Buying used gear: what to ask the seller

This guide lists questions. The maker's manual and the standard that applies where you work say how to inspect a particular device. A seller who cannot answer these questions has told you something too.

Paperwork from the seller

These questions can be put to the seller in writing or by message.

What exactly is it, and who made it, including the model and the serial number or batch marking?
When was it first used, and what has it been used for?
Has it been in a fall, a shock load, a fire, or near chemicals or heat?
Is the maker's manual or instruction sheet included?
Why is it for sale?

If the item turns out to be recalled or stolen, written answers show what the seller said.

Age and service life

The date of manufacture, set against what the maker says about how long that kind of item may be used and when it should be retired, gives the age and service life. That figure is the maker's to give, not the seller's and not ours. HSE names ropes as items subject to high levels of wear and tear.

Two other places set out rules on checks and records.

In the United States, ANSI Z133 is the voluntary safety standard for tree work. The 2026 edition was released on May 27, 2026. Details are in what the International Society of Arboriculture says about it. OSHA says compliance with ANSI standards does not ensure compliance with OSHA policy, see OSHA on tree care standards.
In the United Kingdom, the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 apply. Regulation 9 asks for a thorough examination at least every 6 months for lifting equipment used to lift people, and for an accessory for lifting. Other lifting equipment is at least every 12 months. Examination in line with an examination scheme is also allowed.

HSE's page on lifting equipment in arboriculture says climbing, rigging and anchor points count as lifting equipment. It says arborists should be trained for daily pre-use checks and should keep written weekly records for high-wear items such as ropes. It also says lifting equipment used to lift loads needs a thorough examination by a competent person.

So in the United Kingdom, a good question to a seller is: where are the thorough examination reports, and when was the last one? A seller in the United States, Canada, Australia or New Zealand can still tell you what records exist and who kept them. No page linked here states one retirement age for all gear, so none is given.

Inspection and service records

Is there a log of checks, repairs and who did them?
For a saw, chipper or truck, when was it last serviced, and by whom?
For climbing and rigging items, who used them? One owner or a whole crew?
Has anything been repaired, replaced or modified since it was new?

If there are no records, that is part of the price. Whether the seller will let the item go to someone qualified before payment is a further question.

Labels, copies and missing paperwork

TCI Magazine, the tree care industry magazine of TCIA, wrote that copycat climbing gear is on the rise and easy to order online. Its advice is that a device or component with no information on it should not be used. A used item with no maker, no model and no manual is in that position.

The same magazine's guide to buying climbing gear makes two points a buyer can use, and a second article from the same series adds a third.

It says ANSI Z133 does not set strict requirements for climbing equipment, so what a product was actually tested to is a separate question.
It says there are known cases of fraudulent CE markings.
Part 2 of the series has a list of questions for a buyer that includes a serial number and markings decoder in the instructions that tells you the date of manufacture, and a warning that a price too good to be true probably is.

Two official codes say something about marking and missing manuals.

Country	What the code says
Australia	In its NSW Tree works code of practice, in force from March 27, 2026, SafeWork NSW says lowering hardware should be labelled with its age and working load limit. If a wood chipper's manual cannot be obtained, it says to consider having operating instructions written by a suitably qualified person.
New Zealand	The WorkSafe arboriculture code of practice says no climbing equipment shall be marked for identification, for example by engraving, or altered in a way that undermines its structural integrity. It also says harnesses shall conform to the AS/NZS 1891 standards or equivalent. WorkSafe notes the code has not been updated for current health and safety law.

So an engraved or altered item is a question for the seller and the maker, not a cosmetic detail. For plant, which the NSW code says includes woodchippers, it also says logbooks and inspection check sheets should be kept. SafeWork NSW's woodchipper guide says that maintenance or repairs for each wood-chipper should be recorded.

Used equipment and examination records

The UK rules are the clearest on this. LOLER regulation 9 says lifting equipment obtained from another business must not be used unless it comes with physical evidence that the last thorough examination was done. It also asks for a fresh examination each time exceptional circumstances that could jeopardise the equipment's safety have occurred. Regulation 10 asks for a written record of the inspection. HSE says an examination report must contain the 11 items listed in the regulations, see HSE on thorough examinations.

HSE also says lifting equipment, including accessories, must be clearly marked with its safe working load. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 ask that the result of an inspection is recorded, see regulation 12. The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 ask that PPE is kept in efficient working order and good repair, see regulation 7.

For the other four countries, the pages linked here are about gear in use, not gear for sale. In the United States, OSHA says its fall protection rule, 1910.140, applies to climbing systems in trees, and asks that components are inspected before initial use during each workshift and that defective ones are removed from service. In Canada, Alberta's tree care rules are in Part 39 of its code. Section 795 lists the standards a harness manufactured on or after March 31, 2023 and used in a work positioning system must be approved to, so the manufacture date on a used harness matters there. In Australia, the NSW code says harness inspections must be carried out at least annually.

Recalls and the official lists

A seller may not know about a recall, or may not say. Each country has an official place to look.

Country	Where recalls are listed	What it covers
United States	Recall search on the CPSC site	Consumer product recalls, searchable by date and category
Canada	Recall search on the federal site	Consumer product, health, food and vehicle recalls
United Kingdom	Recall search on the GOV.UK list	Alerts, reports and recalls from the Office for Product Safety and Standards
New Zealand	Recall search on the recalls page	Recalled products, with a tools and machinery category

For Australia, the official recalls site is Product Safety Australia.

For trucks, trailers and wood chippers on wheels, vehicle recalls sit in separate lists. In the United Kingdom the GOV.UK vehicle recall check works by registration number, or by maker and model, and also covers lorries and caravans. In Canada the recalls site above lists vehicle recalls. New Zealand's recalls page links to vehicle recalls from NZTA.

Stolen goods

Proof of purchase and the seller's full name are the basic checks. Warning signs include a price far below the going rate, a seller who will only meet in a car park, or serial numbers that have been scratched off.

For a truck or other vehicle in the United States, NICB's VINCheck is free. You enter the 17-digit VIN. It tells you whether the vehicle was reported stolen and not recovered, or reported salvage or flood-damaged, by participating insurance companies. NICB says you get five searches in 24 hours per IP address. A clear result only means no match was found in that data.

For saws, hand tools and climbing gear in the United States and Canada, no official public lookup is linked here.

In the United Kingdom, a National Business Crime Centre page, written with police, advises tradespeople to mark their tools and note the serial numbers, preferably by registering them on a national database, so ownership can be proved. A seller who has a photo of the serial number or a register entry is easier to trust than one who has neither. In New Zealand, police say that serial numbers help track stolen goods.

Chippers and trucks: paperwork

The registration or title document, with the seller's name on it, and the VIN or serial number matching the machine.
Any service history, and the manual.
For a vehicle, the recall check above, run with the VIN or registration number.
For a trailer or truck in the United Kingdom, the GOV.UK MOT history check. For HGVs and trailers it only shows tests done since 2018. GOV.UK says a driver can be fined up to £1,000 for driving a vehicle without a valid MOT, see getting an MOT.
For a vehicle in New Zealand, the arboriculture code says vehicles shall meet all legal requirements, including a current Warrant of Fitness and registration.
For a used vehicle in Ontario, a safety standards certificate is not a warranty or guarantee of the vehicle's condition, the province says.
For anything that lifts people or loads, such as a rear-mounted lift or a platform, the examination reports required where you work. In the United Kingdom that is the thorough examination under LOLER above.
Whether anyone else still has a claim on it, such as a loan secured against the machine.

For what to carry once the gear is bought, see the guide on what goes in a climber's bag.