13 tonne excavator. What to buy?

[JPM]

We've got a CAT 312 bl here at home. It's got over 10,000 hours on it now and we're looking to replace it with something a bit newer.

Wouldn't be keen on another CAT as those flat face hydraulic pipe couplings ain't handy to source.

JCB is the nearest dealer and they give good service. The jcb don't get the best name for reliability though?

Ideally looking for something with 4 or 5000 hours on it. With hydraulic quick hitch.

 

[Turra farmer]

Volvo

 

[Thomas5060]

Nothing wrong with 13 ton JCB. They're mini diggers are sh1te tho. We are hitachi men but if we got a JCB at the right money we would buy one

 

[Chae1]

We've a js130 @Derky s old one. It's been good so far. Doesn't have a hard life here though. Just farm work. Lucky we have a ex Scott jcb mechanic who looks after it.

Bought it with about 6k hours. To be honest the previous owner sold it to us as have a good idea from tff how well derky looks after his kit.

 

[Derky]

Thank you. That's nice to know. Glad she is going well.

 

[Derky]

Choices are Jcb Volvo Hitachi. I like the new Takeuchi 14 tonne machine. We run Jcb are good over 13 tonne. Takeuchi for anything smaller.

 

[S J H]

A driver I've worked with, reckons the best machine he's used was a 2004 js130. Think he said it had an Isuzu engine

 

[Lincs Lass]

The Daewoo 13 tracked I drove was a lovely machine ,,came from Mervin Lamberts ,

 

[nick...]

Case are very good thirteen tonners,infact my favourites.as mentioned jcb 13 ton and above are ok but below avoid.
Nick...

 

[Lincs Lass]

@JPM ,,is there anything mechanically wrong with your cat or just the amount of hours ,,only wondering as my landlord has got a yard build this year and a load of other little jobs ,,trying to convince him to buy a decent machine (so I can drive it )instead of hiring in

 

[Diesel burner]

We've got a CAT 312 bl here at home. It's got over 10,000 hours on it now and we're looking to replace it with something a bit newer.

Wouldn't be keen on another CAT as those flat face hydraulic pipe couplings ain't handy to source.

JCB is the nearest dealer and they give good service. The jcb don't get the best name for reliability though?

Ideally looking for something with 4 or 5000 hours on it. With hydraulic quick hitch.

Have you had a lot of hoses go?

 

[Diesel burner]

@JPM ,,is there anything mechanically wrong with your cat or just the amount of hours ,,only wondering as my landlord has got a yard build this year and a load of other little jobs ,,trying to convince him to buy a decent machine (so I can drive it )instead of hiring in

You could hire a brand new machine with buckets for peanuts for a week or two to get the job done compared to the risk buying an older machine.

 

[Zetor]

Don't think there's anything out there I wouldn't recommend they all share the similar parts (Kawasaki pumps, jap Isuzu engines etc) apart from CAT as you already know can be a bit different.
Stay away from early common rail Isuzu (JCB, Hitachi, Case, Kobelco) they can crack their heads.
5000hr is nearing chain and sprocket time could last longer just depends on what it has done.

 

[Kevtherev]

all modern excavators are a much similar product nowadays anything jap or Korean are ok

 

[David.]

I know if you own one you would use it, but when you can get in a new 16t machine with a Steelwrist and driver for £40 ish an hour, and achieve a lot of output per hour, Why would you buy?

 

[Turra farmer]

I know if you own one you would use it, but when you can get in a new 16t machine with a Steelwrist and driver for £40 ish an hour, and achieve a lot of output per hour, Why would you buy?

20 k machine purchase , 10 days at 10 hrs each per year ,£40 per hour £4000 per year in hire , over 5 years machine is paid for , and it's still worth 15k , and when neighbours see you with one they will take it on self drive for £100 per day , I've 2 8 tonners that are never at home

 

[Mursal]

Chinese stuff being advertised, anyone know more?
They are blue and I'll find the name, shortly.

 

[Thomas5060]

Chinese stuff being advertised, anyone know more?
They are blue and I'll find the name, shortly.

Sunward?

 

[Lincs Lass]

Sanny is another chinese built machine ,much cheaper than most but they only use the basic controls,,no fancy computerized gizmos

 

[Mursal]

Sunward, that's the one .............
When you say basic controls, can you close the door and still use the handles, I wonder ...........