Into the 9th week of my quest to buy an excavator with a link hydraulic thumb, I'm going to look at a LOW houred one owner 140 solar, Any tips or advice?
Tracks: are they sagging and loose, how much life do the track shoes have left; cab: any instruments not working, are the seals still good, is it generally well maintained (although judging from it only having one owner it most probably would be); hydraulics and cylinders: seals still good, hoses and couplings still good, any wear-and-tear that could turn serious...? filters, spools, valve block; bucket still in one piece? (i have seen buckets with holes worn through...); engine: anything missing, has she been properly looked after ie, have the routine services been done, although hearing her run will give you a good idea of that... how are the air, oil and fuel filters? Think of what you would look for when buying a used car and basically just adapt it to an excavator, well sort of... If you see any wire or duct tape anywhere you should ask questions. But if its got low hours and only had one owner, she should be good to go and you should have very little to worry about.
All good advice! Should be in good shape, get a good feeling talking to owner on phone. Final judgement reserved until I see in person. Is there anything specific to this model I should watch for? PS As a Farmer here in North America, curious to know how's the weather and the crops by you? Thanks, Greg
I can't think of anything specific really, ask the owner if there is anything that he had major (if any) issues he had. Weather: Hot and humid, with frequent rain on the east coast (which is why timber is so big around here, especially in Kwa-Zulu Natal, Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape). Interior and west coast provinces are drier and hotter, high veld places like Gauteng, Limpopo and North West have frequent (daily) thundershowers in summer, we have cold, dry winters, except in the Western Cape, which has more of a Mediterranean climate. In KZN we grow mostly deciduous fruit, timber and sugar cane, more mixed farming, and lots of dairy and beef. Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo and North West are mostly cereals, so plenty of maize (which is ground to make mielie meal or pap, a staple as opposed to rice or potatoes) as well as wheat etc, the cape provinces are famous for wine estates and sheep farms in the dry Karoo, as well as fruit and wheat as well. North West and Limpopo are also known for large game farms and game reserves and lodges. This is a very basic outline, but I hope its informative.