Hi guys, I am a newbie in the excavator world, so I am looking for some help and advice.. The machine will mostly be used for landscaping the property, clearing the area from vegetation, expanding the lawns and looking after the driveways/trails. I'm looking at the 1.8 t mini, (based on what I can afford) and I have checked out a few different brands. I've narrowed my selection down to two machines (don't ask me why..) : Volvo ECR18E and Komatsu PC18MR-3, now I am stuck, if you guys could please give me some pros and cons to help me make my decision (the price is pretty much the same and both dealers are the same distance from me), Thank you very much for any advice /input.
I have never run nor owned either. The specs seem to slightly favor the Komatsu. It is a little faster in travel speed. Runs at a higher psi than does the Volvo. Volvo has a couple inches more of dig depth. I couldn't find the bucket breakout numbers (I didn't look all that hard) which would be an important number. It looks like Komatsu has stopped bringing the 18 into the NA market. I assume your putting a thumb on it? My guess is the decision would likely come down to which machine is in better shape (I assume your buying used), and which one you favor running. As far as dependability, I doubt you will see any real issues with either one, assuming they have been taken care of.
Hi KSSS, Thank you very much for your reply and giving me some ideas. I've checked the bucket breakout force : Volvo - 1290 daN ( 1315,4 kgf) ; Kamatsu - bucket digging force (I assume it's breakout force) - 1620 kg, Both machines are new, so no "bad" history. Thank you again.
If your buying new, I would offer one suggestion and that would be to be sure that you need to be that small. If your buying new perhaps going used and look for a 30-35 sized machine would be a worthy trade off. I have rented 17s before (Case) and in their element they sure beat a shovel, but they are quickly undersized. If you really need to be that small to do what you want to do, then the decision would be easy. However if you can go a little wider and heavier you can do a lot more work. I used a 17 for digging piping around new pools. Going down 3 feet or so it was fine, but anything beyond that took a long time. If you can go used to stay in your money range, you may be happier going a little bigger. Just my thoughts
That is good advice above. I just came in after running a cat 303.5 rental, and it was a bit more tippy/bobby than my daily John Deere 35G. The smaller machines are quite a bit less stable overall. Even moving up to the 26 sized machines is a big improvement. Of course, we don't know about your used market. It might be that new is the only way to go. What I would add with regards to KSSS's good posts is, you can rent a bigger machine if it makes sense. Sometimes it does, even though you have a machine right there.
If you are buying new, I would suggest looking at the machines and picking out some components that likely will need to be replaced in the not distant future and then call on availability. Filters to start with, maybe a bucket cylinder, sprockets, rollers and a front idler. If they have a diesel particulate filter, it would be important to know when they have to be cleaned or replaced and how much that might cost plus if there will need to be any reprogramming involved. A monitor panel in the cab might be another thing to know if it could be replaced and at what cost. Finally, I would ask that they throw in a service manual as part of the sale at no cost, either paper or digital depending on your preference. How that query is answered might tell you a lot about how you might be treated when something goes wrong.
Thank you very much for everyone's advice, I really appreciate it. I wish I could afford the slightly bigger one, but even the used ones here in Australia are out of my budget, the prices aren't far from the new ones (or if the price is not too crazy than the machine needs "some" investment/work), so looks like I have to go with the smaller one to start and I will see how it goes.. I am leaning towards the Komatsu PC18MR-3 and the dealer replied when I questioned them : "thankfully the PC18 has NO DPF (diesel particulate filter) and yes of course you’ll receive a full service, operation and parts manual kit with the machine! These come in paper-form, and we also provide an electronic link to access all your customer support manuals and systems." So I'm getting close to making my choice. Thank you again and I'll keep you posted on how it goes.