Chinese mini excavator...

[Poonie]

Anyone own one? I've toyed with the idea of buying one just to use around the house for occasional digging jobs or for holding logs to cut up with the chainsaw etc.

Went to an auction today and almost bid on one. Wasn't sure what it would go for and before I even knew it they dropped the hammer, $3500. Thing was brand new. I could've kicked myself. I've been holding out for a small used skid steer like a case 1816 or something similar, but whenever I find one for what I wanna spend(around $4k or less), they're either too big, too clapped out, too far away, or all of the above. But for $3500 I just might buy one of those excavators.

I've heard good and bad about them but they're pretty popular around here with a lot of dealers popping up and just about every local auction house has a couple on hand.

 

[Butch(OH)]

I have an FF12. The hydraulic valving is crude making it difficult to run smoothly. There was no hydraulic filter or cooler which I rectified. Lots of loose bolts and small anoyances but for 4k I will put up with it, beats a shovel any day of the week. Like any other china import there are some good ones, some so-so and some junk.

 

[Poonie]

I have an FF12. The hydraulic valving is crude making it difficult to run smoothly. There was no hydraulic filter or cooler which I rectified. Lots of loose bolts and small anoyances but for 4k I will put up with it, beats a shovel any day of the week. Like any other china import there are some good ones, some so-so and some junk.

Very nice. I had my eye on the AGT H12. I like this one because it has a nice counter weight. Many of them don't. Not sure whether it makes much difference on such a lightweight machine but it can't hurt. Most all of them are pretty similar. I'm sure there are only a handful of companies producing most of them, with just a few tweaks built in, per whatever middleman or whomever is ordering them.

 

[bc]

Seems like when I go to auctions the other guy always gets a good deal when I stop bidding and if I keep bidding then I end up making a bad deal. Go figure.

 

[jeztractor]

Yeah, those Chinese minis are tempting for the price. Gotta weigh the pros and cons.

 

[RobCons]

Tempting but they look unstable to me.

 

[Butch(OH)]

Tempting but they look unstable to me.

Yes they are, one must use caution when using them on slopes and when loading them on a trailer. I belong to a FB group for them and a couple of brand new ones are rolled backwards every week while loading them on a trailer. Because they are cheap a lot of people who are basically clueless are buying them and the issues show up quickly. The way I have it figured if I get 50 hours of use it has more than paid for itself vs a rental.

 

[wp6529]

I'm keeping my eye out for a really good deal one one. Andrew Camarata on youtube got one and from the videos it seems a pretty capable little machine for the price. Definitely a few things you could improve on it, most simple hacks like adding some weight to it. Here on the heavily forested homestead on sand/clay it looks like it would be pretty good at maintaining drainage ditches between the trees where the backhoe won't fit.

 

[Dusty MI]

I have a small toe-able back-hoe that you tow to where it's needed then maneuver it in place.

Dusty

 

[GChief]

..