Buying Equipment Online and Getting It Shipped

   / Buying Equipment Online and Getting It Shipped #1  

nolewatcher

Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2009
Messages
36
Location
North Florida
Tractor
5420 JD and 790 JD
Here is the question. Who has bought equipment online (maybe sight unseen) and had it shipped to you? Please share 1) What was the equipment (a big load such as a tractor, small like a mower, etc.) 2) Was the equipment in the shape it was advertised? 3) Who did you use as the shipper? 4) How did you like the shipping process? and lastly, 5) If you did it again, what would you change?

There are a lot of deals found online...but should we be leery of such?
 
   / Buying Equipment Online and Getting It Shipped #2  
Here is the question. Who has bought equipment online (maybe sight unseen) and had it shipped to you? Please share 1) What was the equipment (a big load such as a tractor, small like a mower, etc.) 2) Was the equipment in the shape it was advertised? 3) Who did you use as the shipper? 4) How did you like the shipping process? and lastly, 5) If you did it again, what would you change?



There are a lot of deals found online...but should we be leery of such?

Bought a 1949 JD B tractor last August from a seller near Portland, OR (about 400 miles north of my place). $1750. Found it on Craigslist. Tractor runs and is in good shape (has rockshaft for 3 point hitch and PowerTrol hydraulics on the rear). Found a gypsy hauler (husband and wife team) located near Sacramento who specialize in transporting tractors up and down the West Coast. They picked up my load on a return leg from Seattle. Cost: $350. Worked out fine and would do it again.

A few years ago I bought an old IH #8 Little Genius plow (two bottom, 14" shares) for $350 from a dealer near Springfield, IL. Found it on eBay. Used uShip to get bids. Found a guy who makes regular runs between Chicago and CA. He loaded it onto his 30 ft gooseneck trailer along with two other loads and headed West. Cost about $450. Whole process took about 2 weeks (I was the first load on and the last load off). Equipment was in advertised shape. No problems with uShip or with the hauler. I'd use uShip again.

Good luck.
 
   / Buying Equipment Online and Getting It Shipped
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Thanks for the response. I have bought and shipped as well...my JD 5420 tractor came from N.Georgia. I did go up and look at it, so I knew what shape it was in. The dealer arranged shipment, it cost about $350 as I recall. I used uShip for my Westendorf loader. It came from Iowa for around $450. They had to break down the load (unstrap it from pallets, etc.) to get it into a covered trailer, but everything worked out fine. I was interested in others experiences, thought I might not be alone...

Anyone else?
 
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   / Buying Equipment Online and Getting It Shipped #4  
Nothing big as tractor...yet!

Lienbach single bottom plow and 3 point towing hitch, Holland plastic mulch layer, loader forks, toothbar and a 4x 8 ft hydraulic dump trailer. Most stuff was delivered to driveway by freight carrier or UPS. Unassembled dump trailer was picked at a nearby shipping terminal dock. Which saved money that way. 2 pallets, I needed to unband one and hand load some of the the parts into my truck. The other pallet was forked on. All the drivers were great offered to give me a hand even though they werent required too. Dock workers weren't overly ambitious though lol. Usually seller arranges the shipping. The dock pick up was offered when local truck company called to set up delivery. Everything was ok the only minor glitch was the paint was still wet on the mulch layer when they packed the parts.
 

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   / Buying Equipment Online and Getting It Shipped #5  
Bought a Wallenstein FX65 skidding winch online from Iowa Farm Equipment for about $3000 which included shipping. It was palletized and delivered by Con-Way to a local farm supply store (Dickey Bub, on Potosi, MO) where one of the employees loaded it into my pickup bed.

Also bought pallet forks and QA frame from Budget Attachments for about $600 which were delivered by FedEx to the same Dickey Bub and loaded into my pickup by the same friendly employee. I buy stuff at DB regularly, and gave the guy a tip for his trouble, but my impression was that neither was necessary.

It costs extra to have heavy stuff shipped to a residential address, plus I would have to be there to wait for delivery, so it saves me time and trouble to have a commercial establishment willing to accept shipments for me.
 
   / Buying Equipment Online and Getting It Shipped #6  
I bought my 1660 sight unseen from a dealer in virginia.....had it shipped to south mississippi and it arrived on time and unharmed. I dont know the shipping price as it was included in the tractor price. If i had to do it again i would not change a thing...the dealer and shipper was honest and proffesional.
 
   / Buying Equipment Online and Getting It Shipped #7  
My experience is probably of little relevance to you (as I am in Spain and you're in the USA) :laughing: However I do often source equipment for customers from the UK and have it shipped here. Often I buy from dealers known to me (much safer) but sometimes I do buy though tractor trader and even ebay. I always arrange the shipping myself - if it is a large item of machinery or bigger tractor I use a specialist vehicle transporter, but if it can be lifted by forklift I use DHL. Our local DHL drivers here get very excited when they deliver to us, as they are not used to seeing small tractors on a pallet in their trucks!

If I am buying from an unknown source I often get a friend in the UK to go and check them out - or if it is ebay I get them to deliver to a friend to check over the equipment before we get it shipped to Spain.
 
   / Buying Equipment Online and Getting It Shipped #8  
Here is the question. Who has bought equipment online (maybe sight unseen) and had it shipped to you? Please share 1) What was the equipment (a big load such as a tractor, small like a mower, etc.) 2) Was the equipment in the shape it was advertised? 3) Who did you use as the shipper? 4) How did you like the shipping process? and lastly, 5) If you did it again, what would you change?

There are a lot of deals found online...but should we be leery of such?

I ordered a set of forks and looked for a loading dock somewhere with someone here to unload it for me. A couple businesses here were real accommodating to me. I ended up having them ship to my house expecting their delivery truck to have a lift of some sort, but it did not. It was just a semi. I had my tractor with a FEL anyway so I scooped it up with that and all was well. The paint and condition was super, but what can go wrong with forks. Of course I had to be home that day which wasn't a problem because my office overlooks the driveway.

I would do it again for things I know i could get off the truck by myself. If not you will need a loading dock of some sort.
 
   / Buying Equipment Online and Getting It Shipped #9  
I buy most everything online. I bought a tractor from a guy in Pittsburg on Craigslist (6 hours away). Told him I did not have a way to pic it up. He told me he had a friend who could move it for 500.00. I tried to figure out a way we could both be comfortable with the transaction since we obviously did not know each other. I told him I would send the 500.00 to him to pay his friend and when I saw it if it was as he described I would give him the rest in cash. He described every flaw he knew about so I would not be surprised and send his friend back with the tractor. I figured I would lose 500 at worst instead of 17,000. His friend showed up and he was good to his word and I was good to mine and we had a great transaction.
 
   / Buying Equipment Online and Getting It Shipped
  • Thread Starter
#10  
This has been interesting. In all I think that most have had good experiences as I had. I find that most people have integrity in their dealings. The more I do it, the easier I feel about it. uShip has been a good experience...

Has anyone had BAD experiences?
 
 
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