Ritchie Bros. Skid Steer Attachments: Canadian Buyer's Guide

Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers has been running unreserved equipment auctions in Canada for decades. The company rebranded to RB Global in 2023 after acquiring IronPlanet and other platforms, but most Canadian operators still call it Ritchie Bros. — or just "RB." For used skid steer attachments, the RB ecosystem (rbauction.com + IronPlanet.com) is one of the better places to shop, particularly if you're patient and willing to do the inspection legwork.

Used attachments show up here in bulk. Fleet liquidations from rental companies (Sunbelt, ECAN), contractor bankruptcy sales, dealer surplus, municipal fleet disposal — all of it cycles through RB. A Cat quick-attach bucket worth $3,800 new regularly sells for $800–$1,400 at auction. A Bobcat grapple that's barely used can go for half of dealer price. But you need to know what you're buying, how to bid, and what the true cost to your yard is.

How Ritchie Bros. Auctions Work

RB runs unreserved auctions — no hidden reserve price, no seller pulling items if they don't like the result. What bidders offer is what sells. That's the upside. It creates genuine price discovery and means that in a thin auction with few bidders on a specific attachment, you can sometimes win at a fraction of market value.

The downside: you're competing with dealers, scrappers, and professional auction buyers who do this full-time. On popular items — 84-inch GP buckets, grapples in good condition, pallet forks — the price often gets bid close to or above what you'd pay used at a dealer. The deals cluster on specialty or older items that fewer bidders want.

Auction Format

Most RB auctions have a live component (you can attend in person at the yard) combined with online bidding that runs simultaneously. Registered bidders anywhere in Canada can place online bids. The online platform allows you to set a maximum bid — the system then auto-bids on your behalf up to that max, incrementally, as other bids come in. You don't have to be at a computer watching when the lot closes.

Auctions close in sequence. Attachment lots often run mid-auction — after machines but before trucks. Watch the auction schedule and know when your lots come up. Missing your closing window means you lose the lot regardless of your max bid.

Buyer's Premium

This catches people. RB charges a buyer's premium on every transaction — added on top of your winning bid. The rate varies, but as of 2025 it typically runs 10–15% of the hammer price. On a $2,000 winning bid for a trencher attachment, that's $200–$300 added before taxes. Some online lots have an additional online buyer's fee on top of that.

Do this math before you bid, not after. Your true cost is: hammer price + buyer's premium + applicable taxes (GST/HST) + transport. For an attachment that needs to be trucked from Nisku, AB to Winnipeg, add another $400–$800 freight. Budget all of it.

IronPlanet: The Sister Platform

IronPlanet (ironplanet.com) is a separate but RB-owned platform that runs its own weekly online auctions plus "Buy Now" and "Make Offer" (OBO) listings. The difference from rbauction.com is significant for attachment buyers.

IronPlanet auctions are online-only, no yard attendance. The platform focuses on individual items rather than large lot sales. For attachments, this often means better photo coverage, more item-specific detail, and the availability of IronClad Assurance — their condition inspection program.

IronClad Assurance

IronClad Assurance is IronPlanet's third-party inspection service. An RB inspector physically examines the item, completes a standardized condition report, takes photographs, and that report is disclosed in the listing. It's not a guarantee the item works perfectly — it's a documented condition assessment at the time of inspection.

For attachments, an IronClad inspection on a hydraulic grapple might note wear on the tines, condition of the coupler, hydraulic cylinder condition, and visible damage. That's more than you get from seller-uploaded photos alone. Items without an IronClad inspection are sold "as-is," which is exactly what it sounds like.

The honest caveat: IronClad inspections are a snapshot in time and dependent on inspector thoroughness. Community discussions (r/kubota, r/tractors) contain mixed reviews — some buyers swear by them, some have received items in worse shape than the report implied. Treat an IronClad report as useful context, not a warranty.

Canadian Yard Locations to Watch

RB has permanent yards and holds regional auctions across Canada. The main Canadian locations with regular attachment volume:

• Nisku, AB (Edmonton area): The largest RB yard in Western Canada. Alberta's oil-and-gas and construction sector generates constant equipment turnover. Good source for work-grade attachments — buckets, grapples, augers, and specialty oil-patch items. Multiple major auctions per year plus online lots.
• Chilliwack, BC: Serves the Lower Mainland and BC Interior contractor market. Forestry, construction, and landscaping attachments come through here. Less volume than Nisku but more geographically accessible for BC buyers.
• Ontario (various): RB holds auctions at sites near Toronto, Hamilton area, and eastern Ontario. Ontario construction volume means consistent flow of buckets, forks, and general-purpose attachments. Watch the auction calendar — these aren't fixed-yard events.
• Moncton, NB and other Atlantic yards: Lower volume than Western Canada. Marine, forestry, and regional construction attachments show up. Can be good value as fewer competing buyers for the same items.

IronPlanet lists Canadian-located items with a country-of-location filter. Use it — shipping from a US location adds border crossing costs, duty, and brokerage fees that can turn a deal into break-even.

What to Search For

On rbauction.com, navigate to "Attachments" under the equipment category. You can filter by attachment type (bucket, grapple, auger, etc.) and by location. The search is functional but coarse — "skid steer bucket" returns everything from a worn-out 48-inch GP bucket to a lightly used 84-inch Bobcat low-profile. You have to look at each listing.

On IronPlanet, the filtering is somewhat better. You can narrow by brand (Bobcat, Cat, Werk-Brau, Paladin) and get items with condition reports. Use the "Make Offer" section for Buy Now items — some sellers will negotiate, especially if an item has been listed a while.

Common Finds Worth Watching

• GP buckets (48", 60", 72", 84") from rental fleet liquidations — heavy use, but bucket steel is tough and cutting edges are cheap to replace
• Pallet forks — light-duty surplus from rental yards, often in excellent condition since rental customers use them gently compared to construction
• Grapples — root grapples and demo grapples show up regularly; check tine straightness and cylinder condition
• Augers with bits — check tooth/bit wear; auger drives are the expensive part, bits are replaceable
• Snow pushers and blowers — seasonal surplus, often barely used; watch for cracked moldboards and worn cutting edges
• Trencher attachments — chain condition and boom wear are what matter; chains are $200–$500 to replace

Inspection Reality: What to Do Before You Bid

For in-person RB auctions, you can walk the yard and inspect any item before the auction opens. Do this. Bring a flashlight, a phone for photos, and anyone who knows what a worn hydraulic cylinder seal looks like. Open auction inspection is the biggest advantage of in-person attendance over online-only bidding.

For online lots without IronClad: you're relying on seller photos and description. Some lots have 12 photos from multiple angles; some have two distant shots of a bucket in a pile. Be honest with yourself about what you can and can't assess from photos.

What to Check on Photos and Reports

• Coupler/quick-attach plate: Look for cracks, heavy weld repairs, bent hooks, or worn pin holes. A damaged quick-attach plate is a legitimate safety concern and an expensive repair.
• Hydraulic cylinders (if equipped): Look for chrome rod damage, bent rods, seal weeping, or cylinder body damage. Cylinder rebuild on a large grapple is $400–$800 per cylinder.
• Cutting edges and teeth: Heavily worn is fine — replaceable. Cracked or broken cutting edge that's damaged the bucket lip is not fine.
• Structural cracks: Any visible crack in the main frame, bucket lip, or boom is a red flag. Welds can be redone, but inspect them — low-quality weld repairs are common on abused fleet equipment.
• Hydraulic ports and fittings: Capped? Damaged? Missing? Damaged ports mean dirt ingress; missing caps mean you don't know what got in before you bought it.

Bidding Strategy That Actually Works

Set your absolute maximum bid before the auction opens, based on: what you'd pay for a comparable item through a dealer or private sale, minus 15% for buyer's premium, minus your transport cost. Write the number down. Don't change it in the heat of bidding.

Resist the sunk-cost trap. Once you've been bidding on a lot for three days, there's psychological pressure to "win." The attachment doesn't care. If the price exceeds your number, let it go.

Watch the same item type over multiple auctions before bidding. RB runs auctions continuously. If you see a lot close and think "I should have bid on that," watch what comparable items sell for over the next 4–6 weeks. You'll get a real market picture before you put money in.

Alert subscriptions are free — set them up for your target attachment types and you'll get notifications when relevant lots are posted. This is more effective than manually checking weekly.

Timing the Bid

Online lots at RB use an anti-sniping rule: if a bid comes in within the last few minutes of the close, the close time extends by several minutes. This prevents last-second sniping from being decisive the way it is on some other platforms. That said, lots that close late at night or mid-week often see less competing activity than prime-time Saturday afternoon closes. Lots that close late on a Tuesday often end with fewer bidders in the room.

The Tax and Import Question

Canadian buyers purchasing at Canadian RB auctions pay GST/HST on the total invoice (hammer price + buyer's premium). That's expected. If you're considering buying from a US IronPlanet listing, factor in the GST on importation, potential duty under CUSMA/USMCA (generally zero for most equipment from the US), and brokerage fees — typically $100–$250 for routine clearance. A $1,500 attachment from a Michigan RB sale might net $1,850 landed in Ontario.

Alternatives If RB Doesn't Pan Out

Ritchie Bros. isn't the only game. For Canadian used attachments, also check:

• BigIron Auctions: Strong Prairie presence, particularly for farm and contractor equipment in Saskatchewan and Alberta
• Proxibid and Purple Wave: US-focused but some Canadian listings; lower volume than RB
• Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace: Private sales — no buyer's premium, but also no IronClad protection and all the usual private-sale risk of dealing with strangers
• Local dealer trade-ins: Bobcat, Case, and Kubota dealers regularly turn used attachments as trade-ins. Prices are higher than auction but so is accountability — you can usually test-fit and get a brief warranty