Know your max buy before you bid.

Send the machinery listing you're considering. We work out the purchase ceiling that targets your margin under the stated assumptions, and show the resale evidence and every cost through resale.

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The listed 2019 CAT 320 GC at the dealer's yard, rear three-quarter view
Sample analysis

2019 CAT 320 GC

Hours
7,128 h
Route
Trittau, DE → Poland
Dated
26 Sep 2026
Calculated max buy · targets a 10% margin
≈€48,300
Dealer asking price€69,800
Gap to the ceiling€21,500 above
PASS at the ask
Confidence: Medium 11 dealer asks, not sales Why Medium →

Source: dealer listing on Mascus, captured 26 Sep 2026. Photo: Schimanski GmbH. EUR ex VAT.

The listing says €69,800. The numbers say €48,300.

The purchase ceiling is the most you can pay and still keep your target margin after every cost through resale: transport, inspection, service, finance, fees and selling. It holds only if the resale estimate holds, so every analysis shows the evidence and the assumptions behind it.

What an analysis contains · sample prepared 26 Sep 2026

A correctly priced retail machine, not a trade opportunity.

Adjusted for spec, undercarriage and the missing bucket, the ask sits at full retail. Bought at retail to resell in Poland, there's no room for transport, costs or margin.

Read the full analysis (PDF) → Source listing ↗
Calculated max buy
≈ €48,300
Dealer asking price
€69,800

€21,500 above the calculated ceiling

Estimated result if bought at the ask
−€14,048 (−21.3% of resale)
Expected resale (estimate)
€66,000 (range €61k–€71.5k)
Evidence confidence
Medium 11 dealer asks, not sales

Three findings that set the ceiling

  • Observedin the listing text or photos
  • Seller's claimstated, not verified
  • Estimatecalculated from evidence
  • Assumptiona judgment the number depends on
  1. Cab-side decal reading CAT 320 GC
    Evidence · cab decal, crop from listing photo, 26 Sep 2026
    1

    320 GC, not a standard 320

    The listing text and the cab decal both say GC, Cat's lower-spec model, so standard 320 comparables overstate resale.

    Effect on the ceilingThe report takes 8% off resale for the GC spec. Without that adjustment the ceiling would be about €52,140.

    Observed: GC variantAssumption: −8% for GC
  2. Left track and undercarriage of the listed machine
    Evidence · undercarriage, crop from listing photo, 26 Sep 2026
    2

    Undercarriage “40% gut”

    The seller describes the undercarriage as 40% good. It hasn't been measured. The €2,500 service reserve assumes it is not replaced.

    Effect on the ceilingIf a new undercarriage is needed (+€11,000), the ceiling falls to €37,256.

    Seller's claim: 40%Estimate: €11,000 replacement
  3. 3

    No bucket in the price

    The €69,800 ask excludes a bucket. The seller offers a 1.4 m bucket for €2,400, which the model adds to the cost.

    Effect on the ceilingIf the seller includes the bucket, the ceiling rises to €50,656.

    Observed: listing terms
See the cost workingsHow €80,048 and €48,256 are calculated. EUR ex VAT; margin is a share of resale, not markup on cost.

Total estimated cost at the €69,800 ask

Dealer asking price (no buyer premium)€69,800
+ Bucket, offered separately by seller€2,400
+ Transport Trittau → Poznań~620 km permit load; estimate, not a quote€2,200
+ Pre-purchase inspection incl. travel€600
+ Service reserveexpected service/refurbishment; undercarriage not replaced€2,500
+ Finance, 8% a year for 90 dayson purchase plus the costs above (treated as paid at purchase, a simplification)€1,548
+ Selling costslisting, prep, Polish registration paperwork€1,000
+ VAT, net costsee VAT note below€0
Total estimated cost through resale€80,048
Expected resale€66,000
Estimated result at ask−€14,048

Calculated max buy (reverse calculation)

Expected resale€66,000
− Target margin, 10% of resalemargin on resale price, not markup on cost€6,600
− Risk allowance, 2% of resalefor uncertainty in the estimate; separate from the service reserve€1,320
− Costs through resale at the lower pricesame costs; finance recalculated on the lower price€9,824
Calculated max buy€48,256

Shown elsewhere as ≈ €48,300 (nearest €100). Buying at exactly €48,300 uses €44 of the €1,320 risk allowance; the 10% target margin is unaffected. The forward result at ask excludes the risk allowance; the ceiling includes it.

Purchase basis. The ceiling assumes you buy the bucket separately; with the bucket included, the report puts it at €50,656. VAT (this example only). 0% intra-EU supply with reverse charge in Poland, so net VAT cost is €0, but some sellers charge 19% until proof of transport arrives (~€13,300 of cash tied up for 2–6 weeks). Confirm with your adviser.

Evidence and uncertainty

What supports the number, and what doesn't

Every analysis rates its own evidence. The rating tells you how much weight the ceiling can carry before you bid.

What the confidence rating means

  • HighResale rests on completed sales of closely matching machines, and the condition facts that move value are verified.
  • MediumConsistent comparable evidence, but based on asking prices or unverified condition statements. Treat the ceiling as a firm guide, not a guarantee.
  • LowFew or distant comparables, or key facts missing. The range is wide; the report says what would firm it up.

Why this sample is Medium

  • Asking prices, not sales. No public EU sold prices for 320 GCs were available; real transaction levels may be closer to trader asks.
  • The −8% GC discount is an assumption, based on new-machine price positioning.
  • Undercarriage condition is the seller's statement; it hasn't been measured.
  • Transport (€2,200) is an estimate for a 22 t permit load, not a quote.

How €66,000 resale was reached

Adjusted median of 11 current EU dealer asking prices for 2018–20 Next Gen CAT 320s (€69,000), less an assumed 7% ask-to-deal discount (−€4,830), plus about €2,000 for the Polish market (thin evidence: one Polish listing). Each ask is adjusted to the listed machine for spec, year, hours and extras.

Three of the 11 comparables. All are dealer asking prices, EUR ex VAT, as shown on Mascus on 26 Sep 2026. Listings may have changed.
Machine · sellerHoursAsking priceAdjusted
2019 CAT 320 + bucket
Schimanski GmbH (DE), same seller		5,380€84,900€69,868
2020 CAT 320-07C
Zeppelin Baumaschinen (DE), Cat dealer		9,318€78,000€69,796
2019 CAT 320-07B
BAS World (NL), high-volume trader		10,423€59,950€61,400

Adjustments: −8% for GC spec (assumption), ±€4,000 per model year, €2.00 per hour, and deductions for extras such as a bucket or better undercarriage. All 11 comparables, with links, are in the full report.

What would move the ceiling

From the report's sensitivity table. None reaches the €69,800 ask.
ScenarioResaleMax buyResult at ask
Resale at trade-ask level (range low)€61,000€43,942−€19,048
Base case€66,000€48,256−€14,048
No GC discount in the market€70,500€52,140−€9,548
Upper-quartile ask achieved (range high)€71,500€53,003−€8,548
Buyer requires a new undercarriage€66,000€37,256−€25,048

Two more sample analyses, two different calls

Prepared 26 Sep 2026 for auctions closing about 1 Oct 2026. Ceilings target 10% of expected resale. Auction results are not shown.

Machine · routeVerdictCalculated max buyExpected resaleConfidenceReport
2016 Volvo EC220EL · 18,499 hEuro Auctions Leeds (UK) → Netherlands. Hours from listing photo 53. PASSunless it stalls at or below £18,400 after on-site checks £18,400hammer ≈ €21,400 €42,000€36k–€46k Low–mediumno sold comparables at this hour level PDF →
2013 Manitou MT1840 · 6,412 hKlaravik online auction (SE) → Belgium WATCHbid 165,400 SEK (≈ €14,650) on 26 Sep 250,900 SEK≈ €22,200 if the buyer fee is 5% €35,000€32k–€38k Mediumbuyer fee not public PDF →

Verdicts: BUY = price at or below the ceiling, no blocking risk. WATCH = price not settled; bid only up to the ceiling. PASS = price above the ceiling, or risks the ceiling can't cover. Euro values use ECB reference rates of 25 Sep 2026 plus a 0.5% conversion spread.

How it works

Send a listing today. Have the number within 24 hours.

  1. Step 1

    Send the listing

    Paste the link and tell us where the machine is going and the margin you need. It takes about two minutes.

  2. Step 2

    We review it by hand

    Exact variant and condition, comparable evidence, and the full cost route to your destination. Nothing is fully automated.

  3. Step 3

    You get the recommendation

    A PDF brief by email within 24 hours, like the sample above, with a short summary in the email itself.

What you send

Listing link
Dealer site, Mascus, or an online auction lot
Destination
Your yard or resale market
Target margin
As a percentage of resale, not markup on cost
Deadline
When the auction or offer closes, if it does
Email
Where we send the analysis

Timing and scope

Within 24 hours of submission. If an auction closes sooner, give the closing time; we'll reply to confirm whether we can deliver before it.

Machines: excavators, wheel loaders and telehandlers from EU or UK dealers and online auctions.

What it isn't: not a physical inspection, certified valuation or tax advice. The report lists what to check on site and includes an inspection cost.

Pricing

Your first analysis is free. A flat plan is planned for regular use.

First analysis

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  • Calculated max buy at your target margin, and a verdict against the current price
  • Resale evidence with sources, each labelled as an ask or a completed sale
  • Cost workings through resale, a confidence rating and what would change the number
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