Chinese Mini Excavator - 1 Year On

I'm glad all the know-it-all naysayers didn't get you down too much. The internet is full of clowns with their "opinions" that just aren't worth listening too. I agree with you that little diggers are much harder to operate than large ones. A 1 ton is way harder than a 20 ton to do a smooth job. Similarly a 10t machine does more than 2x that of a 5t machine, so for bulk work, it pays to go large as you found out. Keep on keeping on and getting your experience! : )

FYI, you can indeed control some fees better with your own forwarders, but that still won't protect you from storage charges when the port inevitably keeps the shipment over a weekend at least 🙁... Its less, but still 😞

is a Kuboto a chinese copy of Kubota? I've heard you mention it twice

If anyone asks why Captain Jean-Luc Picard has an English accent, I'll show them this video.

Hydraulics are basic and well understood.
Basic steel frame and some hydraulics.
Why couldn't China make that? lol

good for you learning on it. I learned on a backhoe/frontend loader about the size of the one that you hired. but I did construction. the funny part is case new holland build them in my town lol. definitely can't afford btw.

the digger "experts" are forgetting that a child learns to operate a human body which is infinitely more complex than a lump of metal with a few pivots and hydraulic pipes that any old builder can learn to operate in a couple of days.

for refrence a used excavator of the same size from 2017 in europe kost about 15k

You're doing a great job. Thank you so much for a follow up video. Ignore the armchair keyboard warriors who scoff at your fixes to problems (like the ramp you built to get the excavator off the trailer).

40 hours, in 1 year, for $10'000€
Wouldn't just renting it be cheaper, for your budget?

I appreciate you trying it out, but you should of had 500 hours, for a test study.

Chinese equipmemt is better than U.S. made. Easy to repair if needed
Chinese people are great! For the ones complaining - Did You engeenered or manufacture anything?

I've had really good luck buying used brand name stuff and getting my purchase price back when I was done with it, so I personally wouldn't go for a Chinese mini excavator. It seems to be the best option for your situation though.

Awesome video 👍 thanks

I think you are doing great. Keep doing what you are doing.

I remember back in the 1970s in the USA people said the same thing about imported Japanese cars. "They're junk!" "Where will you get spare parts?" And so on.

I saw a quote for a tiny excavator on Facebook for like $300 with free shipping. An obvious scam, but it looked about that siz3. I really want one but not for 7k.

Cool 👍👍👍gracias

So 40 hours on the machine....i wonder what the difference between buying it and hiring one at the local hire shop would have been...

The Chinese state TV filter😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Hi guys, I bought a 2 ton machine from same guys you bought yours from and I am wondering if you have same problem as I am finding. When the machine is going downhill it speeds up and there is nothing I can do to slow it down! I feel this is incorrect and should not happen. The factory agent is saying just do not push the levers too far forward!!! This has no effect at all. If you let go of the levers half way down the slope the machine suddenly stops and risks falling over. Does your machine do this? Hope you do not mind me asking. Cheers

It almost sounds like its cheaper to buy a used bobcat here in the states. Better machine, same money.

Mine has just clocked 200 hours and going fine. The only thing it has done is throw a track but that was my fault, I slewed in stony loose soil whilst levelling a terrace. My land is steep and a learning is to cut a bench before doing any earthworks. These are not a toy, they will scare you if you don't respect land angles etc.

Let the machine do the work to its ability don't beat the pee out of it.

beats working a mexican backhoe

most whiners want what you have but the wife won't let them buy it lmao.

Small machines are meant to be driven like youre on meth, they are jerky, so drive it jerky and youll be amazed by the amount of work you can do with such a tiny thing

Mini excavator ❤

People have to understand that it’s not a Caterpillar or a John Deere and it’s not trying to be. It’s built to do specific jobs, using the absolute minimum materials and options to do so. That’s what makes them “cheap”. They still meet the intent though.

Like anything in this planet, they can have pretty good longevity if it’s probably care for and use for it’s intended purpose. It’s a $4500 excavator, it’s going to perform like a $4500 excavator.

Don't buy a Chinese mini digger my mate got one and the engine has blown up in it after only 5 months it also started leaking hydraulic oil the ignition switch crept on sticking the starter crept on grinding teeth off the flywheel and the voltage charging gauge stopped working the first day he got it .I would not buy Chinese goods if I can help it we the West have made China rich and now China is bullying it's naiebers

How are these compared to the harbor freight Backhoe??
Im debating getting one of these vs. a Harbor freight backhoe sometime next year for gardening / small landscaping projects. Im getting to old to be digging with a shovel and the ground out here is very hard unless you soak it. I was looking at ones from CHina and freight with DDP but then i seen USA and many states have already imported them and just need to arrange a delivery.

it doesn´t matter about what you talk or report on the internet,there will be always the know-it-all guys...
just don´t react to them,that´s the best you can do about them.

I love that you ignore all the internet comments :). From a fellow DIYer you can do anything! 9/10 times you'll do it better than a professional as you're doing it for you, and not for making a buck.

All equipment is made in China or Japan.

Bro, don’t take the comments to heart. We’re all trolls here with no souls, don’t take it to heart

Try and dig with the blade at the rear, it will give you more stability. When you get mind fog take your hands off the levers and rub them together as if they were cold then try again.

Great video thanks for making the time to post both the ups and downs of your experience.

When you say bigger tracks are optional, does it lengthen the machine or widen it? Wasn’t quite clear on that aspect.

Technically iPhones are Chinese trash too, yet all iDiots buy them.

I try to buy as little as I can from China for the simple reason that it’s a Communist country. I can’t help to think of the slave labor I would be supporting. I’m not trying to be mean, just honest.

Probably no issue with one of these machines mechanically. Biggest thing holding me back would be the availability of spare parts 10-15 years down the line.

...that's nothing to do with being from China. I'd have the same concerns buying a complex machine from any small/unknown manufacturer I've never heard of before.

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NB. I have an ancient worn out Bobcat 320 (1.5ton) that I paid £1500 for some 20 years ago (I just checked ebay and nowadays a similar age machine would be 4-5k in the UK).

Mine gets maybe a hundred hours a year so not worked super-hard but spare parts are pretty much all still available, and because it's a well known brand there are also plenty of aftermarket parts that are compatible.

In the ~20 years I've have it we've had to replace one of the final drive motors, couple of hydraulic hoses, new tracks, few pins, a coolant hose. Think that's about it.

Well thats good business, giving you a thumb.

A tip i got from a different video is to dig backwards with the blade behind you. Adds a lot of stability.

Another well made vid with lots of very useful information. We are in a similar situation but in Italy and I am looking for a similar (maybe a little bigger) machine. Used machines here are advertised for crazy money which makes the new Chinese type machines more viable. I say Chinese "type" because there are retailers here who assemble their own machines from parts sourced from various parts of the globe including of course china. These may be a better option than buying direct from china because the guarantee is more credible. Just an opinion. I hope all goes well and thank you.

I don't know about France ! But you easily get a small bobcat / kubota 2013 ex with not many hours on it for less than 15k .. most around 8-10k and would be much much more reliable and serviceable in years to come. Also would have been much better off with a backhoe attachment for the tractor you already got

...... well-thought-out and helpful informative video, Thank you! And here is another free thumb👍

It is crazy what the larger 10, 15, 30+ tonne excavators can do without breaking a sweat.

Its much cheaper to rent this equipment

What an awesome fantastic video that you shared i’m gonna watch the rest of your videos just because of your presentation. Congratulations on this great purchase I cannot wait to get me a couple of acres of property so that I can purchase one of these beauties with all the attachments👍

The problem was not your choice of digger! The problem was that you exposed yourself to public commentary! You could have not filmed it; or could have disabled comments. I dunno why people like you video what you do. It must complicate your life more than you need to focus on your building. Good luck and best wishes. But shut down comments. People are morons.

Excellent review sir.

Looks like it's working out well. I bought a Wacher-Neuson version of tiny excavator a few years ago and the tiny size comes in so handy - more than I thought it would. Mine is a diesel and the tracks expand out, but it's still tiny and probably functions pretty close to that one. One thing I learned is that excavators can move a lot more dirt per weight of machine than a lot of others. Even these tiny ones can do a significant amount of work. But the MAIN thing is... I'm older now so I fire this little thing up to do a ton of things that when I was younger would just do by hand. Not only is it much faster than by-hand for small jobs, but the injury savings on my back and joints is priceless.