Equipment Guy' on Facebook. What you'll find on the Page This is where the machines are. When a good excavator, loader, or other piece of heavy equipment comes available, the Page is where it shows up first. It’s also where the advice lives. What to check before you buy a used machine. How to read an appraisal. When financing beats paying cash, and when it doesn’t. The same straight talk we’ve always posted, in one place, easy to find. And it’s where the deals move. If you’re selling a machine, the Page is where buyers will see it. If you’re buying, it’s where you’ll see what’s coming availabl...

Buying a used excavator or loader is a big cheque either way. The question most buyers wrestle with isn't which machine — it's whether to pay cash or finance it. Both can be the right call. The trick is knowing which one fits your situation, not just your bank balance. The real question isn't the rate People get stuck comparing interest rates. The real question is simpler: what does each option do to your business for the next two or three years? Cash leaves you with no payments but less money in the bank. Financing leaves you with a monthly payment but cash on hand for fuel, repairs, payroll, and the next opportunity. Decide on that trade-off first, and the rate matters a lot less. When cash wins Paying cash makes sense when the machine is a smaller purchase, when you have more cash than you need for the next year, and when being debt-free matters more to you than keeping a reserve. Cash buyers also move fast — no lender paperwork, no approval wait — which can matter a...

 A low rate can look attractive until the lender declines the machine, shortens the amortization, or requires a personal guarantee that changes the entire risk profile. For contractors, fleet managers, dealers, and industrial operators, finding the best equipment finance lenders is less about chasing a headline rate and more about securing capital that fits the asset, cash flow, and operating plan. The right lender can help a business acquire a productive excavator, specialized trailer, crane, forestry unit, or fleet package without tying up working capital. The wrong structure can leave an operator with restrictive covenants, a payment schedule that ignores seasonality, or a maturity balance that does not reflect the equipment’s real market value. Professional diligence at the outset protects the transaction long after delivery. What Makes an Equipment Finance Lender the Right Choice? There is no universal best lender. A strong bank relationship may be the right route for a ma...

Buying Used Heavy Equipment in Winter: What the Cold Reveals About a machine Most buyers shop for used equipment in spring, when the work starts. The smart ones shop in winter. Cold weather is the most honest inspector a machine will ever meet — it exposes weak batteries, tired hydraulics, and worn seals that a warm-weather test drive would never show. If you know what to look for, buying in November or December can mean a better machine at a better price. A cold start tells the truth The single most useful test you can run on a used machine is a cold start. Ask the seller not to warm it up before you arrive. A healthy engine should turn over and catch without a long crank, even on a cold morning. Watch the exhaust: a puff of white smoke that clears quickly is normal, but thick smoke that lingers, blue smoke, or a rough idle that takes minutes to smooth out all point to problems — worn injectors, weak compression, or glow plugs that have given up. Listen while it warms up. Knocks, ratt...

 A late-model excavator can look like a straightforward acquisition until freight, financing cost, attachment compatibility, emissions requirements, and resale demand are put on the same worksheet. That is why equipment market trends matter far beyond auction headlines or monthly pricing reports. For fleet owners, contractors, and industrial operators, the real question is not whether prices are moving. It is whether a specific machine will protect project capacity, capital, and exit value. The Canadian heavy-equipment market is no longer moving as one market. A strong result for a compact construction unit in a major metro area does not automatically translate to a favorable sale for an older specialized machine in a remote region. Product category, condition, hours, service history, location, and buyer access are determining outcomes with more precision than broad market averages. Equipment Market Trends Are Becoming More Category-Specific During the supply-constrained years, ...

  A new excavator, crusher, lift fleet, or production line can win work before it earns its first dollar. The question of how to lease machinery is therefore not simply about finding a monthly payment. It is about securing the right asset, preserving operating capital, and structuring an obligation your business can carry through changing utilization, project schedules, and market conditions. For contractors, fleet managers, and industrial operators, a well-structured lease can put productive equipment to work without consuming the capital needed for payroll, materials, mobilization, and growth. A poorly structured one can create restrictive covenants, expensive end-of-term surprises, or payments that outlast the equipment’s useful role in the business. Professional diligence at the outset protects both uptime and margin. Start With the Job the Machine Must Do Before approaching a lessor or finance partner, define the machine’s revenue role. A machine assigned to a signed, multi-ye...