REDLINE CRANES – INDUSTRY INSIGHT
What a Crane Really Costs: Why the Purchase Price Is Only the Beginning
Redline Cranes, Kewdale WA | Crane Sales & Refurbishment Specialists
When it is time to expand your fleet or replace ageing equipment, auction listings can look like an efficient way to secure value. The photos are polished, the opening bid is appealing, and the opportunity can be hard to ignore. But in the crane industry, the purchase price is only part of the equation. At Redline Cranes, we have seen buyers discover structural issues, compliance gaps, and repair costs after purchase that significantly change the real cost of the machine.
From our Kewdale base, Redline Cranes supports Perth and regional Western Australia with crane hire, sales, servicing, and refurbishment. Every machine we sell is inspected, rebuilt where required, painted, tested, and certified, then backed by practical advice, warranty support, and more than a decade of OEM-level experience.
The Redline Refurbishment Standard
Redline’s refurbishment process is designed to protect buyers from costly surprises. Each crane is assessed against an internal benchmark before our in-house technicians complete a full strip-down and address mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, and structural systems under one roof.
Our in-house panel and paint work gives each machine a clean, durable finish suited to harsh Australian conditions and demanding job sites. When a crane leaves our workshop, it is presented to a high standard and prepared for dependable service.
All refurbished cranes leave Kewdale with current CraneSafe certification and 10-year compliance, so they are ready for compliant WA worksites from day one. That reduces the risk of delays, unexpected rectification, and paperwork after purchase.
5 Reasons Buyers Choose Redline for Refurbished Cranes
- Full inspection history and transparency
Every crane we sell comes with a documented service history and pre-sale inspection report. You can see what work was completed, what parts were replaced, and what condition the machine is in before you commit.
- Warranty and after-sales support
Selected refurbished cranes include limited warranties and ongoing after-sales support from our Kewdale workshop. If something needs attention after purchase, you have a local team ready to assist and a clear path to follow-up support. We also provide after-sales technical support, with both phone and online assistance available for your employees and contractors.
- WA-compliant and site-ready on day one
Every Redline crane ships with current CraneSafe certification and meets WA workplace safety standards. That means less waiting, fewer compliance headaches, and a faster path to productive work on site.
- OEM-level expertise behind every machine
Redline was founded by Managing Director Michael Verhulst, whose extensive hands-on background with Terex informed the standards we hold ourselves to. Our technicians bring that OEM-level knowledge to every strip-down, rebuild, and pre-delivery check.
- Local WA support you can actually reach
As a WA-based, family-owned business, we offer responsive local service and practical support throughout the buying process. We are a phone call away, and our yard in Kewdale is open for onsite inspections by appointment.
“Not every crane makes it into our refurbishment program. We’re selective about which machines we invest our time in — because our reputation is on the line with every unit that leaves our workshop.”
Knowing What You’re Buying — That’s Where It Starts
Auctions can be an excellent place to source quality crane equipment, and we know this because Redline Cranes buys from them regularly. Major auction houses move significant iron, and genuine value is there to be found. The key variable is not the auction itself, but the expertise required to assess the machine properly and understand what it will take to bring it into service.
When our team attends an auction, we assess mechanical condition, identify likely wear, estimate compliance costs, and build a realistic refurbishment budget before bidding. That expertise helps us spot value quickly, avoid high-risk machines, and buy with a clear view of the work required to bring a crane up to standard.
For buyers without specialist technical experience, that assessment can be difficult. What looks cost-effective at first can change quickly once the full scope of work becomes clear:
What the Bid Price Doesn’t Tell You
- Hidden mechanical and structural issues are difficult to identify without specialist knowledge — boom wear, hydraulic fatigue, and electrical faults won’t show up in photographs or a brief walk-around
- Compliance costs are hard to predict without knowing exactly what rectification work a CraneSafe or 10-year inspection will require on any given machine.
- Refurbishment scope is easy to underestimate — what looks like a minor fix can uncover a cascade of underlying issues once the machine is in the workshop and properly assessed.
- The true landed cost — purchase price plus freight, compliance, parts, and labour — is rarely what it appears at the time of bidding without an experienced eye calculating the full picture.
When you buy a refurbished crane through Redline, much of that assessment, preparation, and rectification work has already been completed. You get a site-ready machine with transparent pricing, warranty support, and local backing, giving you greater clarity before the crane goes to work.
Redline Cranes specialises in Franna pick-and-carry models from 15 to 40 tonne, as well as all-terrain, crawler, and spider cranes for construction, mining, civil infrastructure, and logistics applications across Western Australia. Because refurbishment work is completed in-house at our Kewdale workshop, we can verify the standard of every machine we sell.
When uptime, compliance, and lifting performance matter, buying with confidence matters too. Redline delivers proven equipment, local support, and practical expertise built through more than a decade in WA’s crane industry.
Buy with confidence.
