Small Excavator... What to look at or avoid?

[aczlan]

Well we started with three 988 CAT loaders pulling on it, but all that did was break 1 1/8-inch wire rope. We had to bring in a larger excavator, and truck in 12" x 12" x 25' long timber mats for the larger excavator to walk on to get out there and dig that one out!

Looks like there was plenty of wood handy to place under the excavator

Aaron Z

 

[Shield Arc]

Yeah I always loved building docks in old log yards. Concrete pile just don't like buried / sunk logs.

 

[Sodo]

It was a girl operator running the excavator, but my male foreman talked her into trying to cross the mud hole:shocked:, instead of walking around. If he wasn't such a good foreman, I would have killed him over that stunt!:laughing:

I would have guessed that excavator sunk because (the motion of) running a grading beam liquified the mud it was sitting on. It war probably firm when he drove in there.

 

[Jesse masterson]

From my experience unless you can buy a new one tracks always seem to be more trouble than wheels,my hoe on the back of my Dk 45 will do 95% of a track just slower!

 

[Gary Fowler]

The problem with all backhoes is that they only swing max of 180 degrees so putting the spoils out of the way is not going to happen. If you have an excavator with full 360 rotation, you can move the dirt that you are digging up out of the way plus way easier to move around, better flotation etc. Just a much more capable machine with only limitation being the slow travel speed.

 

[aczlan]

And in this case, the flotation is needed as we have some areas where a wheeled backhoe wont stay afloat.

Aaron Z

 

[Jesse masterson]

I agree they are faster , it depends on how fast you want something done! I'm in no hurry so the limited swing isn't that much problem! Time equals out to me my wheels getting me there and back quicker,I've had a couple used track machines before and seems they always have something going wrong!Wheels are more dependable if you can tolerate there down side being slower and easier hung, but if it's that softI just wait to dry up, can't really dig in the mud to fast anyhow, you spend half your time emptying the bucket!

 

[1026mrg]

Lots of good info here on tractor by net.
Also good info on excavators on the Heavy Equipment forum.
Two different boards, one for excavators & one for compact excavators.
A wealth of excavator specific knowledge there...

Heavy Equipment Forums

 

[David Devuono]

You really need to think about all you might ever want to do with the excavator since its not for commercial purpose. I am already thinking that I will be able to drive my KX41 into the basement through the unfinished doorway from the garage and help me with installing a couple of steel beams. Should be able to build a nice retaining wall with the ability to lift 6-700 lb rock with the thumb. Loading logs onto my saw mill will be easier then the current chaining to the bucket of my tractor. I don't spend a lot of time dwelling on what it can't do because it will do pretty much everything if given enough time. Where are you going to park the excavator? Will you have enough garage door clearance? I paid 11,500 for a 20 year old KX41 so if you can find a 3.5 ton machine for 9-12K that sounds like a great deal. You will also need a 12K trailer and a 3/4 ton or more truck to move it because if you have it, you are just gonna want to go over and help your friends.

 

[Sodo]

I'm thinking that if 3.5 ton machines were available for 9-12k brokers would be trucking them to the Pacific Northwest.

I think someone who travelled to many auctions, with several items to bid on might have a chance at getting one at discount. But auctions are difficult when you have to drive 600 miles to bid on one machine.

Here's Craigslist in our area for 9,000lb machines, which are a bit higher than auction prices, but usually less than dealer.

4.5 ton machine 1150hrs for $32,500 2009 KUBOTA U35 S2
4.5 ton machine 3000hrs for $22,500 Kubota KX 121-3 Excavator