Hi been looking at getting a mini excavator for yard word which would entail digging out rocks (soccer ball to beach ball sized) and landscaping. Also clearing fence lines and some stump removal. Been doing some research and a 8ton machine sounds like it would fit the bill. Have just started looking and have found a PC75UU with 3500hrs and from the pictures looks literally spotless. It has a thumb, rubber tracks and does not have the offset boom. In my searching on these rigs there seems to be controversy about these excavators so I am looking for any advise on them including parts availability, reliability, performance. I am a HD Mech. but have literally never touched a mini ex. to repair or operate. Am I off base in looking at this size machine and specifically the PC75UU?
I've got 3 old minis for personal use, and ran many others. Bobcat 435- 10,500lbs Hitachi ex58- 13,000lbs Sumitomo sh75- 18,000lbs For standard duty the 10.5k machine rocks. Fast, precise, and maneuvers well... but it's almost 50 scoops to load my truck. Where the newly acquired 75 class ex can sit up on a pile n slam out trucks, deck large timber, dig through most rock with a frost bucket. I hate to talk you out of it. But the 10k lb range EX is much more versital in my opinion, and I'm not sure what motor your PC75 uses but they used to be komatsu's own motor that was hard to find replacements for. Where as u chuck a rod through your Isuzu 4LE1 or kabota V2003 chances are there's a donor fairly close. This PC75 would shine digging stumps though, I've dug a few old growth 6'+ at the butcut stumps with a 20" frost bucket W my 75. I couldn't even roll it out of the hole. Had to ramp it n winch it out with the dozer.... point is I would have been there a long time if I was using my bobcat 435.
What diameter are the stumps? How often will you dig them? What kind of tree Stand?
Thanks for the reply your info kinda validates that I am on the right track. By landscaping I mean cleaning about 3 acres of very rough ground with lots of rocks and mole hills, humps, trenches etc. Most of the fence lines have trees 2-10” that would need to be removed. There is the odd stump that might be 2’ max. I should also up the size of rocks that I mentioned too. Just got some power trenched in and most of the rocks were beach ball to steel trash can in size. The guy had a KX121 Kubota and it was not super easy for him to trench.I am kinda worried that the PC75UU will not be enough machine. Lots of guys around here buy an older full sized hoe to clean fence line and trees. I do not have a Class1 license nor a truck and trailer for a full sized hoe, so that is pretty tough to make work.
Any specific details about the PC75UU is also appreciated.
If the 121 cut the trench, I doubt ull have any thing you can't get through with a 75 series. I'm also a fan of narrow buckets. What's on the pc75 for a coupler/pin on? Plus the 75 is about as big as your going to get and still move safely with a pickup.
Not sure what pin/coupler is on it and yes small buckets with the rocks here are needed. The 121 had a 12” and it was working hard.
Been looking more, and around here there is quite a few PC75UU for sale. That kind of tells me one of two things: there is a lot of them around or nobody keeps them long and they get resold a lot. Thoughts?
I believe that model was only a gray market machine. You might call a Komatsu dealer and ask. That might explain why so many for sale. I would guess that it has a few years on it as well.
Can you put steel tracks on a PC75UU? Ball park cost?
That is a good question. I don't know. You might call a Komatsu dealer and ask. There should be other track suppliers around also that could tell you.
Yes, I have one the offset boom, steel tracks and it also has hard rubber pads attached to the steel pads. They are excellent machines
Thanks, are most parts still readily available for these machines? I believe the one I am looking at is a -1 machine.