Kobelco Excavators??

[scoutcub]

Equipment gurus....

Looking to buy a ~ 15 ton excavator. Was planning on sticking with Cat but came across a 97 Kobelco 150, runs very smooth, tight pins, looks well taken care of. Some seepage on the main boom cylinders but was told (by the VP of sales) that that is normal for sitting around, and sitting in the cold weather we've been having. Undercarriage looks great.
Hours are my biggest concern....9500 hours.
It's got a Cummins 4 cylinder.
Soo...anyone had/have one of these? Good/Bad? Approximate value? Should I be concerned with the hours?
thanks in advance...!

 

[PILOON]

Not and expert, but there a few contractors around here using them and so far have not heard any complaints.
Undercarriage and pins would be my first concerns but you seem to give them a passing grade.
Cylinders (and seals) would be a minor concern as any shop can address those issues.

In my opinion hours are not the biggest issue as compared to actual condition.

Since that is a fair investement, why not hire an independant mechanic to do an evaluation for you.
Sure, might cost U $150. but that is a very small investment, besides his findings would help you in negotiating a repair or price reduction.

 

[EddieWalker]

I'm also looking for a 15 or 16 tonne machine and would be very happy with Kobelco. I've played around on a few and like them allot.

Cylinder repairs are pretty simple and not a concern when buying.

9,500 hours is a big concern. You'll see that most machines go up for sale with 6 to 7 thousand hours. The reason is that 8,000 is the magic number. It's when most machines wear out.

While everything is rebuildable, it's not always worthwhile. Parts for something like the hydraulics, can cost almost as much as you paid for the machine. I know that on my dozer, replacement hydraulic pumps are $18,000 each, and I have three of them. I'd be real curous what a new pump would cost for that machine.

The thing that is really scaring me when I look at a machine is the turntable. They wear out, and it's something that I don't want to learn how to repair. From what I understand, once it starts to wear out, it goes quickly.

Tracks usually last quite a while on them, but the turn table and bushing on the boom and hoe stick go prett quickly. I looked at a Cat that was very sloppy and had 4,000 hours. It was priced to sell, but I passed because it was so wore out.

Eddie

 

[scoutcub]

Thanks guys. Seems like not a lot of interest in the Kobelco's!

Eddie, I'm with you on the hours. I've never heard of the magic 8000 hour mark, but I'll go with that benchmark. The machine ran like a top....but I would always be worrying about something bad happening down the road.
Anyways, I called a few days ago to ask a question about it, and it sold a few days before I called. Makes my decision easy! I wouldn't rule out Kobelco's, but really want to stay with CAT. They make a worldwide quality product, there's all kinds of accessories around for sale ( bunch on Ebay) and the resale will be there down the road.
I've got a line on a 312B that might be a go.....will know monday for sure. Will post some pics in a new post if I get it.

Thanks again.

 

[EddieWalker]

I looked at a few Cat 312 excavators. I read that they are tippy, but I didn't do anything to see that. Apperantly, everything below 20 tonnes is tippy. Something to do with keeping them light enough to transport them, but able to do as much as possilbe.

After looking at the 12 ton machines, I started looking at the 15 and 16 tonne models. That's a pretty big jump in size and ability. For the money, that's probably where I'll end up. I wish I could afford a 20 or 21 tonne machine, but can't really justify the added expense.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[Eagleview]

If you can afford a low hour Kobelco Blade Runner you would be a mile in front . If they sold these in Australia I would have one in my shed straight away .YouTube - New Holland Kobelco E 150 Blade runner in action

P.S. Most of the smaller to mid range CAT excavators are now being made in China .

 

[scoutcub]

If you can afford a low hour Kobelco Blade Runner you would be a mile in front . If they sold these in Australia I would have one in my shed straight away .YouTube - New Holland Kobelco E 150 Blade runner in action

P.S. Most of the smaller to mid range CAT excavators are now being made in China .

Horse -

Looks like a nice machine! A quick internet search shows they're a newer machine, cheapest one I could find was $50K. A bit out of my price range. Nice to have the 6 way blade, you could replace the dozer for most jobs.

Pretty disappointing even CAT has gone to China for manufacturing...

thanks for the tip!

 

[Pops15]

I just talked to my buddy thats an engineer for Cat. He says the track hoes that Cat builds in China are for the local market. The track hoes Cat builds for the US market are either made in Japan or Aurora, IL.
He also said at 8000 hours you're looking at considerable maintenance and the useful life is 10,000 hours at which time a total overhaul is recommended.