Importing and modifying a new mini excavator from China

[Cataclysm]

Dang, I just saw this thread. I have a Kubota K-008 and it is a great machine.

I didn't read the whole thread yet. Does anyone that actually has one want to share the model and price?

Thanks to you guys now I want to import a container of these to assemble and sell.

 

[dfkrug]

I think the days of getting them for under $10K (gas) in the US are gone. Being able to buy them under that price really exploded their import. And diesel? That very slick Kubota or Yanmar 3-cyl adds thousands. Even Northern Tool sells one now for $18.5K in the US.

As for the K008, the quotation I got (see above) for $25K-ish is also long gone. Try to find one now. Container shipping has gone nuts. Jason, who imported the above 2 units, still uses LCL and gets them individually crated. Each new batch seems to have improvements, specified or not.

 

[nate0918]

I joined to follow this thread and see how the import of these mini excavators is panning out. I'm in the market for one and getting quotes through alibaba and directly. I just got a quote for a 2ton unit with swing boom, pilot controls, a 3cyl diesel kubota engine, and about $1000 in attachments. The quote, with shipping, was about $15k not including the tariff or anything after the container leaves China. How are the prices looking for you guys on a 1 or 1.5ton excavator lately? I work for a company that does importing(not machinery) and I've asked them to get a quote to see what kind of pricing that they could get locally as a comparison. I'd like to keep the total cost, including machine, shipping, tariff, etc at $12k. Does that sound reasonable for a 1 or 1.5ton?

 

[dfkrug]

I work for a company that does importing(not machinery) and I've asked them to get a quote to see what kind of pricing that they could get locally as a comparison. I'd like to keep the total cost, including machine, shipping, tariff, etc at $12k.

There are lots of importers of Chinese minis in the US now. You don't say where you are, but finding one new already imported will cost more, but much of the unpredictability of importing your own will be avoided. Container shipping is still crazy, sometimes running 7x what it used to cost.

$12K can get you a 420cc gasoline-powered 1-ton unit here, but not a diesel. Those Yanmar or Kubota diesels will add at least $3K to the price.

At 1.6T-2.0T, you can also expect to find a swing boom, servo controls, and sometimes even adjustable track width. Higher cost, of course.

 

[nate0918]

I am near Salem, OR. Adding retractable tracks was another $650 on the quote I received and $780 on another. Has the subject of group purchasing been discussed? I would assume that a small discount would be given and better shipping rates if an FCL was hard packed with excavators vs having them all crated.

 

[dfkrug]

Has the subject of group purchasing been discussed? I would assume that a small discount would be given and better shipping rates if an FCL was hard packed with excavators vs having them all crated.

Yes, you can get 6 of the 1T minis into a 20' container, as we did with the 6 black units from Oking (see above). Jason gets his units individually crated, but that is not efficient. One vendor he knows can pack even denser inside a container by stacking them. In that case, you get better per-unit shipping cost, but you have to have a way to unstack them. A decent forklift and loading dock. With the six units in the same container, I just drove them out onto a platform with ramp.

 

[Fishin-4-a-Livin]

I am currently in the market for an excavator in the 6,000lb range.

There is an outfit that has a High Top 30 with a Kubota motor in stock.

Out the door with 3 buckets and a quick attach would be just over $26k.

I have read the entire thread and searched other places, just not a ton of info on them. Parts and service would be my primary concern.

I am on the fence between a used Deere, JCB, or one of those name brands versus the unknown.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[dfkrug]

I am currently in the market for an excavator in the 6,000lb range.

There is an outfit that has a High Top 30 with a Kubota motor in stock.

Out the door with 3 buckets and a quick attach would be just over $26k.

I have read the entire thread and searched other places, just not a ton of info on them. Parts and service would be my primary concern.

I am on the fence between a used Deere, JCB, or one of those name brands versus the unknown.

Any advice would be appreciated.

I was looking for a used 1-1.5T mini-X, and all I could find was out of state and all beat up. That's when I first heard of these units from Shandong. Now there are tons of them here, and they are certainly improving.

Sany, the world-class Chinese excavator maker is widely available and supported in the US. $27K got you a new SY16C unit 3 years ago in CA. Other brands from China are much cheaper due to not being as well-made and having no support in the US. The unit in the photo does not have a lot of hours on it, but the owner rents it out (!). It has all the parts and systems of any CAT or Kub.

Buying a non-Sany Chinese mini is a gamble, but the much lower price compensates for that. I bought a lot of spares when I got my first machine, but I will use few of them. Spares are cheap if you buy directly from the factory. Those Yanmar engines are great, tho also made in China.

 

[Fishin-4-a-Livin]

I was looking for a used 1-1.5T mini-X, and all I could find was out of state and all beat up. That's when I first heard of these units from Shandong. Now there are tons of them here, and they are certainly improving.

Sany, the world-class Chinese excavator maker is widely available and supported in the US. $27K got you a new SY16C unit 3 years ago in CA. Other brands from China are much cheaper due to not being as well-made and having no support in the US. The unit in the photo does not have a lot of hours on it, but the owner rents it out (!). It has all the parts and systems of any CAT or Kub.

View attachment 739851Buying a non-Sany Chinese mini is a gamble, but the much lower price compensates for that. I bought a lot of spares when I got my first machine, but I will use few of them. Spares are cheap if you buy directly from the factory. Those Yanmar engines are great, tho also made in China.

I have looked at the Sany. The price for those have gone up considerably. They seem to be making a pretty good name for themselves.

I have noticed more and more High Tops. And now seeing more of the Rhino excavators. So that makes me feel better about parts.

I just wish there were more hands on reviews online. I don’t want to be the guinea pig.

Good looking machine…..

 

[dfkrug]

Note that Rhino is a factory that makes and sells its own machines, while HighTop is a reseller. It is hard to tell who makes and who just sells. SDH used to make some of the machines for HT. All of them seem to allow any buyer to specify the name or brand on the units. I have heard that even Sany makes some units for others, but I have not verified that.

Our monthly local auction (Sacramento) has 3 different re-branded new Chinese mini-excavators right now: Cougar, Stag, and Sunward, 1T, 2T, 2.6T, and 3.5T. Dunno who makes each.

I have sent folks who have bought Chinese minis to this thread to share tech details, including repairs and improvements. People who import a container and sell them often neglect the technical support side of this effort. Utube is perhaps where you are going to find most online analysis of these machines right now.