Importing and modifying a new mini excavator from China

[Fixastuff]

Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Chant it while you work.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I'm the first guy who lowers the rpm whenever doing tricky hydraulic work.

 

[D'oh]

I think that you get used to the "Jerky" with use and just feather the spool to deal with it. The problem as I see it is "Slow" is Slow overall, swinging 180 degrees would take too long.

The Joysticks don't turn the flow on/off 100% or nothing. Easing it does cause Heat, but it is not often that Jerky is more concerning than speed

 

[dfkrug]

I'm the first guy who lowers the rpm whenever doing tricky hydraulic work.

The problem is that these big thumper gas engines make so little power below 3000 RPM. Too slow and the engine stalls easily. You need to run it at 3000 or more. Hence the need for a smaller pump.

I slow the engine down with my tractor's backhoe attachment, since the engine does not stall out.

 

[MattB4]

The B&S gas engine does not really have much in the way of speed control. The long throw of the throttle handle on these excavators is pretty much useless for anything other than a few clicks up and down. Between idle and full out is 2 clicks. I find for trying to operate without to much jerkyness the best adjustment is that one click in between.

Because the little unit travels so slow I just bought a small trailer to move it about. It is a 5 x 10 (8 X 2 ft drop deck) with 3500lb axle.

ETA: Some pictures and observations. The first time loading the Ex on my trailer went pretty good though a few things should improve with practice. I am going to have to add ballast to the front of the skid steer though if I am going to pull the setup. I noticed quickly on a small incline the front tires feeling light and ready to rise off the ground. That would be not good.

 

[dfkrug]

The B&S gas engine does not really have much in the way of speed control. The long throw of the throttle handle on these excavators is pretty much useless for anything other than a few clicks up and down. Between idle and full out is 2 clicks. I find for trying to operate without to much jerkyness the best adjustment is that one click in between.

The throttle cable is fully adjustable. You can also install extra return springs and lube the throttle lever. Mine works well.

Same with the choke cable. I am going to upgrade my cable to a better one, accessible from the front, rather than the rear.

The makers also sell a really cheap off-road only one axle trailer to move these small units around. No suspension. About $200 or so, IIRC, FOB factory.

 

[MattB4]

The throttle cable is fully adjustable. You can also install extra return springs and lube the throttle lever. Mine works well.

Same with the choke cable. I am going to upgrade my cable to a better one, accessible from the front, rather than the rear.

The makers also sell a really cheap off-road only one axle trailer to move these small units around. No suspension. About $200 or so, IIRC, FOB factory.

The throttle cable being adjustable is meaningless. It is mostly slack until the small amount of off idle area. Mine works fine for what it is. The choke cable is basically the same story. Either on or off with more cable length than needed.

I have seen the the "cheap" no sprung axle off road trailer listed for more than I paid for my road legal little unit at $1600. The $200 you quote I have no idea where you get that from especially once you add in import costs.

Edit: I will say I was uncharitable about the 2 clicks. Carefully watching the cable and the engines throttle position I can count 4 total clicks between cable being slack idle and hitting maximum full on.

 

[dfkrug]

The throttle cable being adjustable is meaningless. It is mostly slack until the small amount of off idle area.

That is why you have to install an extra return spring, and loosen/lube the pivot nut. These small engines are designed with friction pivots so the hand lever holds the throttle in place. Converting to a cable throttle requires some adjustment, and some patience.

If folks bought the accessories and spares at the time they imported their mini-X, all the prices are very low. Add maybe 50% for all the fees, tariffs, shipping and tax. For example, my ripper tooth, which was $60 at the factory, cost me about $90 by the time I got it. Buy it from an importer in the US, and they want $400 or more for it. Ouch.

I understand that many new buyers are going to get their excavators from an importer that is using an auction service. Accessories and spare parts are going to be very expensive unless you buy directly from the maker, maybe using AliExpress.

 

[Colby16]

The throttle cable being adjustable is meaningless. It is mostly slack until the small amount of off idle area. Mine works fine for what it is. The choke cable is basically the same story. Either on or off with more cable length than needed.

I have seen the the "cheap" no sprung axle off road trailer listed for more than I paid for my road legal little unit at $1600. The $200 you quote I have no idea where you get that from especially once you add in import costs.

Edit: I will say I was uncharitable about the 2 clicks. Carefully watching the cable and the engines throttle position I can count 4 total clicks between cable being slack idle and hitting maximum full on.

My throttle cable isn't too bad and there are 9 clicks between idle and full throttle. I have been running it at about half. It has plenty of power and speed of operations at that level, just jumpy. With a little practice, I have improved some. I still find it usable, maybe I'll get more use to it with more time. I can go full speed if I start out with lower RPMs and increase to near full while holding the travel levels forward. I am not sure if that is something bad to do or not.

 

[MattB4]

That is why you have to install an extra return spring, and loosen/lube the pivot nut. These small engines are designed with friction pivots so the hand lever holds the throttle in place. Converting to a cable throttle requires some adjustment, and some patience.

If folks bought the accessories and spares at the time they imported their mini-X, all the prices are very low. Add maybe 50% for all the fees, tariffs, shipping and tax. For example, my ripper tooth, which was $60 at the factory, cost me about $90 by the time I got it. Buy it from an importer in the US, and they want $400 or more for it. Ouch.

I understand that many new buyers are going to get their excavators from an importer that is using an auction service. Accessories and spare parts are going to be very expensive unless you buy directly from the maker, maybe using AliExpress.

The B&S engines may not be like the one you are using. They basically are simple lawn mower styled governor controlled. Very little speed adjustment is allowed and the spring setup is different. The governor return spring that it has is plenty strong enough. Indeed there are much better gas engine designs that could be used but likely would up the cost of these things.

The operators lever throttle that is on these units allows too much throw travel and someone could easily damage things by trying to force it to the full position. Also because of the nature of the governor by moving the operator lever all the way shut you actually go past the minimum idle setting and just have a bend in the cable at the engine. I will bet that many new owners of one of these units ends up damaging the control by not understanding this.

I would agree that buying the accessories with machine while importing probably gives a great ability to get better prices than buying after imported.

Seems to me that there is a good business opportunity for a person to sell upgrade kits, oil coolers, fans and such and after market things like better buckets. Like the little trailer I bought to move my unit around it took some looking to find a good design.