What to Check Before You Drive Out to Look at a Used Machine

Buying used · 6 min read

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Driving an hour or more to look at a machine that turns out to be a dud is one of the most common frustrations in buying used farm equipment. A twenty-minute phone call and a little homework beforehand can save you the trip — or confirm that it's worth the drive. Here's how to screen a machine before you ever turn the key.

Start with the listing itself

Read the listing the way you'd read a tire sidewall: slowly, and looking for what's missing. Vague listings aren't always hiding something, but specific listings almost always mean a seller who knows the machine. Watch for these red flags:

• No year, model, or hours. If the seller won't put basic specs in the ad, assume you'll have to drag them out in person.
• Stock photos or only one photo. One blurry side shot tells you nothing. A serious seller can send more pictures in two minutes.
• "Runs great" with no detail. Ask what that means. Did it run last week, or last fall?
• No mention of known issues. Every used machine has something. A seller who claims zero issues is either not being honest or doesn't know the machine well.

None of these disqualify a machine on their own. They tell you where to press harder in the phone call.

Ask for photos before you call

Before you even pick up the phone, ask the seller to send current photos: all four sides, the engine compartment, the interior or cab, and close-ups of the wear points for that machine type — auger flighting, conveyor belts, tank seams, tires, PTO shaft. Ask for a photo of the hour meter and the serial number plate too.

Two things happen when you do this. First, you get real information — a cracked tank seam or a patched belt shows up in a photo long before it shows up in a test drive. Second, you learn something about the seller. Someone who sends ten clear photos today is someone who'll answer honestly when you show up. Someone who stalls, sends blurry shots, or says "just come look at it" is telling you something too.

Compare the photos to the listing. If the ad says "shed kept" and the photos show a machine sitting in a weedy fenceline with faded paint, believe the photos.

The pre-trip phone call

This is the most underused step in buying used equipment. Ten to twenty minutes on the phone with the seller will answer most of the questions that decide whether the trip is worth it. Work through this list:

History and use:

• How long have you owned it, and how did you use it? (A machine run hard for five seasons is different from one that sat most of the time — and one that sat most of the time has its own problems.)
• Why are you selling? Upgrading is the best answer. Be wary of anything that sounds like the machine was replaced because it kept giving trouble.
• Has it ever been in an accident, rolled over, or had frame or structural repairs?
• Is the title or ownership clear — no liens, no co-owners who aren't on board with the sale?

Maintenance:

• Who serviced it, and how often? Farm-shop maintenance is fine if it's been consistent.
• Have any major components been replaced — engine, transmission, hydraulic pump, tank, auger?
• When were wear parts last done? (Bearings, belts, chains, tires, hoses — the stuff that wears out on every machine.)

Current condition:

• What's wrong with it right now? Every used machine has something. If the answer is "nothing," ask again differently: "What would you fix if you were keeping it?" There's almost always an answer, and it's usually honest.
• Is there anything it won't do right now that it should do?
• When did it last run or work, and can I see it run before I come?

Logistics:

• Where is it kept, and can I drive it / run it when I get there?
• Is there a way to load it if I buy it — and is it roadworthy or does it need to be hauled?

Take notes during the call. Write down what the seller says about condition and repairs, with the date. If something the seller said on the phone doesn't match what you see in person, that's a conversation — and possibly a reason to walk away.

Run the numbers you can run from home

Before the drive, do the homework that doesn't require being there:

• Serial number check. Look up the serial number or VIN against any manufacturer recalls or service bulletins for that model. Some manufacturers publish them online.
• Parts availability. For older or less common machines, check that wear parts and common replacements are still available before you fall in love with it. A machine you can't get parts for is a lawn ornament with a price tag.
• Model-specific weak points. Every model has them — a certain gearbox that wears, a frame area that cracks, a hydraulic circuit that's trouble-prone. Ask other owners, your dealer, or a trusted mechanic what to look for on that specific model, and add those items to your in-person checklist.

What "I'll just go look" actually costs

A wasted trip isn't just fuel. It's a half day of your time, and — more importantly — it's a trip that lowers your guard. Show up tired after a long drive and you're more likely to talk yourself into a machine you'd have passed on fresh. That psychological pull is real: the longer the drive, the harder it is to walk away.

That's the real reason for all of this pre-screening. It's not just about saving fuel. It's about making sure that when you do make the drive, you're going to look at a machine that's already passed the first round of cuts — so your in-person time is spent confirming, not discovering.

Build a trip checklist from what you learned

By the end of the phone call, you should have a short list of things to verify in person: the repair the seller mentioned, the hour meter reading, the wear point they said was fine, the "runs great" claim. Write them down. Bring the list. Check each item off as you go.

The in-person inspection is a separate job — checking frame, hydraulics, drivetrain, tires, and function-testing the machine under load. But the pre-trip work is what makes the in-person inspection worth doing: it filters out the machines that aren't worth your time before you've spent a morning driving to them.

The bottom line

The cheapest inspection you can do on a used machine is the one you do from your kitchen table. Ask for photos. Make the call. Ask what the seller would fix. Run the serial number. Do that consistently and you'll drive out less often — and buy better when you do.