Hey guys, i'm looking for an excavator to do work around our place on the farm, and i also plan to start excavating myself. I'm just wondering what size i should be looking at to start off with , we would be using it to expand our lagoon, dig out driveways, and clear fencelines, those sort of jobs. Would a a 16 ton machine be a good size? Any opinions would be great, thanks.
always liked the 312 cat... is just about the right size. not too big or too small...
I love my komatsu pc-120. I use around my farm and for the occasional clearing or demo job. The only time I have wanted anything bigger is when I'm doing a lot of stumping. Even then it works great its just not as fast as a bigger machine.
do you have any other iron, like a dozer or loader? that would be my first question. if you do not you may want to look at the kobelco ed150. 6 way dozer blade with a thumb would be super handy on a farm or ranch i imagine. our prefered size is a 210 but we are production excavators so it is different. if you do have other iron then you need to think about it. i would probably hit the auction with 15-20k and buy whatever was in good shape and cheap. 120 to 270. regards cd
How are you going to move the machine from job to job? If your using a dump and tag-a-long I would go with the biggest machine you can put on your trailer. For us it was a hitachie 160. Also like CD said a kobelco blade runner is a good choice for a do-all machine.
We do have a john deere 410e, and i would definintly be looking into getting one with a thumb, don't think i would get an ex with a blade, would be thinking of getting a dozer in a couple years too. Thanks for the info
We would be moving it around with a tractor for fields closer to home, and if i have any jobs further i would borrow/rent a float from a neighbor.
hitachi ex120-1 or ex120-5 or deere same model bulletproof and an allrounder
I think we need to ask what kind of work your looking to do first before we start spend'n your money.
Hitachi 135 has always done a fine job for me. The tail swing is very minimal, it has a back fill blade, decent power, reasonably good sized C/U bucket volume for expanding your lagoon. Find a rake and thumb for it and you will have an easy time keeping fence lines clear. They're a really nice all around, light duty machine, provided you can find a decent example for the right price.
Cat 312 with hydraulic thumb would be perfect
hitachi 135 and the jd 135 are the same machine
Do you have requirements about the excavators, such as the buckect capacity, engine or hydraulic system ?
I started out with a Hitachi ex 150-1. Not super fast but very reliable and good on fuel and never had a major problem with it in 10 years.
No I'm not sure, we would for sure be needing thumb, but I just don't want regret getting an ex that's too small. I was thinking of like a deere or a case 160, since there is mostly those dealers in our area.
cat 312
The 160 sized machines are my favorite for a lot of applications. Legal width and in most places weight, enabling it to be moved on a tag trailer. The 160 sized machine is close in performance to a 200/320 size but you get the added benefit of easily moving it - although moving it may not be an issue for your situation. My philosophy is if you have to move the machine on a lowboy then jump the 200/320 size and go to the 325/300 range.
A 120 size machine would be perfect for everything you originally described. I would personally go with a 150, slightly bigger, with a quick coupler on it. This lends some versatility and a little extra "oomph" if later on you want to dig some bigger excavations or stump. The quick coupler also lends flexibility for a brush rake, stump splitter, etc. In my opinion, a hydraulic thumb is a must. I'm not an expert on the smaller machines, but my company has had a 150 Hitachi forever, and it rarely has issues. The 312 we had was good too, but it fed a tub grinder, and ended with with a fire or two that...lets say. diminished it a bit lol. good luck
Thanks for the input guys, this is a great forum!