Mini Excavator Brands, pros and cons?? Hours?

[kthompson]

mike69440, in my use of excavator have never needed a second excavator to rescue mine. Then I probably have not had mine in places you have. But one tractor I found needs another nearby! More than once.

Have learned to keep the rubber tracks tight and avoid real tight turns.

 

[4570Man]

mike69440, in my use of excavator have never needed a second excavator to rescue mine. Then I probably have not had mine in places you have. But one tractor I found needs another nearby! More than once.

Have learned to keep the rubber tracks tight and avoid real tight turns.

My buddy’s 80 excavator makes a hobby of throwing tracks. I’ve never thrown a track on my tracked equipment. He’s pretty good at getting the track to go back on by himself but I’ve never done it when I didn’t already have another machine and a second machine definitely helps. If your undercarriage isn’t completely shot tracks aren’t bad to come off. He finally put new chains on the excavator and I don’t think it’s thrown a track since then.

 

[hornett22]

Yanmars are excellent machines. That's probably what I would buy if I was in the market for one. I like them more than the Kubota and they are nice as well.

I wouldn't even consider a used one unless it had low hours, maintenance records and was thoroughly inspected by a reputable shop or dealer.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Gehl and Whacker minis both feature cab tilting which is useful for working on inclines. Both are the same machine.

Deere and Hitachi are also the same machines as are Volvo/JCB.

Kubota minis have a good reputation.

Whatever you get these things are useless without a thumb, so either weld on a thumb or get a hydraulic thumb. Also don't fret over a cab unless it gets hot and you want AC because you cannot dig in the winter in frozen ground without heating blankets.

 

[deezler]

I'm struggling to picture why you'd ever need a second machine to help put a track back on.... because you can lift the entire mini-ex off the ground all by itself just by using the front blade and the bucket/arm on the other side. At the very least you can have the bucket/arm/boom off to one side and easily lift an entire track well off the ground. I had to help do this once on a rental Bobcat E35. I threw the track off by grinding turns over bumpy ground with lots of sticks and tree branches laying everywhere, machine had 2200 hours or so. We didn't need a second machine at all - BUT, a second person was very handy to use the big prybar to wedge the track back on as the other person drove that side's motor back and forth a bit (in the air still).

As I awaited the rental yard's repair guy, I spoke with the owner a bit. He said for his fleet of rental E35s, once they get ~2500 hours on them, he sells them for about $25,000, usually in quite decent shape. They definitely fix issues promptly and always grease religiously after every rental, BUT! people do beat the crap out of them too. I know for myself, I occasionally used the machine rotation to whack the boom sideways into saplings, bending them over enough that I could use the hydraulic thumb to then get a solid grab, and quickly rip the tree right out of the ground, no digging required. Worked for trees up to about 4-5" diameter. Probably awful on the machine though (I stopped doing it after some further contemplation). Some people rent them to demo houses and sheds/garages, etc. Very rough work.

 

[Code54]

You can definitely put a track on without another machine on a mini. Buddy had a rental and popped the track off. I went down and put it back on in about 15 minutes - having a 2nd person makes the job about 25x easier. If your undercarriage is in good shape, you really should not be detracking machines. I never had any tracks come off on my Kubota, but the undercarriage is in great shape.
As for hours - it really depends. Seen some 2000 hr machines that were trash and some 5000hr machines that were in excellent condition. Some of the Kubota machines seem to run to about 6000hrs without any significant issues IF they are maintained.

 

[hayden]

After using my backhoe for 20 years I switched to a mini excavator. The maneuverability and flexibility of the mini excavator far exceeds that of the backhoe.

Ditto. A TLB or BH on tractor is great, but an Excavator is WAY better. Now that I have an excavator, it's the most used equipment that I have.

 

[mike69440]

I'm struggling to picture why you'd ever need a second machine to help put a track back on.... because you can lift the entire mini-ex off the ground all by itself just by using the front blade and the bucket/arm on the other side. At the very least you can have the bucket/arm/boom off to one side and easily lift an entire track well off the ground. I had to help do this once on a rental Bobcat E35. I threw the track off by grinding turns over bumpy ground with lots of sticks and tree branches laying everywhere, machine had 2200 hours or so. We didn't need a second machine at all - BUT, a second person was very handy to use the big prybar to wedge the track back on as the other person drove that side's motor back and forth a bit (in the air still).

As I awaited the rental yard's repair guy, I spoke with the owner a bit. He said for his fleet of rental E35s, once they get ~2500 hours on them, he sells them for about $25,000, usually in quite decent shape. They definitely fix issues promptly and always grease religiously after every rental, BUT! people do beat the crap out of them too. I know for myself, I occasionally used the machine rotation to whack the boom sideways into saplings, bending them over enough that I could use the hydraulic thumb to then get a solid grab, and quickly rip the tree right out of the ground, no digging required. Worked for trees up to about 4-5" diameter. Probably awful on the machine though (I stopped doing it after some further contemplation). Some people rent them to demo houses and sheds/garages, etc. Very rough work.

Mostly frozen track adjusters due to rust. they don't move easy. In any case the BH helps pick the steel track up. I bought a 20 ton hydraulic jack also.

 

[deezler]

Ah. Yeah even the rubber tracks are pretty heavy on smaller minis, but I didn't think about steel track weight. Is there a machine size level at which steel tracks become more prevalent?

 

[mike69440]

Ah. Yeah even the rubber tracks are pretty heavy on smaller minis, but I didn't think about steel track weight. Is there a machine size level at which steel tracks become more prevalent?

Steel tracks usually starts at 8 Metric tonnes, which is about as small of machine as I would want.

 

[deezler]

A nearly 20,000 lb excavator is hardly mini! I'm my completely amatuer experience, haha. Do they stop having front blades around that size or larger, too?

5-6 ton is the sweet spot.

 

[houska]

And I know alot of people have the notion to avoid ex-rental equipment, but overall I found when I was shopping that they seemed to be in better condition for similar hours. Because they get rented a day or so at a time...then get a going through. They get greased ALOT and follow proper maintenance schedules. At least good rental companies. They tend to stay on top of keeping them in tip top shape. Because no one wants to rent a piece of equipment that has issues

Depends. The "good rental company" part is important.

I now have a (new) KX-040 on order. Earlier this summer, I rented one, same model, for a week. Local rental yard, serves mainly seasonal residents and weekend warriors who DIY. Got a good price, but machine came with 317 hrs, a leaky thumb hydraulic hose attachment (that I fixed for them), huge scratches around the back where someone had "discovered" it wasn't a zero-tail, and cracks and even a small hole in the rubber tracks! Greasing seemed suspect so I contributed half a tube (I think) before I even got to work. A machine old and wise well beyond its years!

I've also subsequently tried an older KX-161 for an hour. Rented by an acquaintance from a different rental yard, serving mainly contractors and other pros. Several years older, 3000~ hours on the clock, definitely more grimey but no leaks, no slop I could feel (but I'm not experienced), tracks worn but in better condition than the 040.

 

[xBBx]

When it comes to mini's, they all make a pretty good machine. Deere, yanmar, bobcat, kubota, cat, new holland, volvo, etc etc.

AS far as a used one, it all depends on how it was cared for. I have seen 2000hr machines that look and run like new, and I have seen 2000hr machines that are totally wore out. All good advise as far as checking the overall sloppyness of the machine and everything that moves.

And I know alot of people have the notion to avoid ex-rental equipment, but overall I found when I was shopping that they seemed to be in better condition for similar hours. Because they get rented a day or so at a time...then get a going through. They get greased ALOT and follow proper maintenance schedules. At least good rental companies. They tend to stay on top of keeping them in tip top shape. Because no one wants to rent a piece of equipment that has issues

I purchased a Takeuchi TB228 from the local shop of a large equipment rental company. Happen to have a sales rep that my company worked with that I had some trust in. Told him I was looking for a used machine and he gave me the option. He also stated what LD1 says above, they maintenance their machines frequently and with qualified mechanics. Also turned out when I went to look at the TB, I knew one of the mechanics as well. Both parties assured me the machine was never a problem and was maintained well by their team. Plus, if I ever had problems, I could use them for service and support. So, I bought the thing. Had about 1800 or 1900 hours on it. New tracks, all new fluids (by them as part of the sale), delivered. I noticed one of the tracks was put on the opposite direction of the other upon delivery. So, great that it had new tracks, concerning that they did it that way and nobody noticed... But they came back, picked it up, redid the track, dropped it back off (granted, I was within 20 miles of their store). Been using that sucker ever since without issues (other than ones I caused myself). So I would actually recommend looking at rental shops looking to update their fleets, selling the older models. All the same wear and check items apply, just have to inspect it and operate it first. You can see abundance of play pretty easy in most cases. They also let me rent buckets, attachments, for a good price and term. Just my 2 cents. Good luck!

 

[LEANNLACY]

I also heard that Yanmar is good but not yet used.

 

[streamin]

mike69440, in my use of excavator have never needed a second excavator to rescue mine. Then I probably have not had mine in places you have. But one tractor I found needs another nearby! More than once.

Have learned to keep the rubber tracks tight and avoid real tight turns.

Once is enough to learn the limits...

 

[Parksman]

Looks like I may be looking at buying one, I've been reading and I always thought Yanmar was a cheap brand but it seems they have good engines. They seem to be priced a bit lower than most others. As far as all the rest, hard to choose. Any owners on here with any advice? And what is a decent hours meter reading? nothing over 2500 is kinda what I was thinking.

I have a 2017 Kubota U-25 I bought new for use on the farm and personal property. I had a backhoe attachment for my New Holland TN70D for several years but found the continuous movement from attachment to tractor to be aggravating. The mini-ex was a major upgrade in efficiency and capability. The U-25 is a good size for my needs of road maintenance and land cleaning of the undergrowth and small to moderate sized trees and stumps. It’s also great for keeping the ditches and culverts cleared. I’m in East Tennessee and our soil is rocky but not as bad as Western North Carolina so there has been a few times that a bigger machine might have been helpful. Overall the cost/benefit of this machine was a good choice.

My machine has about 500hrs on it and is well maintained. I haven’t had any problems or issues with it and would recommend it to someone else in my situation.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

Looks like I may be looking at buying one, I've been reading and I always thought Yanmar was a cheap brand but it seems they have good engines. They seem to be priced a bit lower than most others. As far as all the rest, hard to choose. Any owners on here with any advice? And what is a decent hours meter reading? nothing over 2500 is kinda what I was thinking.

Streamin it's good to see you doing your market research. What I really hear you saying here is you don't know the market for mini exes. The best place to begin learning the market is to start with identifying who all the players are and then see which ones are priced highest to lowest (new). The highest priced brands will be the ones that are proven and have the largest dealer network and best parts support. The lowest prices ones will be the most questionable, have a sparse dealer network and have less than ideal parts support.

On a side note I will tell you that Yanmar is really in business to sell engines. The equipment is a side hustle. What I have heard from dealers is they have had a lot of problems with getting parts and inventory from Yanmar since the pandemic. So I would suggest you call up your local dealer and have a conversation with them about this first.

 

[4570Man]

A nearly 20,000 lb excavator is hardly mini! I'm my completely amatuer experience, haha. Do they stop having front blades around that size or larger, too?

5-6 ton is the sweet spot.

I’ve seen 160s with blades but it’s not that common above 80s to have blades. You would need to have pretty serious work planned to actually need a 10 ton excavator. A 3-5 ton excavator will vastly exceed what most homeowners use their tractor backhoes for.

 

[panamaguy]

Looks like I may be looking at buying one, I've been reading and I always thought Yanmar was a cheap brand but it seems they have good engines. They seem to be priced a bit lower than most others. As far as all the rest, hard to choose. Any owners on here with any advice? And what is a decent hours meter reading? nothing over 2500 is kinda what I was thinking.

I have a IHI NX15 with the 3 cyl yanmar. Hour Meter stopped years ago so a guess would be 4 to 5 thousand. It gas been a great little machine the last 12 years I have owned it. Getting some pin slop but nothing bad.. I welded up a thumb and it has been so handy. I am a retired welder from Canada now living in Panama and put in foundations and water, power lines for contractors in my area. IHI is made in Japan. It will dig almost 6ft.

 

[kthompson]

This may have been discussed and I missed it: had a great friend who owned a site work company. He was a God Send on selecting a unit for me. He tested 3 or 4 machines for me and based upon his opinion of each machine and my thoughts on each told him which machine I preferred. The job I was buying for was clearing up land following logging and some serious trees both soft and hardwoods cut. I asked his opinion on a 7,000 or so pound machine about it digging stumps up to about 3 feet in diameter. He said sure it will do it. I took iit a little further and ask, any negative for what I want and he said, well it will dig them but will not LIFT them out the hole. What I am trying to say, be certain of what you wlll be lifting weight wise and distance wise for of course the capacity drops the further from the machine and ever the sides compared to each end.