Looking at an older ex with long reach and about an 80k lb machine! I really have no idea if an LR is considered an asset or detriment in the sales market? I realize I will probably get the "it depends" response, but hoping for some experience with them. I was looking as I keep getting people that want their "pond cleaned out", and I keep telling people, "you need a LR ex for that" and....I don't know anyone that has one. That being said, I am quickly learning that recreation pond owners have zero clue what anything costs, and may not want to pay the bill in any case. It's sort of a slow, tedious process to dredge a pond this way. I am also questioning the 80k machine as it creates even more hassle moving it around. I also have no experience with them and I can only imagine the learning curve to digging blind in a pond. I already get annoyed with the slow going of a big machine in a new and dry pond build. Maybe I am just being dramatic.
you know your market. They are not that big a deal to move, they are designed to move. Fold it up and pin the transport link, onto the lowboy and gone. That's a 270, a little shy of your 80K pound machine.
I have one client who owns several and rents them out almost continuously. Biggest issue is that you have to select who you will be renting too. Some people can break and anvil and my client can recognize those types of people over the phone it seems. The don't use real buckets, most people call them tea spoons. They don't sell well usually, sitting on a lot for long periods of time before someone that needs one comes along.Sticks and booms are many times seen as fragile.
yes that 270 had a light 4' bucket that would fit on a 120, with no thumb.
From what I have seen they are slow and fragile. Around central TX they use what I call a mud bucket. They are a homeade drag more like a box blade. Many of the farmers will use a tractor on the cable that pulls it back and a dozer or larger tractor on the cable that pulls is loaded - and they drag it back and forth through the pond. It is messy but very effective. I am sure it would cost less than 80k and not have much maintenance. Your right about customers not knowing cost. They think cleaning a tank should be 1k and only take a day. I cleaned one recently(it was dry and on our property) with my loader. 4 hours with a 2.5 yard bucket. I counted about 50 buckets carried to the feild and made a terrace to catch more water. When I got done you could probably say that each bucket added about one day's evaporation water to the little pond. If I gave the cows 50 more days of water it was a success in our mind. Cleaning one out just to be cleaning is a lot of money for what. Customers are hard to deal with when it comes to tanks.
Also, there is a company in Rainbow TX called RECS that rents a lot of them to the oilfeild. I see them stacked up there all the time doing nothing.
Good day The local market has a limited demand and smaller resale market for long reach machines, as commented the production is lower and the long equipment has inherent weakness. One solution that maybe of interest is the use of a fly arm, adapting the standard excavator for long reach applications, please see attached. Machines have been adapted using a lower weight range arm and bucket assembly, requiring either an additional or switching circuit. Kind regards Uffex
If you look to buy one used I guess a lot will depend on how it was treated in its previous life. Personal recommendation (if such a thing exists for that type of equipment) might be your best friend. Either that or an extremely detailed hands-on inspection.
Note the repainting on that repaired boom on the 270. The work was done right, why they did not take more care with the paint I don't know. That picture was from 2013 and I last saw the machine in Mount Vernon in 2020.
Big market for those that don't want to get marri........oh wait. What are we talking about again?
Good day This link will show an example The instance I was involved was an attached additional arm using the quick coupler. Kind reagrds Uffex
I have a customer that has an older Hitachi EX220-3 long reach. He's owned it for probably 20 years and yes, it sits around alot but when it's needed it works really well. He cleans alot of manure lagoons for dairy farmers and also irrigation ponds for berry farmers ect. Like John C said, you have to be very careful who you have running it, that long stick will twist up like a pretzel if you are not careful. I ran it for a day cleaning a PUD settling pond and it's amazing how little of a sideways bump on the bucket will get the stick to twist. If you are really serious about owning a long reach but afraid it won't pay for itself I would think that with a little planning you should be able to have a standard boom/stick assembly standing ready to swap out. Run it as a standard machine and when you have long reach jobs coming up switch it over, I would think you should be able to do the switch in a short day. If it is a factory long reach it will have the extra valving needed to slow down the boom speed. We had a used equipment dealer in the area years ago that was putting long reach booms on standard machines and not adding the extra valve and those machines were scary to run, the boom would drop at the same speed as a standard machine.
Thanks guys. I am unwilling to both swap in/out an LR boom on my CAT, or subject her to that abuse. The machine I am looking at is already hurting. I am told the pins and such are tight (who knows), but engine has an issue and I am sure I can write an laundry list a mile long. I realize that some people consider anything that starts and moves a "good machine", but my standards are a bit different. I am not sure what price this guy would want to consider, but I am probably not going to hover much outside of scrap price. Whole thing is a gamble, but it's right up the road and sounds like being able to sell it will be tough. And I really should know better than to buy someone's "project". My offer drops dramatically once someone else 'tries' to fix it. I also cannot excuse the usefulness or lack there of. I do get calls for pond cleanouts but seems people live in dreamland regarding price and access to the site, and an LR can become a super PITA around trees! I find that some folks looking for a cleanout have no clue how or what, they just expect cheap, and they expect me to just walk my equipment out there and do magic. I don't take my equipment swamping. I know many do, but not me.
No need to ride this project idea any longer. I inspected the machine and I ran out of paper and pen. Some high points. 1. UC missing several pads, all top rollers toast or missing, at least one idler is toast, identified several sloppy links. 2. All hydro cylinder seals are toast and chrome on at least 2 rods are bad. Suspect every seal in the machine is probably an issue. 3. Boom has been broke, repaired, and now cracked again. Damage was bad enough that the top and 2 sides received new plate. 4. Long list of hydro hoses that wouldn't hold 5psi let alone 5000. Dangling wires from hack jobs. 5. Every indication maintenance was not needed on this machine. Run it till dead, then sell to an idiot. If I was 20yrs younger and dumber, I might try it, but I know how this goes. She is just timed out.
Just another confirmation (if one were needed) that there is no substitute to having eyes on a machine before making any sort of offer.