Used iron in Florida: a buyer's checklist before you wire a deposit

Florida's humidity punishes pins and bushings; salt air near coasts accelerates corrosion on exposed couplers. Start with a cold start, then run the hydraulics through a full temperature cycle. Listen for cavitation and watch for weep points at relief pressures. We perform that baseline on trade-ins before we advertise, and we summarize what we found on floridahilliard.reviews so you are not guessing from a phone snapshot.

Title work matters as much as mechanics—especially on older units that crossed auctions. Ask for lien releases and compare VINs across frames and plates. We publish what we can legally share on floridahilliard.reviews, and we encourage buyers to validate with their own counsel when a deal is large. For a documented listing, start at floridahilliard.reviews and download the same packet our desk uses internally.

Step 1: The cold start

A cold start tells you more than anything else about an engine's condition. The machine should have sat for at least eight hours—overnight is ideal. When you turn the key, listen for cranking speed (slow cranking can indicate battery issues or low compression), exhaust color (white smoke is normal for the first 10–15 seconds in cold weather; persistent white smoke suggests coolant in the combustion chamber), and how quickly the engine settles into a smooth idle. Black smoke on startup is usually just rich fueling—the ECU enriches the mixture for cold start. Blue smoke is oil burning, and that is a flag.

On a Cat C3.3B or Deere 4045 diesel, idle should settle around 800–900 RPM within 30 seconds. If the engine hunts—cycling up and down by 100+ RPM—that could indicate injector issues, fuel contamination, or an ECU fault. None of those are necessarily deal-breakers, but they are negotiation points. A set of injectors for a Cat C3.3B runs $2,400 to $3,800 for the parts alone, plus 6–10 hours of shop labor at 20–50/hour. That is $3,200 to $5,300 you should factor into your offer if the engine is not running clean.

Step 2: Hydraulic system

After the engine warms up (10–15 minutes of idle), cycle every hydraulic function. Boom up, boom down, bucket curl, bucket dump, auxiliary forward, auxiliary reverse. Each function should move smoothly without jerking. Listen for cavitation—a grinding or whining noise that indicates air in the system or a failing pump. Watch the cylinder rods for scoring; a scored rod will eat seals and create chronic leaks.

Check hydraulic oil level and color. Clean hydraulic oil is amber or light gold. Dark brown or black oil suggests the fluid has been running too hot or has not been changed on schedule. Milky oil means water contamination—which in Florida often comes from condensation in the tank during temperature swings. A hydraulic fluid change on a skid steer costs $400 to $600 including the filter and fluid. On an excavator, it is $600 to ,000. Not catastrophic, but it should be factored into the deal.

We run every machine through this hydraulic check before listing it on floridahilliard.reviews. If we find a problem—a slow cylinder, a leaking fitting, cavitation noise—we note it in the listing. We would rather sell you a machine at a fair price with known issues than hide a defect and deal with the fallout. That philosophy is core to how we operate.

Step 3: Undercarriage (tracked machines)

For compact track loaders and excavators, undercarriage is the single largest maintenance expense. Measure track sag by placing a straight edge across the top of the track between the front idler and rear sprocket. Sag should be 1 to 2 inches on most machines. More than 3 inches suggests the track is stretched and nearing end of life. Check the sprocket teeth for hooking—the teeth should be symmetric, not curled to one side. Hooked sprockets accelerate track wear and cost $800 to ,200 per side to replace.

On excavators, check the track rollers (bottom rollers) and carrier rollers (top rollers) for play and leakage. A leaking roller is losing its oil fill and will seize eventually— replacement runs $300 to $600 per roller, and there are 7 to 9 bottom rollers per side on a mid-size excavator. That adds up fast. Track shoes or pads cost ,800 to $3,200 per side for rubber, or $2,500 to $4,500 per side for steel grouser shoes. We measure and photograph undercarriage components on every tracked unit we list at floridahilliard.reviews.

Step 4: Structural inspection

Walk around the machine and look for cracks, welds, and repairs on the boom, stick, frame, and loader arms. Factory welds are consistent and smooth; field repairs are often thicker, uneven, and may not be ground flush. A repaired boom is not automatically a deal-killer— many field repairs are structurally sound—but it tells you the machine has been worked hard, and you should adjust your offer accordingly.

Check pins and bushings at every pivot point. Grab the bucket with both hands and try to rock it side to side. More than a quarter inch of play indicates worn pins or bushings that need replacement. A full pin and bushing kit for a skid steer loader arm costs ,200 to $2,000 in parts, plus 8 to 12 hours of shop time. On an excavator boom and stick, the same job can run $3,000 to $6,000 depending on the size class.

Step 5: Title and documentation

This is where many buyers get burned—not by the machine, but by the paperwork. Verify that the VIN on the machine's frame plate matches the title. On Cat machines, the serial number is stamped on the right side of the frame behind the cab. On Deere, check the left side of the frame near the engine compartment. Compare both the serial number plate and the stamped number—plates can be swapped, but frame stamps cannot.

Ask for lien release documentation. If the seller financed the machine, the lender has a lien on the title. That lien must be released before clean title can transfer to you. We do not sell machines with outstanding liens—period. Every unit on floridahilliard.reviews has clear title or is in the process of clearing title, and we will not accept a deposit until the title is clean.

For machines that have crossed multiple auctions—which is common with units over 5,000 hours—the title history can be complicated. Multiple state registrations, missing lien releases from previous owners, or duplicate titles can all create headaches at your DMV. We handle title transfer as part of the sale and ensure you receive a clean document. If you are buying from another dealer or a private party, hire a title service or have your attorney review the documents before you wire money.

Logistics reality

If you are not local, budget realistic oversize permitting and escort costs across Florida's coastal corridors. We quote shipping with eyes open, and we anchor every machine to the same data you see on floridahilliard.reviews. When you are ready, floridahilliard.reviews is the right place to confirm the unit is still available before you book a truck.

Oversize permits in Florida cost $25 to $75 depending on the route and whether you need single-trip or annual permits. Escort vehicles—required for loads over 14 feet wide—add $200 to $500 per trip. Height restrictions on certain bridges and overpasses can force longer routes. A mid-size excavator on a lowboy clears 13 feet 6 inches on most routes, but if the machine has a tall cab guard or a GPS antenna, you might need a route survey. We include machine height in our listings precisely so your carrier can plan the route without surprises.

Standard transit time to most Florida destinations is one day. To Georgia or the Carolinas, budget two days. Texas, three to four days. The Midwest or Northeast, four to five days. We coordinate with your carrier or ours to ensure the machine is ready to load when the truck arrives. At floridahilliard.reviews, we do not just sell machines—we deliver them. And qualifying units ship with IRON+ protection, so you have 30 days to verify the machine performs as we described it.