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| Depends on what you're looking for....
I got mine at a dealer and they were decent to deal with. I'm sure some are shady and some are good which IS NO DIFFERENT THAN ANY PRIVATE deal. Use your own judgement there, but there's crooks on both sides.
The biggest things I'd look for are the usual maintenace items on the truck. How well was it maintained? Get yourself familiar with all the normal safety inspection items and go over that. Pull the level plugs from the axles and transmission and see what's in there for oil. Look at the brake shoes if you can see them. Check the tires over carefully. Items like tires and brakes can make a difference of several thousand in the purchase price... I mean... if you need 10 new tires because you've got a truck with 10 bad casings right now, you're looking at 4-5 grand, or you are here.
Otherwise, I like to see the truck first thing in the morning. When it's cold. Check under the turbo for heat in the block to see if it's been running or plugged in all night.... An engine that starts cold, has good pressure and doesn't knock and the smoke clears off quick should be in good shape. I'd be leary of buying a truck that I couldn't see start cold. I looked at one a couple weeks ago with a buddy. It was warm enough that we could tell it had run but cold enough to look like a cold start and didn't start all that well. The whole show looked like a scam. That was also a private deal. We went. We looked....
But, if you check all that stuff out, check the airlines, brake pots, slacks, etc. Frame and springs/hangers air bags. Just look it over carefully. You should do OK... and don't be shy about low ball offers.
I bought mine in the back row at a dealership right at the end of the month. Needed one tail light for inspection. 9 year old truck for 10K. For what I do it'll last me a long time.
I tend to trust a dealer a bit more because they have a reputation to stand behind. Joe blow only cares about getting the pesent piece of crap out of his yard. The dealer is also less likely to have delusions about what an old truck is worth...
Rod | |
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Where to find a good semi tractor?
