All items at Kiefer Auctions sell AS-IS, WHERE-IS — which means the preview period is your best friend. Here's a practical checklist for inspecting farm equipment before you place a single bid.
Start with the obvious: Look for leaks. Walk around the equipment and look underneath. Oil, hydraulic fluid, coolant — any active drips are a red flag. Small drips may be acceptable; active streams are not.
Check the hours and condition of wear items. High hours aren't necessarily bad, but they need to match the price. Look at the tires, tracks, bucket edges, and cutting edges. These are expensive to replace and tell you a lot about how the machine was used.
Attempt to start it (when permitted). Most live auctions allow you to start equipment during preview. Listen for unusual knocking, excessive smoke on startup, or anything that doesn't sound right. Blue smoke = oil burning. White smoke = coolant issue or cold start. Black smoke = fuel system.
Look at the serial plate and confirm it matches the title. VIN/serial number verification is critical for titled equipment. If the numbers don't match, there may be a title problem that could affect your ability to register the vehicle.
Ask questions — we're there to help. Our team is on-site during every preview period. If you have a specific question about an item's history or condition, ask us. We'll tell you everything we know.