Availability needs a specific question
“Can you get parts?” is easy to answer optimistically. Ask instead how a replacement would be identified and ordered for the exact model, year and configuration you are considering. A general promise about a brand may not apply to an older or imported variant.
Request a parts catalogue or an explanation of the supplier's identification process. Record which serial details they need and where those details can be found without unsafe access.
Try a realistic enquiry
Ask the supplier to identify a routine service item and a model-specific replacement component from the correct documentation. Request a quotation and indicative lead time, clearly dated. This is an information check, not a reason to order unnecessary spares.
Distinguish stock held locally from parts available to order elsewhere. Ask how back orders and obsolete components are handled. Treat delivery estimates as estimates; they can change before a future breakdown.
Look beyond the item price
Consider carriage, workshop access, diagnostic support and the time needed to establish the correct part. Ask whether a local competent service provider is willing to work on the machine and can obtain the necessary information.
An unusually cheap machine may still suit your needs, but the decision should include the consequences of a difficult repair. Avoid comparing only a service-kit price while ignoring the support required for faults.
Be careful with substitutes
If an alternative component is proposed, obtain confirmation that it is appropriate for the actual machine and task. Do not assume that similar dimensions or a matching connector establish suitability. Safety-critical replacements need competent selection and fitting.
See HSE's maintenance guidance for the importance of suitable maintenance arrangements and competence.
Save the support trail
Keep supplier contacts, catalogue references and correspondence in the machinery record folder. Recheck them before the busy period rather than after a failure. The point is not to guarantee that a machine will never be unavailable; it is to understand how you would obtain a reliable answer when it is.