Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Equipment Purchase topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tamworth board weighs buying used backhoe/loader and short-term rental amid equipment issues
Summary
At a Select Board meeting, staff discussed a used backhoe/loader that an owner could hold until Jan. 1, compared to $155,000–$160,000 for a new machine; members weighed repair costs on existing equipment and short-term rental as an interim option.
Town staff and board members discussed options for the transfer station’s loader and a backup backhoe during a Select Board meeting.
Brian Gillespie presented a used machine that the owner said he could hold until Jan. 1 and described it as having pilot controls, a new bucket, forks and other attachments. Board discussion referenced used-unit prices (the presenter cited a figure of roughly $5,500 in one exchange) versus new machines, which another participant put at about $155,000–$160,000 for a new articulating loader with attachments.
Members noted practical trade-offs: the existing machine has several hydraulic leaks and a fuel-tank leak that staff said would be repaired in the next week; other leaks suggested the present tractor may not be worth a major investment. Options discussed included buying a good used machine, trading in the older unit, or renting a machine short-term while the board continues to explore used and dealer options.
Gillespie said the owner could hold the used machine until Jan. 1 if the town wanted time to decide; the board asked staff to survey dealers and look for other used machines and grants (one board member asked staff to check whether a diesel-equipment grant was still available). The board did not take a final purchasing vote that evening and asked staff to return with additional cost and funding information.
