Selling used attachments isn't like selling a machine. The buyers are more specialized, the platforms are different, and the condition grading is more nuanced than most people expect. Here's how to get the best price with the least hassle.
Before you put anything on Marketplace or call a dealer, answer three questions:
Also find the original purchase receipt or invoice if you have it. Provenance helps — a buyer knows it was purchased new in Canada, not imported from a US dealer or auction.
The used equipment market has rough but consistent grading language. Knowing these grades helps you price accurately and avoids mismatched expectations:
| Grade | Description | Typical Price vs. New |
|---|---|---|
| Like New | Rarely used, minimal wear, all functions perfect, no cracks or welds | 70–85% |
| Excellent | Light use, some surface wear, no structural damage, hydraulics fully functional | 55–70% |
| Good | Moderate use, wear visible on edges and pins, all functions work, may have minor repairs | 40–55% |
| Fair | Heavy use, wear edges cracked or replaced, welds visible, hydraulics work but seals may need service | 25–40% |
| Parts/Project | Significant damage, missing components, non-functional hydraulics | 10–25% |
Most attachments coming off a working machine land in the Good to Excellent range. Don't call something "Excellent" when it has cracked cutting edges and evidence of a torch repair on the frame — that's Fair. Buyers know what to look for, and overgrading destroys trust.
Fresh cutting edges on a bucket can meaningfully increase sale price. A worn edge down to 20% of its original thickness makes a bucket look neglected. New edges cost $200–$500 CAD installed depending on bucket width. If replacing them lets you price the bucket $800 more and sell it faster, it's worth doing. If the bucket is so worn that new edges don't save it, don't bother.
Same logic applies to quick-attach wear plates. A fresh set of wear plates on the coupler plate signals to the buyer that the previous owner maintained the equipment — which affects their confidence in buying the whole unit.
The fastest way to move an attachment is to trade it into the dealer where you're buying your next piece of equipment. The trade-in value will be the lowest possible number — dealers need margin — but it's immediate, there's no listing effort, and you avoid having to deal with buyers yourself.
What dealers typically offer for trade: 30–50% of what they'll retail it for. On a $10,000 retail attachment, expect a $3,500–$5,000 trade-in credit. That number is negotiable, particularly if:
Get competing trade-in quotes from multiple dealers. A Bobcat dealer and an independent attachment dealer may have very different valuations for the same piece.
Ritchie Bros. is the dominant heavy equipment auction platform in Canada. They run major auction events in Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto, and other centres throughout the year, plus continuous online bidding through their IronPlanet platform.
Ritchie Bros. works best for:
The commission structure for sellers varies. Ritchie Bros. typically charges sellers 0% commission (they earn on the buyer's premium — currently 15–18% on top of hammer price for most lots). You don't pay commission, but you also don't control the final price. An attachment worth $12,000 might sell for $8,000 at auction. Or it might sell for $13,000 if two motivated buyers want it.
Consigning to a Ritchie Bros. event typically means delivering the attachment to their yard or having it inspected on-site, listing cutoff dates 2–4 weeks before the auction, and waiting for a sale date that may be 4–8 weeks out. Not ideal if you need the money fast.
IronPlanet is Ritchie Bros.' online-only auction platform. The buying experience is different from a live auction — items have inspection reports, set bidding windows, and buyers can inspect directly or rely on the IronClad Assurance guarantee (which covers items inspected by IronPlanet and guarantees they're as described).
For sellers in Canada, IronPlanet can reach US buyers easily — which matters if you have an attachment category that's in demand south of the border. USD exchange rate advantage can work in your favour if you're pricing for Canadian buyers but US buyers show up wanting to bid.
Note that cross-border sales through IronPlanet trigger import/export considerations for the buyer. Most US buyers factor this in. For you as a Canadian seller, you just get paid in whatever currency the deal closes at — IronPlanet handles the buyer transaction.
For attachments under $8,000–$10,000, Facebook Marketplace has become the most active used equipment platform in Canada. The buyer pool for skid steer attachments on Marketplace is large — small contractors, farms, landscapers, homeowners — and the listing effort is minimal.
What makes a Facebook listing actually work:
Cash and local pickup is the norm for Marketplace transactions. If someone asks you to ship and pay via e-transfer before pickup, that's a scam pattern — particularly common for attachments. Don't do it.
Kijiji remains relevant in some Canadian markets — particularly Quebec, where it outperforms Facebook Marketplace for local listings in French-speaking communities. For the rest of Canada, Kijiji's equipment listings have thinned out as Marketplace absorbed them. Still worth cross-posting; it costs nothing.
Don't overlook niche channels. Private Facebook groups for specific trades and regions move equipment quickly among buyers who know what they're looking at:
A posting in the right group can move an attachment in 24 hours without any auction fees or dealer margins. The buyers in these groups are typically qualified — they own machines, they understand attachments, they're not going to ask "is this the same as what Home Depot sells?"
Price research is straightforward if you're systematic:
A common mistake: pricing to what you paid rather than what the market is. Equipment depreciates. A hydraulic breaker you paid $18,000 for in 2018 may be a $9,000–$11,000 item today depending on condition and how the used market has moved. Buyers who are doing their homework will know this. Sellers who won't accept it will sit on their equipment for months.
Power wash. Seriously. An attachment that looks like it was just pulled out of a mud pit is hard to accurately assess from photos and creates doubt. A clean attachment shows buyers what they're actually evaluating — real wear patterns, actual welds, true condition. This isn't hiding anything; it's making the honest condition visible.
Touch up with paint if there are rust spots forming on bare steel. A can of implement paint is $15 and prevents further oxidation. Don't paint over cracks or welds — that's hiding damage, which will cost you the sale when the buyer inspects in person.
US buyers watching Canadian listings on Kijiji or IronPlanet are real. With a historically favorable CAD/USD exchange rate, Canadian-priced attachments can look attractive to American buyers — particularly for lower-volume specialty attachments where US supply is thin.
If you're selling to a US buyer, you're responsible for export documentation (bill of sale, possibly NAFTA/CUSMA origin documentation). The buyer handles US import and any duty. This is straightforward for most used attachments — they're typically duty-free under CUSMA if manufactured in Canada or the US. Encourage the buyer to work with a customs broker at their port of entry.
Get payment in full before the attachment leaves your property. Wire transfer or certified bank draft. No exceptions.