Chinese digger recommendations

[Carl_NH]

There are good options for these mini's stateside now - Robert Lee Ray in GA sells the Rippa machines with warranty support, and they are well made units but are $2-3K more than ebay for a 2 ton unit. Then on Ebay you can find similar machines in 3500 lbs from Typhoon (Terror XX or XIX and Kamran or 5 star - most of them are Hightop brand HT-18 or HT 20 - 3500 Lb with a Kubota 902 engine for under $10K delivered.

 

[MoArk Willy]

As far as the seller goes....Amazon does back up what they sell.
I think that might be a good thing to keep in mind.
And references are good, BBB ratings etc.
I do buy a lot online....but rarely several thousand for anything.
My needs are simple, dig holes, trench for electric or plumbing, pull up some trees and do some work around my 5 acres.
Occasionally help out someone who needs a little job done.
I'm sure a towable backhoe could do most if not all of the work....but then you require something to pull it around.
A mini-ex at least can transport it self around the property....albeit probably slower.
And the width of the mini-ex makes it easier to get on a trailer.
I do own a 5' wide cargo trailer that would take the mini-ex....but a towable wouldn't fit in it unless you dismantle it.
That's one of the issues I have been wrestling with.

 

[MoArk Willy]

I think it has come down to 3 machines.
A Rippa, a Typhon or the MMs equipment.
All in the $5000 to $6000 range....all 1 ton.

 

[dfkrug]

I'm sure a towable backhoe could do most if not all of the work....but then you require something to pull it around.
A mini-ex at least can transport it self around the property....albeit probably slower.

Back in the mid-90s, I built the CADDigger 728 towable mini-X to help with building my house. It was quite useful with some trenches I dug, plus digging a water tank notch on my 70% hillside. With free labor, it still cost about $3K. (Sold it on eBay for $3K a few years later.)

Today, in inflated dollars, $3K+ gets you a 1-ton mini, which completely obsoletes the Trencherman or CADDigger-type minis. I woulda jumped on one back then, if there was such a thing.

Note that the tow-behinds tow terribly on the road, and you have to swap the wheels and outriggers to do so. So that means moving around on your property is even slower than a 1-Ton mini.

 

[MoArk Willy]

I remember those "Cad" plans....I'm sure they are still around.
I think that you understand my issues with one vs the other....and your comments have helped me decide.
I think the mini-ex is the better choice....a few dollars more but the tow behind does compromise a few things such as size, transportation and boom swing.
Plus the mini-ex will readily accept an auger which does fit into my future plans.
Now all I have to do is decide which one..............

 

[dfkrug]

I think the mini-ex is the better choice....a few dollars more but the tow behind does compromise a few things such as size, transportation and boom swing.
Plus the mini-ex will readily accept an auger which does fit into my future plans.

The tougher choice is once you have a tractor, do you add a backhoe attachment or get an small mini-X? If you have no tractor yet, then a mini-X should not be the first choice. It does not tow or move dirt around like a loader does.

I still love my tractor's backhoe attachment: it digs deeper and harder (more weight) than the mini-X, plus the ballast allows me to lift at max capacity with the FEL.

With the advent of cheap Chinese minis, you can get a new machine for the price of a backhoe attachment.

 

[MoArk Willy]

I do have a Kubota B2320......and to add a backhoe would be more costly than getting a mini-ex.
And your tractor is about twice the machine mine is.....so the capacity of a backhoe on my machine would be limited.