Buyers and Sellers Get Connected

Equipmentconnector.com features more than 13,000 loaders, excavators and other equipment from 800+ dealers across North America.

Looking to buy a previously owned telehandler to add to your fleet? Or are you interested in selling a backhoe that you no longer need or under utilize?

With the recent launch of equipmentconnector.com, buyers and sellers of used construction equipment - ranging from telehandlers and skid-steer loaders to attachments and trenchers - can easily find each other in one location that satisfies both their needs.

Equipmentconnector.com was jointly launched by Cygnus Business Media, the publisher of Equipment Today, and IRON Solutions, a leading provider of market intelligence and software as a service in the agriculture, outdoor power and construction industries.

Powered by IRON Search, equipmentconnector.com launches with more than 13,000 loaders, excavators and other types of construction and turf and landscape equipment from 800+ dealers across North America. The inclusion of for-sale-by-owner listings further enhances the site for buyers and sellers.

From a buyer's perspective, there is simply more equipment from which to choose beyond dealer inventories. From a seller's standpoint, each listing comes with free appraisals to help determine a fair price for equipment. Plus, equipmentconnector.com optimizes listings for Google and Bing search engines, giving equipment visibility by putting it front and center for potential buyers.

"This new service immediately benefits equipment dealers by giving them access to thousands of pieces of equipment, sorted by type, price and age," says Kris Flitcroft, brand director, Cygnus Business Media - Publishing. "It's a natural extension of our long history of service to the construction industry."

A natural fit

Equipmentconnector.com is powered by IRONsearch.com, IRON Solution's successful online equipment listing service for buying and selling used agricultural, industrial and outdoor power equipment.

Expansion into the construction industry is a natural fit, says Darwin Melnyk, president/CEO, IRON Solutions. "Increasingly, IRON has been accumulating and managing construction equipment information," he says. "Light construction equipment - in particular, skid-steer loaders, telehandlers and backhoes - is sold at agricultural dealerships, so there is an overlap of products. Through our alliance with Cygnus, we are able to take advantage of a dimensional audience of buyers, sellers, financers, etc., and broaden into construction with a dedicated site."

The ability to shop for equipment online from the comforts of your home or office is an attractive proposition that is growing in popularity. "To keep costs down, people want to be able to make informed decisions without traveling," says Melnyk. "It has become a global marketplace for machinery at the individual level. Equipment owners are buying and selling across the state, across the nation and across the globe. Having information that can be easily searched and found is a tremendous benefit."

Providing rich information

Rich information is a key component of the equipmentconnector.com listings, emphasizes Melnyk. "This is a place for buyers and sellers to find equipment that's accurately listed with good descriptions and photos," he states.

Accuracy is achieved through a number of avenues - for starters, the manner in which information is gathered. "It's important for an end user to know what's included, and what could have been included, on a piece of equipment," Melnyk says. "We have a team of editors who specialize in equipment, follow trends and know what options make a piece of equipment more valuable."

This editorial team is the backbone of the Official Guides, published by IRON Solutions, which provide the agriculture, light industrial and outdoor power equipment industries with detailed and timely information about equipment specifications and serial numbers, used tractor values and agricultural equipment appraisals. These publications are based on actual reported tractor dealer and auctioneer prices to provide an accurate assessment of value.

"We are often referred to as the 'Kelly Blue Book' of the equipment industry," Melnyk notes. "Like KBB or NADA Guides in the auto industry, we do help assess the value of equipment based on actual sold transactions, not just retail advertised prices. Value is based on what the market says equipment is worth when a deal is done and a sale is made."

In addition to providing market value, Melnyk relates that contractors can use the site to research whether or not purchasing or selling a particular piece of equipment makes good business sense. "For example, a contractor can look and see what skid steers are going for in the market, then decide whether to buy or sell," he says.

With the launch of the site, equipmentconnector.com provides appraisals from the Official Guides for outdoor power equipment, including skid steers, to help determine a fair price for equipment. Look for Official Guides for the construction industry to be available soon.

Video brings equipment to life

Photos and video also enhance equipmentconnector.com listings. "With the cost of digital and video cameras being relatively low, the ability to provide detailed information is possible," Melnyk indicates.

The inclusion of video, in particular, improves a listing. "Video has become popular," he explains. "Potential buyers can hear the equipment and can see a complete machine walk-around. Much of this equipment represents a big asset purchase and is costly to buy. With equipmentconnector.com, you can see the equipment and get rich information about it sitting in front of your laptop with a cup of coffee. That's powerful."

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