Hello Everybody, I drove by a the JD dealer last monday and I saw a 120c excavator for sale. It was not in my plans to buy such a machine but I sure could use one on the farm. It would be one heck of an upgrade from my homemade digger. Anyway I stopped to get information and the first thing you know I was sitting in it and trying it out. It had no buckets though. Those sales people know what they are doing. I was hooked. I know pretty much nothing about excavators, so I've been doing my homework all week to gather information and reading, hence how I ended up in this forum. Please bear with me when it comes to proper terminology. thanks My first impression is that it's in very rough shape. Broken windows, replaced with plexi glass, some dents, front carriage metal plate looks bent, no wipers, no lights. I was told that the tracks are at 70% used. The timer reads around 6700 hours (if i remember correctly). Does that make any sense to you guys? Does it makes sense that a machine with just 6000 hrs have 70% wear on the tracks. Would you suspect that the hours are not legit? When doing a test run, anything in particular I should be looking for? I will take some pictures tomorrow and post them. Any insight is greatly appreciated. Thanks, Richard
well for starters depending on the ground the machine worked in the wear stounds normal. If you are serious about the machine a oil sampel analysis is well worth it. Also check for slop in the pins and swing. give a good look at everthing in the engine compartment. see how the machine was repaired, lots of black tape on wires and tiewire holding things together is not a good sign. Tram the machine back and forth also try to counter rotate. listen for bad ginding or low power issues. when you start the machine listen for any knocking or whinning. also if the machine can be started cold see how easy it starts and how much blue or white smoke it makes, this will so a weak pump or injectors. this is just a few to start with hope it helps.
Before you start it, open engine cover and feel if engine has been warmed up, you want to check it out with a dead cold engine. Check for oil seepage from joysticks at control consoles, just a little thing, but something that would require repair and it makes a mess in the cab.
BuckFever and Willie, The oil looked new. Before I went to see the salesman, I talked to the chief mechanic and ask him if any maintenance had been done lately on the machine and sure enough they had just change the oil before the last job it was on. All the pins see to be tight, no slop. No bucket yet, so I could not check there. The motor started up nice. As Willie suggested, I checked to see if it was warm before we stated it up. No smoke coming when the motor was reved. The engine compartment is fairly free of oils and grease. There is lots of twigs and leaves in the bottom. This machine was used in the woods. I'll post some photos on a new post and tell you some of my findings. By the way it's not a 120c but a 120 only. I wonder where I got that from? Thanks for all those ideas, Richard