I think that it is true, a 1 Ton Mini, might only do 1/4 of a 2 Ton Brand Name Mini would do. But I do know that in 65hrs of use, my 1 Ton Mini did what it would have taken 3 Summers of weekends to do with a Shovel. I never expected it to be a Tak/Cat at the price paid.
After 65 hrs of frequently greased use, the only Slop I have is in the Blade's Bushings.
As far as Auction's having Secret Reserves, I haven't seen any signs of it, but I have seen signs of Blind Bidding, 1 of many Machines, getting an Early High Bid, higher by 1000's above what the rest are being bid to. If you Are Bidding, just decide ahead of time, What you are willing to Spend, how far you have to go to get it. I thought I stole a Mini that was 13 hour drive away, so I also bought a Stand On Skid Steer, to make the trip worth while. Ended up spending more on the Stand On than they were going for the next sale but I would still have the Drive to go get it at that Sale.
I should have went higher on an Attachment Lot at that sale, because again, the Shipping Costs.
So, I'll say this with confidence; they aren't as good as Cat/JD/Kubota/Vermeer/Ditchwitch/JCB. Now, that people are lighting torches; for most people, it doesn't need to be. So, for a commercial machine of this size (well, frankly I'm mostly used to seeing 302.5 up, 305, JD-35/50, ect) it would be expected to run around 3000+ hrs of useful, profitable, reliable life. For a homeowner (and yes, homestead, diy construction included), if this machine sees 300 hours; its lived its life. Not saying it won't make 800 hrs or even 2000; but people should be honest with themselves. A homeowner isn't running 6 hrs/day, 5 days a week, for months and years at a time.
Let's say it has 1/10th the life; that probably Plenty for most people; and then, it needs a new engine, hydro pump, ect; that's OK. From what I've seen online, the wiring seems to be unreliable. Poor connections, buttons wired to do different than its suppost too; ie lights wired to the button with a horn picture, back up alarm in forwards, ect. That's not a big deal.
I think people who feel ripped off, either A: expected a $50k machine for $15k; B: don't expect to fiddle with it, rewire, deal with strange fittings, ect; or C: expect a 1.5T machine to dig a swimming pool/pond, or stumps... landclearing guys, septic tank guys, ect normally are at a Cat-307 on the small scale, for even pretty light "earthwork" and clearing; maybe a JD-50 if it's in a tight, established suburban neighborhood.
If you look at the contractor world; 1.5T/2T are Mostly plumbers, irrigation guys, or electricians; where they look at as $50k over 5 years vs 3 shovel men, at $15/hr.
Even in the telecom world, it's normal starts at a JD-27 scale; and below that, it's Manuel Labor.
Also; don't let people fool you; that Cat-305 has breakdowns, repair bills, and down time within the 2-3000 hour range, too.
I did see a video where one of the importers offered a hydralic hammer... One of the roughest things you can do on a hoe is a hammer or demo work in general. Seen real damage on Volvo/Komatsu/Cat machines in the 16T class running a breaker extensively. Imagine even a small one would wreck havoc on a 1.5/2T machine.
