buying a miniexcavator

Botabill · Oct 9, 2005

The KX 41 has been around for awhile but the KX-3 (which is an improved version of the KX-2 has been in production since 2003. The improvements include a huge cup holder. That in itself makes the machine a winner.

Trackks9 · Oct 10, 2005

Did you end up buying new? Kubotas are very popular in this part of the country, What do you use your KX41-3 for ?

vetteman · Oct 13, 2005

I just read your post about the excavator. How do you like the IHI ? I am currently looking at one . Thanks Wayne

Botabill · Oct 13, 2005

Yes I bought the KX 41 new. I have been looking for about a year at used ones but they are usually in rougher shape than I wanted to take a chance with as I'm not much of a mechanic. Any in reasonable shape were priced so high that I decided I might as well pay more and get a new one. The first job I am doing is digging a trench 5 feet deep for a distance of 350 feet. That is quite a project through the heavy rocky clay we have at my location. If I'd traded my tractor for one with a back hoe, one option I had considered, I suspect the job would have been much more difficult with all the back and forth I had to do. The longer term use I have is pulling buckthorn stumps on my farm, then there are always some landscape projects waiting fo me to have time to do them. I am also putting in a new driveway out of my barn and need to remove the top soil. The BX did pretty good for the first stretch but now I have to go through a grove of buck thorns and the BX wouldn't do it. At some point I may do a bit of excavating for hire but I'm not hunting for work as I have plenty around the farm to give me seat time this fall.

Trackks9 · Oct 17, 2005

Wayne, so far I really like the IHI, The dealer is easy to work with, I bought used,<460 hrs> its a 2001 model 7J, That model has been replaced by a 9NX, There web-site is www.ihicompactexcavator.com Hope this helps, jim

Botabill · Oct 18, 2005

Do you mind me asking how much the IHI cost. If we had dealers in this area I would have looked at one myself.

Trackks9 · Oct 19, 2005

I paid $12000. probably to much,< buy high/ sell cheap>
But it came with warrantee, and 460 hours, I have been looking for a while, And just couldnt find anything, Either they were needing work or the price of new. I generally keep my equipment a long time. operate it myself, If your happy with your machine, thats all that counts, remember, I dont have a cup holder, Jim

Botabill · Oct 23, 2005

That sounds like a pretty fair price to me with the low hours. You know what... that cup holder on my excavator turns out to be pretty much useless. With and the swinging around to dump the waste I spill most of the dring in a few shovel fulls. It's sure not teh pleasure ride that my tractor is.

vetteman · Oct 23, 2005

Well I bought the IHI excavator off of ebay sight unseen......... I know I know, but it worked out very well . Mcgrew Equipment has a 99% + feedback. Very nice machine very nice guy to deal with ,he has a lot of items on ebay...no reserve... Its a 98 with 1857 hrs rubber tracks are about 75- 80 % and the lights even work ! Im very happy with it .Havent used it yet but I have an addition to finish on my barn first.

Trackks9 · Oct 23, 2005

I have been putting a few hrs on the IHI and have found no problems so far, What size excavator did you get? Did you check out the e-mail adress I gave you? Might be handy if your in need of manuals, ect. Jim