If you are new to the construction industry, it can be easy to be terrified of bigger, better companies. After all, since they have all of the high-tech equipment and skilled laborers, how will you compete when you bid for new jobs? Although it might seem pointless to try, you can significantly improve your own construction business by investing in the right industrial equipment. I want to teach you which pieces of equipment can make a big difference for your business, which is one of the reasons I made this site. Read here to learn how you can make your small business competitive in an ever-evolving marketplace.
Buying new equipment is often out of reach for many companies trying to expand their operations or replace older equipment that has broken down past the point of repair. Instead, these companies often get equipment that's already been used because the equipment is generally cheaper. Buying used can be a good strategy if you are trying to find packaging equipment, such as from Queen City Material Handling Equipment, that fits your budget, but you'll face a choice between plain used and refurbished items. Choosing between the two may not be as simple as you think.
Warranties
Refurbished items generally have warranties guaranteeing that the items will work as if they are new. However, these warranties can be fairly short, and if the refurbishing process isn't done that carefully, you can see your new-to-you purchase fail rather rapidly -- often outside of the short warranty period. Used items don't always have warranties; however, it is possible, and you could find a longer warranty or partial warranty on a used item, depending on the dealer.
Take a look at both the time frame for the warranty and the amount of work it covers. A longer warranty shows that the seller had more confidence in how well the equipment will work and how long it will keep working for. Used equipment with a long-term partial warranty might be a better deal than a refurbished item with a full but very short warranty.
Possible Defects
One issue with buying any piece of equipment is that there could be hidden defects that show up unexpectedly (hence the reason for having a warranty). But the chances of defects increase with used and refurbished equipment simply because it's been in used before. For packaging equipment, that can be a real problem because incorrect packaging can remain unnoticed until the package meets the rough handling of the mail or delivery service. That can result in damage to or the loss of the item inside the package.
For this reason, it may be better to go with refurbished equipment just because it does get that extra scrutiny before it gets sold. You have someone looking to see if the equipment will function at near-new levels, rather than if it will just function at all.
Do check out who did the refurbishing. Sometimes it's the manufacturer, and these are generally good refurbishing jobs because the manufacturer will have the exact parts needed to replace anything that seems off. You'll also see refurbishing done by specialist companies that deal with that particular brand. However, if the refurbishing is done by a company that does not seem to deal with that brand very much, you may want to ensure the item has a very good warranty.
Begin your search for equipment early so that you have time to investigate who did the refurbishing and whether the warranty on a used item might make it a better deal. You want your packaging equipment to last as long as possible and do as good a job as possible, so it's worth fully checking out several pieces.
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