Caterpillar Equipment Buying FAQs: Used Forklifts, Road Graders, Generators, and the Costs Nobody Quotes

What I'd Tell a Colleague Before They Buy

I've managed the equipment purchase budget for a mid-size construction company for six years. We spend about $180,000 a year on heavy equipment and maintenance, and I log every order in our procurement system. These are the questions I get asked most, plus the answers I'd give someone who actually wants to save money.

Questions This Article Answers

• What should I inspect on a used Caterpillar forklift?
• Is a Caterpillar road grader worth it for smaller jobs?
• Westinghouse generator or Caterpillar generator: which should I pick?
• Why does an air pump show up on every maintenance list?
• Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader Questions and Answers—for Equipment Buyers
• How do I verify dealer claims without getting burned?

What should I check on a used Caterpillar forklift?

A used Caterpillar forklift can be a great deal if you treat it like a used airplane, not a used car. I don't mean that in a scary way—I mean you need paperwork. Pull the maintenance records and compare them to the hour meter. If the seller says 'serviced 100 hours ago,' ask for the invoice. We almost bought a machine where the seller claimed low hours, but the actual engine hours were double the lift hours. Same meter, different readings. That's the kind of thing you catch when you ask.

Budget for tires, hydraulic hoses, and a battery if you're looking at electric. Our last used Cat forklift needed $1,400 in hoses and a $600 service right after purchase. That's not unusual. The total cost of ownership is the purchase price plus the first year of repairs. I can only speak to machines in our region, so I can't say much about auction buying or international sourcing.

Is a Caterpillar road grader worth it for smaller jobs?

Sometimes. A Caterpillar road grader is a serious piece of iron. It's not just the purchase price—it's transport. Graders are wide, heavy, and need a lowboy trailer. If you're doing five parking lot resurfacing jobs a year, renting is probably smarter. We bought one because we maintain gravel roads and deal with grading almost every week. For us, the math worked.

But here's the thing: the dealer who quoted us a grader also told us, 'Honestly, for two jobs a year, rent it. We can point you to a rental place.' That no made me trust him more. I'd rather work with a specialist who knows their limits than a generalist who wants the commission. This worked for us because our workload is predictable. If your work is seasonal or spread out, the calculus might be different.

Westinghouse generator or Caterpillar generator: which should I pick?

The right answer is 'what are you powering?' A Westinghouse generator is usually a portable unit—great for crew trailers, lights, and small tools. A Caterpillar power system is more for fixed or standby power, with a bigger dealer network and heavier duty ratings. We run a Westinghouse generator for our field office and a Cat generator for the washdown pump system that can't go down.

For us, total cost per runtime hour matters. A cheap Westinghouse generator with no local dealer support can cost more in downtime than a more expensive unit with parts nearby. But if you're only running it 20 hours a year, that doesn't matter. I can only speak to mid-size operations. If you're running 24/7, your reliability math is different.

Why does an air pump show up on every maintenance list?

Because air is one of those cheap fixes that prevents expensive failures. Forklift tires, grader tires, even the air suspension seat in a cab—underinflation ruins tires and wastes fuel. We bought a 12V air pump for $80 after paying a technician $250 to come out and check tire pressure on a rough terrain forklift. The pump paid for itself in one call. On a job site, an air pump isn't a luxury; it's a tool.

Don't confuse a small air pump with a shop compressor. If you're planning to run impact wrenches or sandblasters, you need something bigger. That's a different purchase. But for daily pre-start checks, a small pump is fine.

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader Questions and Answers—for Equipment Buyers

Here's an odd comparison: the show 'Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?' asks basic questions, and grown adults still get them wrong. Equipment buying is the same. The questions aren't advanced: 'When was the air filter last changed?' 'Does the backup alarm work?' 'Is the parking brake holding?' Most people sign off without answering them.

I do a pre-purchase checklist with about 15 basic questions. It's not complicated. It just forces me to slow down. The buyer who skips those questions is the one who ends up paying for common sense mistakes—like a used forklift with a cracked mast or a grader with worn-out circle teeth. Basic doesn't mean dumb. It means you're willing to check what everyone else assumes.

How do I verify dealer claims without getting burned?

Ask for it in writing. I know 'trust but verify' is a cliché, but in procurement it's the whole job. When a dealer says 'rebuilt engine,' ask for the rebuild invoice. When they say 'ready to work,' ask for the last inspection report. Per FTC guidelines (ftc.gov), advertising claims need to be truthful and substantiated. That doesn't mean every dealer is lying; it means you have the right to ask for the evidence.

One more thing: I once had two days to decide on a used grader because another buyer was waiting. I did a visual check and a phone call, but I didn't run it under load. In hindsight, I should have pushed for a load test. The price was good, but good price isn't the same as good value. Time pressure is real, but so are repair bills.

Our policy now: three quotes minimum, one third-party inspection for anything over $20,000, and every spec written into the purchase order.