FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLY LLC vs. the Auction: Which Actually Costs Less?

"Dealer yard vs auction" is the right question, because the auction hammer price is never the price you actually pay. Here is the honest math, the way a buyer who has done both would explain it over coffee.

What the hammer price leaves out

On top of the winning bid, auctions typically stack a buyer's premium (often 8–12%), documentation fees, and sometimes online-bidding surcharges. Add transport you arrange yourself and the fact that the machine is sold as-is — no walkaround video, no return if the hydraulics turn out tired. The cheap number gets less cheap in a hurry.

What a dealer yard adds

Buying from FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLY LLC in Hilliard, you get a published price with taxes handled, a written freight quote before you commit, a walkaround video on request, and the IRON+ 30-Day Guarantee instead of as-is exposure. You are paying for certainty on each machine, not just the machine itself.

The math, roughly

A machine that hammers at $30,000 can land near $34,000–$35,000 after premium, fees, and self-arranged transport — with zero recourse if it disappoints. A dealer unit listed at a comparable published price includes the freight quote and the return window. When the guarantee saves even one bad buy, it pays back the difference many times over.

When the auction still wins

If you can inspect in person, you know the model cold, and you are comfortable with as-is risk, the auction can win on price. For everyone buying sight unseen, the dealer-yard certainty usually wins on total cost. Compare a specific unit at ess-group-florida.com or call (904) 274-0341.