Insight on buying a mini excavator vs renting

Cranblue · Mar 3, 2021

gtbensley said:
Hoping the forum can help me make a decision on possibly purchasing a mini excavator vs. renting a machine for my projects.

I will be installing a new septic system this summer at my house (yes its permitted, yes I am able to install my own, lets please not discuss this aspect) as well as doing some stumping work, drainage work, and digging footing for a pole barn. If I buy a machine I intend to use it for a few years max and resell it. The machine I am looking at it a 8k lb Case with multiple buckets and decent shape. Cost would be around $20k for it. It is an open station and I am okay with that.

Renting a machine would run me about $2k for the week and I would likely ONLY do the sceptic and put the other projects on hold.

Do I sink $20k into a machine and do all the projects and HOPEFULLY be able to resell for close to what I paid (I understand maintance and such). Or do I just rent for a week or two and be guaranteed to spend $2k but its a pretty safe bet?

I have the cash to buy it and it wont make me broke to do so....But its also not something I intend to leave the money invested in for too long as thats a significant portion of cash.

Septic quotes are $15-20K installed for and I have a hard time spending that money on something I can do myself.

I think of a quote a very successful man said “Don’t buy anything you can lease and don’t lease anything you can borrow.You definitely have a situation at hand as a former operator and small property owner I see some logic in both your points.I have a tractor with BH but have rented equipment and implements.If you can purchase Case get your work done and and sell with little or no loss be a nice deal.Unless you had major mechanical issue or trouble on resale it may be good option ??

gtbensley · Mar 5, 2021

Thats the gamble, as long as it doesnt break down too badly and I get other stuff done I come out ahead.

Looking at the Case again. My gut keeps telling me this is the machine. I know the hours are unknown to its also in better shape than many I have looked at with 2k hours on them.

4570Man · Mar 5, 2021

Mine has 1300 hours. Mechanically everything is appears good but the sheet metal has had a hard life.

FrancisC · Mar 12, 2021

Seven Gables said:
Sounds like you needed it plenty to justify, I bought fall of 2017 6
Ton , my experience closely matches yours little over 1200hrs on already mostly own farm use. Curious about the jib you mentioned, something you bought ? Or made yourself? What model excavator did you get yourself?

Bought a used Kubota U48-4, had 500 hours on when purchased. I've put about 700hrs on in last 2 years just on our farm and a few jobs at the neighbour's farm like trenching and drainage. The jib was an old trenching bucket that I got with it that was basically rubbish with no teeth or cutting edges so about useless. Got a new trenching bucket and got a welder buddy fabricate the jib with the old mount. I built a mezzanine in the shop building, the plan was to use the jib to lift all the heavier spares up there to reclaim floor space (always need more shop space, don't we lol), and a few other odd uses needing extended reach. Unfortunately, there isn't enough lifting capacity on that excavator to be of any use, so on the scrap metal pile it went. Only cost time, so not a real loss. That was the first job I did right off the flatbed, was bothering me for a few years

Cheers

WoodChuckDad · Mar 12, 2021

GTBensley. I have dropped in to look at your thread a few times over the last few weeks but haven’t read everything . Your bio says you have less than 1 acre. I am assuming that is incorrect. I looked because my thought is if you have some acreage you will find so many uses for the excavator, it will astound you.
At the prices you listed for rental, I would not rent, simply because your need for the excavator will be spread out and there isn’t enough time in a week to actually use the machine enough to justify it. If you had a team of experienced people working then being able to log 40 hours in the machine is doable but if you have to do the other parts of the task, you will be getting out of the machine a lot.
If you have the financial means to do so, buy an excavator. If it has a blade on the front that would be a huge bonus. There are many times I would have liked to have a blade to push soil out smooth.
Hydraulic thumb is god-send, if you can get it. I paid 2k to have one put on my machine. Worth every penny.

Hope that helps.

gtbensley · Mar 12, 2021

WoodChuckDad said:
GTBensley. I have dropped in to look at your thread a few times over the last few weeks but haven’t read everything . Your bio says you have less than 1 acre. I am assuming that is incorrect. I looked because my thought is if you have some acreage you will find so many uses for the excavator, it will astound you.
At the prices you listed for rental, I would not rent, simply because your need for the excavator will be spread out and there isn’t enough time in a week to actually use the machine enough to justify it. If you had a team of experienced people working then being able to log 40 hours in the machine is doable but if you have to do the other parts of the task, you will be getting out of the machine a lot.
If you have the financial means to do so, buy an excavator. If it has a blade on the front that would be a huge bonus. There are many times I would have liked to have a blade to push soil out smooth.
Hydraulic thumb is god-send, if you can get it. I paid 2k to have one put on my machine. Worth every penny.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the input! Yes that's incorrect for acreage although I don't have a lot. 3 something acres at home and 1 acre at camp. I intend to have about two years worth of projects to keep it busy on my time and then probably sell it.

Off mixed advise from the forum I am moving forward with the Case cx36b. I have looked at 5 other machines in addition to that. All have been 25-30k and visually worse shape. I'm comfortable with what the Case is and will be getting it delivered in the next week or so hopefully.

dodge man · Mar 12, 2021

Congrats. Post up some pics when you get it.

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Here's a couple 4x4 hoes in boston and around your price range. Way more versatile type machine. Someone else already suggested you look at something like this but you were worried that they wouldn't fit where you need to go. If you've got 7 or 8 feet wide you can make it work. they're surprisingly nimble, like that ballerina hippo cartoon.

Real tough strong construction machinery, the real stuff. and those tires are actually way cheaper than any kind of track that you may have to buy. and you can drive them distances, and carry stuff, etc. I make my living driving these things so im a bit biased, I'll admit.

Down here in Costa Rica most people figure out how to make it work with a regular backhoe. mini ex's and regular ex's and stuff like that are super specialized and more expensive and harder to find. So hoes are the go-to machine

Muhammad · Mar 15, 2021

gtbensley said:
Thanks for the input! Yes that's incorrect for acreage although I don't have a lot. 3 something acres at home and 1 acre at camp. I intend to have about two years worth of projects to keep it busy on my time and then probably sell it.

Off mixed advise from the forum I am moving forward with the Case cx36b. I have looked at 5 other machines in addition to that. All have been 25-30k and visually worse shape. I'm comfortable with what the Case is and will be getting it delivered in the next week or so hopefully.

Congrats! Let's see the new owner photos! And your project photos of course.