Buyer resources
Used equipment buyer guides
Straight, practical answers to the questions people ask right before they buy a used machine. No fluff and no dealer spin, just what Chris would tell you on the phone about hours, hydraulics, inspection and delivery. Current inventory is shown below, and each guide links to the machines it covers.
Available now in Billings
Current inventory
Why these guides exist
Buying a used skid steer or excavator is a real decision, often thirty to eighty thousand dollars. Most people have two or three questions they cannot get answered without a pushy sales call. These guides answer those questions in plain language so you can shop with confidence, whether or not you ever call us. They are written by the person who selects and inspects the machines, not by a marketing team.
Start with what you are trying to do
The right machine follows the work, not the other way around. If you are on hard surfaces and snow, a wheeled skid steer is often the practical pick. If you are on soft ground, mud or ranch dirt, a compact track loader earns its keep. Digging and trenching point to a mini excavator. The guides below walk through each of these decisions with the trade-offs that actually matter in Montana.
Then inspect before you commit
Hours are only one clue. Undercarriage wear, hydraulics, pins and bushings, leaks and service history tell you far more about what a machine will cost you over the next few years. Our inspection guides give you the same checklist Chris uses, so you can evaluate any machine, from us or anyone else, instead of guessing.
Common questions
Before you buy
Are these guides specific to Billings Equipment?
The advice is general and applies to any used machine, but the examples reflect the Bobcat and Cat skid steers, track loaders, mini excavators and attachments we actually stock in Billings.
Do I have to buy from you to use them?
No. The guides are genuinely useful on their own. If they help you buy a better machine anywhere, they did their job.
How often is inventory updated?
Available machines are shown live from our system, so sold units drop off automatically and prices stay current.
Who wrote these?
Chris Eisele, the owner, based on the machines he inspects and the questions buyers ask him most.
One owner, direct answers
Ask Chris about the machine.
Talk with the person who selected and inspected the inventory.