Importing and modifying a new mini excavator from China

[4570Man]

That size excavator doesn’t hardly exist here. It’s uncommon to see a excavator between a John Deere 50 series and a Cat 312.

 

[dfkrug]

Of course if you only have one machine, a multi-purpose machine is the thing to get. If you can afford two machines, though, why not do it?

Sometimes you just need the best tool for the job: a bulldozer pushes dirt better than anything, a motor-grader grades better than anything, an excavator digs better than anything, etc.

Note that a Case 580, the most common industrial TLB around here, weighs about what Brandi's Cat above weighs. That TLB is a very versatile machine, but no way can it dig like the Cat.

In my avatar, I have my tiny CADDigger that I used to get up my mountainside to build the bench for my concrete water tank 20y ago. I sure wish I had the XN08 back then. Most of the grading and excavation for my new house at that time was done with a Case 580 TLB. But when it came to backfilling my 20' retaining walls, I brought in a Cat 315 for one day's work. It is the upper unit in my avatar.

It was amazing to see how the right tool for the job did the work. The owner/operator could grab a load of backfill, swing the house 180 degrees and dump it over the rewall. A thumb held the dirt in the bucket at that max height. The 35,000 excavator could move the backfill from 35 feet away from the wall without repositioning the machine.

 

[Agvg]

A typical Scandinavian backhoe

 

[MossRoad]

I've mentioned this before. I rarely see a TLB on a job site anymore. Rarely. It's excavators, skidsteer loaders, telehandlers and self-propelled man lifts.

Even the small septic tank guys have gotten away from TLB's and now bring in small excavators and a skidsteer loader. They used to be all TLBs. Not anymore. I know there's one left in our neighborhood that still advertises by putting his Case 580 out by the road next to his sign about digging anything anywhere no job too small, etc.... but even he has a small excavator and a skidsteeer loader that he takes to the job sites. The Case 580 is really just a billboard now. Haven't seen it move in a couple years.

 

[dfkrug]

Even the small septic tank guys have gotten away from TLB's and now bring in small excavators and a skidsteer loader. They used to be all TLBs.

That trend makes sense. There is a contractor working somewhere around here, and I see him daily going down the county road with his large dump truck pulling a flatbed trailer with a mini-X AND a skidsteer on it. If he hauled a TLB, he could not carry two pieces of equipment. Contractors already have multiple machines, so getting more specialized equipment makes sense, esp given their compact nature, and ability to get into tight areas.

 

[MossRoad]

Yep. But I do agree that if you have to have only one machine, a tractor with a backhoe would be a good choice.

 

[bindian]

I've mentioned this before. I rarely see a TLB on a job site anymore. Rarely.

That's because they all moved to Texas. They can be see everywhere 2 or 3 men are digging a hole or hauling a bucket of topsoil, away from the main contruction sites, where the big boys are playing.

Small contractors are going now with mini to midi excavators with compact track loaders (CTLs) to finish jobs faster than one TLB can do. True, it then takes two guys and those guys usually have pickups and goosenecks for each guy. Usually the owner/operator and a hired hand. One usually finishs a job alone, while the other one has moved onto the next job.

Also, huge, long stick excavators always seem to have CTLs working with them mucking out retention ponds and spreading the muck out.
hugs, Brandi

 

[MossRoad]

Yep, we're seeing fewer skid steer tire type loaders and more tracked loaders, that's for sure.

 

[bindian]

Last weekend on the excavator was fun, digging up pine trees. I took the grapple on the FEL to make some sense of the mess of tree tops, today. I dug one tree with the backhoe and she started leaking on the left swing cylinder. I was wore out maneuvering the Mahindra around in all those trees. The ex make maneuvering in trees easy. But I flat out was glad the cylinder started leaking, as I loaded up and came home. TLB in the woods is just too like work.

Next weekend the CAT goes back for round two.:licking:
hugs, Brandi

 

[4570Man]

How big are the pines? That’s probably a job I would do with my CTL and tree puller.

 

[bindian]

How big are the pines? That’s probably a job I would do with my CTL and tree puller.

Anywhere from 4 to 22 inches a foot off the ground. I would love to have a CTL.
hugs, Brandi

 

[4570Man]

That’s bigger than I expected, but it would make quick work of the small ones.

 

[bindian]

That痴 bigger than I expected, but it would make quick work of the small ones.

I just pop a tine of the grapple under the small ones and POP, out she goes.:dance1:
hugs, Brandi

 

[majorwager]

Just a FYI

 

[dfkrug]

Well, still no rain here, so I have not had the chance to extensively use my new machine. I have
done some work on one of my trails, by dampening the ground with water siphoned from the creek,
100 feet away. This trail is about 40% grade (5/12 pitch) and 4' wide. The bottom of the photo
has a 3-foot level to indicate slope. The photos do not do justice.

I have used the time to go leaf-peeping in New England, and nearly complete a hydraulic thumb
for this machine. I hope to test it in the next few days. I will post a new thread on that, or put it
here.

 

[California]

... trail is about 40% grade (5/12 pitch) and 4' wide. The bottom of the photo has a 3-foot level to indicate slope. The photos do not do justice.

Where does the trail go, that justifies building it so steep? That would be difficult on foot and near impossible for a common SUV (if it were wider) at such a steep pitch.

This driveway out of our mining claim can be a challenge and it isn't nearly as steep as your photo. I had to cut all the small brush on the far left and drive on that to get my Subaru Outback out of there one time. It took 2-3 tries to get the Outback up that rocky grade while dodging the high-center boulders. (I had thought the Outback would be an adequate replacement for this Trooper, but it wasn't quite - plenty of power but insufficient suspension travel and ground clearance).

 

[dfkrug]

My new custom hydraulic thumb is complete and working:
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...aking-hydraulic-thumb-my-new.html#post5270617

After 7 months of no rain, it is raining here now. I walked the trail in the above photo, but could barely get down without falling on my a55. It goes up to the location of my pump-up septic drain field and my 5000 gallon water tank.

 

[ArlyA]

Glad to see you guys are getting some moisture!

 

[slicktierney]

Hi David; Thank you for the run through, your machine color looks kind of like woods mfg burnt orange. I enjoyed the videos as well. I have been shopping for a bucket coupler, but the small machines are not supported very well near me. My pins are .98/25mm,

 

[dfkrug]

...your machine color looks kind of like woods mfg burnt orange.

Closer to CAT yellow, but not quite there. Woods orange is much different.

I am past 15hr on the machine, and it has been working OK, along with my new hyd thumb. I am learning a lot about working on steep slopes. A lot of the work is still manual, and part of my lower trail (see above photo) is now blocked by a mudslide and another 2T rock. Keeps me busy.

Thx!