Insight on buying a mini excavator vs renting

[Seven Gables]

Ahh the cobbleko, been hoping you add some pics, thanks. Hmmm is right. When I look at it I'm trying to justify or not justify the hours. Tracks if original?, look to be at ballpark 75% from pics best I can see, that adds up correct. Can't see the cutting edge on blade but the top side looks pretty straight , does it appear to have some original paint still on the front of it? Bottom half of the track frames have seen some pretty good abrasion I would say for less than 900hrs. Boom and arm look to have taken some hits but not too bad. Do you know what it spent most of its life doing? I'd take a guess it's been used in a woods quite a bit and around some rocky ground. Thumb isn't bucket pin mounted but still better than mechanical. Is the roof in one piece? Do any of the filters have hrs and dates marked on them? What's the engine and hyd bays look like under the hoods? Pretty sure it's got a yanmar engine which is excellent especially if hrs are correct . Make sure the main hyd pump is original, if not walk away quick. If possible run it for a good 1/2 HR or more and with a good flashlight look real hard for leaks. If you feel the hrs are correct that machine should have a lot of life left and I believe a well built unit. If I bought it I'd spend some time cleaning and generally fixing it up where I could , would do a lot for resale. I guess my .02 for what it's worth.

 

[gtbensley]

Seller does not know the history, he purchased from a dealer to resell.

The blade looks to have original paint and is very good shape. We do not know if the tracks are original but I would guess no.

I ran it for about a half hour in his yard. No leaks or anything abnormal noted. It has some dampness around the valve body where all the lines attache. Looked like one fitting was more damp then others.

Seller added thumb so guessing it never had one. He bought it with a smaller 12 trenching bucket that looks in decent shape.

The hours seem close until I look at the skids for the track, those look used.

Seller is a down to earth honest guy. He doesn't know much about it but is open with what he knows. Guesses it's a few thousand hour machine.

Boom is nice and tight and everything seems to work well on it. I get hung up on age for the price.

It looks to have original pump and yes it's a Yanmar motor

 

[gtbensley]

Also went and looked at a 2014 kx71-3 with 1900 hours. Clean right machine but when I pulled the oil filler cap I got some pressure and oil splatter out. I would consider this abnormal and bad no?

Case didn't do that.
My 7.3 diesel didn't do that
My b7500 kubota doesn't do that

It starts and runs great however so not sure if normal as the filler is right up on the timing cover down low.

It's a v1505 motor I believe

 

[Seven Gables]

Well after reading your last post on the 36b I don't think I'd want to give even 20k for it. With the current owner guessing few K hours and tracks likely replaced its a very safe bet he's right . I'm not a fan of buying any machine with hours definatally Unknown . Is the hour meter working now? Also doesn't speak well for previous owners concern for doing hourly maintenance . Your 20k budget for a 8-9k excavator makes it pretty tough to find what your looking for. Don't know your financial situation but about 25-30 looks like would get you what you want. With int being quite low even if you borrowed 10k at 3-4% that's only 3-4 hundred/year, in my opinion money well spent to get a lot nicer odds are more trouble free machine. Get your principal back when you sell. As to that kx71 good ton lighter machine and no you shouldn't have pressure under the oil cap. Best thing you mentioned your not in a hurry, that's always a plus.

 

[gtbensley]

Yup, I'm thinking of stretching to 25k.

 

[two_bit_score]

A couple of thoughts. It’s already been brought up, but do you really know what you are looking at used? I know how it works, after you own something for a while you learn the quirks and problem areas.

I always look at something from a cost per use or in the case of equipment per hour. A strange example, a bicycle. I was unsure about buying a $500 Trek bicycle years ago. If I road it twice and let it sit, that was $250 a ride, a bad purchase. I have probably rode it several hundred times so it’s maybe only $1 a ride now, a good purchase.

I have actually sat down and estimated my last tractor cost per hour, a Kubota BX. I tried to figure everything, residual value, fuel, maintain etc. it’s probably a little less than $15 per hour. So if it takes me an hour and a half to mow, could I hire it done for $25? Not even close.

So if you buy a mini exec for $20k, work it for a couple of years and sell it for 20k, you probably just had a few dollars an hour in it for fuel and maintenance. On the other hand you buy one with problems, spend 10k on fixing it, don’t use it much, you could have several hundred dollars per hour to use it, a bad purchase.

My point is can you get a good buy, not have to put a bunch of money in it, and sell it for near what you paid? The safe thing is to rent, but that may or may not be the correct answer. There will always be people that buy cheap and sell high but are you that person?

I agree. Just want to emphasize one thing. The key words are how much he will use it and, secondarily, how much that use is worth to him.

 

[fried1765]

Yup, I'm thinking of stretching to 25k.

If you buy a GOOD machine, it will be easy to sell that good machine, when you want to upgrade.

 

[kthompson]

Have by far not read most of this thread, but I did about same you are wanting to several years back. Only one problem, never ever will get all the jobs done so I can sell the excavator. Never. My wife told me few years after I bought it you will never sell it as we keep having new jobs pop up.

We bought it to clear logging debris. We then used it to load dirt (an acre pond worth, about 6 feet deep.) and level it. Dug many many stumps from logging. Installed drainage lines in fields and three yards. Removed trees to clear up around fields. Removed old unwanted shrubs. Pulled tractors, even dump truck out of bogs. Transplanted trees. Cleaned up after hurricanes. The list really keeps going.

I bought a used Volvo off line but direct from Volvo with a verified inspection on the machine. It is just over 9,000 pounds and open cab. Do I wish it were enclosed, some times very much but it has served me well. One suggestion I will make, try to find mechanics that would work on it for you. Ask their thoughts. My volvo as to mechanic has been good, the electronics another story. The control panel was replaced by Volvo before I bought it, I have replaced it I think twice and the one in it now has failed and we have bypassed it enough to crank and run it. Not desired but at a $1,000 plus for the control panel (was $2,000) but the new ones don't have all the features best option.

 

[FrancisC]

I had the same dilemma a couple of years ago, had a concrete job to do on the farm. Rented for a few days, made a list of jobs that could use an excavator and it kept on growing and growing, did the math. Ended up buying a 5 ton excavator. It has more than paid itself just in rental fees and I can still sell it for same price I've paid for it, if not more depending on when you sell. Follow the seasons, there's a big difference in price. Buy late fall, sell spring. Also bought an auger, a thumb, a hammer and a jib crane for it. Obviously, everyone's situation is unique. How much usage will it get vs rental/mobilization fees, what size needed, storage space (I'm a stickler when it comes to storing my equipment, I don't leave anything outside)

 

[Seven Gables]

I had the same dilemma a couple of years ago, had a concrete job to do on the farm. Rented for a few days, made a list of jobs that could use an excavator and it kept on growing and growing, did the math. Ended up buying a 5 ton excavator. It has more than paid itself just in rental fees and I can still sell it for same price I've paid for it, if not more depending on when you sell. Follow the seasons, there's a big difference in price. Buy late fall, sell spring. Also bought an auger, a thumb, a hammer and a jib crane for it. Obviously, everyone's situation is unique. How much usage will it get vs rental/mobilization fees, what size needed, storage space (I'm a stickler when it comes to storing my equipment, I don't leave anything outside)

Sounds like you needed it plenty to justify, I bought fall of 2017 6
Ton , my experience closely matches yours little over 1200hrs on already mostly own farm use. Curious about the jib you mentioned, something you bought ? Or made yourself? What model excavator did you get yourself?