I'm looking for a used 15-20 ton machine to do moderate ranch work but keep finding 40 ton machines in better shape and much cheaper. Based upon prices out there, I'm assuming that buying a large machine means you're stuck with it and won't be able to resell. There's a clean 75k pound Link Belt near me at a good price but I feel it's a trap. Is a large excavator worth the low price for a couple years of use?
Things to think about 1)is moving it going to be a problem or big expense 2)is it going to be hard to use machine because of size 3)is the extra fuel needed going to be troublesome 4)is servicing and repairing the machine going to be to costly 5) are the added cost still going to make the bigger machine more cost effective 6) is renting an option Good luck
I went through the same thing. What you really need to think about is what are you going to do with it and where will you be using it. I went with a 50t machine because I need to dig a pond, load triaxles and remove some large stumps. It is perfect for that. Paid just above scrap price because the computer was toasted. Spent a winter fixing that and had a cylinder rechromed. Perfect for what I want. But... It is large. Barely fits down most of our roads in both width and overhead clearance. Tail swing is huge. Don't care about fuel use as it gets so little use. The 68” bucket is way overkill for trench work unless you are laying 36” pipe. Moving it was cheap because it was close and I knew a guy. Parts cost more just because they are bigger, hoses are longer/bigger and not cheap. Oil change is 15 gallons not 5 etc. With a paint job and a few small parts I will sell it for more than I have into it. Perfect pit machine for someone. But that is a few years away. Consider what you are going to do with it and also there is a lot of haggling to be done on a big machine compared to smaller ones.
Bigger machines can be cheap as you mentioned. If owned by a reputable company there is a good chance that it had decent maintenance during its previous life. Companies that buy big very expensive machines usually have mechanics and service them better. Not all but many of the smaller units get little to no maintenance. I would not be hesitant to purchase a big machine if I could walk it where I needed to go about my property. And you don't have to abuse them to do tough job like happens with so many smaller machines. Take it a little easy, it will still get more done in less time, and that big old girl will probably run as long as you want and then some. It is still cheap insurance to have a qualified person check it out with you before purchasing.
Since you mentioned clearing 50 out of 100 acres of cedar in your other post, I think 75k # is overkill. If you were talking about 160 acres of mature hardwood stumps, then you wouldn't be wasting much fuel, upkeep etc. as with small trees, it would work faster than a smaller one. I don't know if you can effectively use that much power pulling cedars. Maybe a wide thumb would let you grab a couple at a time and pull them right out? On the other hand, any machine can be a money pit, and spending an extra $1,000 to move a clean big excavator, and an extra $1,000 here and there may be cheap compared to the breakdowns with a worn out, poorly maintained smaller one. I wouldn't worry too much about resale percentage either. If it's still in good shape, then it will sell, you might lose the same amount as on a smaller one, and the percentage resale will be better on the smaller one, but who cares if the bigger one was cheaper to start with.
big ones are hard to move and have limited use, that's why they are cheaper. I would go bigger if would fit what im trying to do, I don't know what you have for land , but just remember the bigger they are the harder they are to pull out of the mud
Like mentioned, the biggest thing with the heavier excavators is moving them. Oversized loads and permits and such. So if contractors can get by with a smaller excavator and have to transport it frequently, a smaller machine makes more sense for them. Hence less demand for the heavier machines. But if you're only moving it once to your property then it's no big deal.
1) Moving it the first time (if I buy it) will be only 15 miles down county roads (so no Old-Iron, I couldn't walk her that far). Probably minimal shipping costs to get her to home. After that, the next buyer will get to worry about shipping. 2)Size probably won't matter too much as I'll be using it to clear trees/brush and the trees I want to keep have enough space between them to work around. I won't be working in a pit or near buildings or have anything above me (power lines, bridges, etc). 3)the extra fuel will be a bit more but it's a possibility the fuel will be negated by not needing to use the hoe at full engine rpm. With an oversize machine, I will probably spend less time per tree and won't be taxing the engine clearing like a much smaller machine so might not have a issue with fuel. No telling if this is true or not. 4) Yes, service and repairs will be more costly. Like CT Farmer said: Bigger=More $$$. But like Old-Iron said: Bigger machines probably had better maintenance so maybe repairs will be a wash??? 5) Considering I'm paying 60-70% the cost of a smaller machine with more hours, it's a hard to say overall costs will be higher. My big concern is unloading the old girl a 2-3 years from now when I'm done with her. I doubt I'll get as lucky as CT Farmer did. 6) Renting is an option and definitely cheaper. There are both a Cat and JD rental within 20 miles so renting is easy. But the big rub is I don't have the ability to take a block time of vacation to make a rental cost effective. I was hoping to purchase so I can work 2-3 hours here/there and then spend a weekend or two as needed over the course of a couple years. With a rental, I need to take a minimum of week of uninterrupted vacation to get the 40hrs/week of hobb meter that I'm paying for. I'm guessing I need 2-3 hours per acre so that means I need 100-150 hours of dedicated rental. At $80/hr of rental (weekly rate), I only need $8-12k of rental. But when purchase price is only $20k, I'm wondering if it makes sense to rent considering vacation time needed, not having ability work at my own pace, etc. I'd be going into this deal figuring I could only sell to another guy like me.
[QUOTE="catman13, post: 838017, member: 24990" the bigger they are the harder they are to pull out of the mud[/QUOTE] yes...I would be extremely careful with any big machine. I don't have much mud/swampy area to worry about. And the little bit of soft area I do have goes away during the summer time here in central Texas. I'd just plan around the seasons.
yes, a 75k pound machine is WAY overkill. but it would be fun, right? And being cheaper up front is the only reason i'm interested in the one locally for sale. like you said, trying to predict a few thousand bucks here or there isn't worth the worry.
My personal preference is big machines , I like to be able to reach out and touch someone with having to move a hundred times .
I’ll add these thoughts. Whatever you end up buying make sure that you can get parts for it. Things become obsolete much faster these days then in the past. Make sure the slew bearing is good. That usually is a deal breaker due to replacement cost. I've been lucky so far and most obsolete things I can work around. Most things I had to deal with were leaks and bad lines. Spent a a few days making lines and it is dry. It was close with the board repairs on the computer but I got through it. Remember you are buying used with unknown issues. There will be issues so choose your poison wisely. It took me 3 years to find the right machine.
Thanks CT- the slew bearing is a major inspection point for me. Even after I do my best inspection, I'm sure a professional tech doing a pre-purchase inspection will easily find things I won't. Let me re-phrase the point about a big machine being cheaper. It's not so much the actual purchase price but instead it is about the value of machine from being better maintained and operated. I agree with Old-Iron's point that bigger machines have a better chance of receiving proper maintenance (and operator treatment). When you add in a larger machine probably receives better care and I wouldn't need to push it as hard working, there's a better chance it will be a better value in the long run. And I agree a professional inspection is cheap insurance and piece of mind. Like CT, time is on my side so I don't mind waiting for the good deal.
There's big and then there's too big. Big hoses are a lot more expensive and can be difficult to change. If a major component like a pump goes out on a small popular machine, you may be able to find good used or a reasonable cost repair/replacement. A major component goes on a big machine could be cost prohibitive. You might have to wait a long time to find a buyer when you're ready to sell. It's reasonably close for you but what if someone interested is 50 or 100 miles away or more? Are they going to want the delivery cost included in the price?
You may find it's so handy to have around on the farm, you won't want to git rid of it.
Yup, too big is not good. My preference is a clean 40k pound machine but those are in high demand in my area. The 60-80k pound machines are not as common but clean ones do pop up with pretty reasonable prices. I'll get a couple trucking quotes to haul a 80k machine 300 miles just to make sure sure I'm not surprised. Good point.
I have a 210 volvo, 58,000lbs. I use it around the farm all the time. have also ran 160 size to 350 size machines. I would take anything in that range. a 300 size would be a good farm machine for trees and ponds and stuff. Just take your time and wait for the nice one to pop up. I think that is more important than size for your needs.
First post, but long time lurker. I looked at a Cat 231D LC trackhoe this week. The unit has a 3208 with 6000+ hrs and decent u/c. The machine ran well and tracked straight. No noticeable slop in the slew bearing. The bucket curl was rather week along with a completely worn out bucket linkage. Im not completely sold on the 3208 CAT as the powerplant. The price is right on the machine well under 20k. Im really thinking a 120/160 size machine would be a better fit for the work on my property. Perhaps paying more for something that does not need attention right away. The comments made above in this post have definitely been helpful.
Must be why I have a couple dozen machines around just for home use.