Which excavator?

[Phil P]

So,
I’m thinking of getting a tracked excavator, got quite a few jobs need sorting, drains (there’s always drains to look at?), ditches to clean, tracks to repair, possibly some muck loading, shed project in the next couple of years, etc etc.........
Looking at something around the 13/14 ton mark with a budget of 20-25k
Is there any breed to avoid/ anything I should look out for when viewing/testing?
I’ve seen some ex hire Doosan‘s dX14 around the 6k hour mark, look tidy and there’s a few to choose from. Anyone any experience with Doosan? Reliability ok?/parts ok to get hold of?

Thank for your advice.

 

[ste stuart]

you’d be better hiring me in ?
The earlier dx140s weren’t great from what can gather, a mate of mine had one.
the dash 3s are better but far from perfect. The older solars were properly bullet proof tho.
but the dealer is only in pem so handy for us.
personally I’d get a hitachi, they hold they’re money like nothing else, ultra reliable and really easy to drive.
pm me if you want some numbers of local second hand dealers

 

[suffolksmallholder]

@Hilly

One with a blade.
SS

 

[Hilly]

Takeuchi compact 14 ton with power arm blade fantastic machines just rare as hens teeth sadly but if you find one buy it.

 

[Hilly]

Takeuchi compact 14 ton with power arm blade fantastic machines just rare as hens teeth sadly but if you find one buy it.

 

[Phil P]

@Hilly

One with a blade.
SS

Takeuchi compact 14 ton with power arm blade fantastic machines just rare as hens teeth sadly but if you find one buy it.

Yes a blade is handy, as you say though, like hens teeth in that size!

 

[Fast Farmer]

We got one of the last daewoo but first doosan 13ton great machines nothing wrong with it at all except heater unit packed in but bought a new one from China for £200, bit heavy on diesel and abit smokey, ours had done 600 hours not 6k, personally wouldn't buy any digger over 2k on the hour clock but depends on your budget... Komatsu also very good, kobelco seems good or maybe look a smaller terex something like 7 ton rubber track

 

[Hilly]

Yes a blade is handy, as you say though, like hens teeth in that size!

I’ve not long had mine but I have put 200hrs on it and never done a job where I have not thought to myself oh thank god for the blade .

 

[Lincs Lass]

Mervin Lambert used to be a good place to go for Doosan,, I had 4 1/2 yr using both Daewoo WV140 duck and tracked ,,Daewoo became Doosan

 

[Lincs Lass]

Crawler excavators - Construction equipment

used.mervynlambertplant.co.uk

 

[Fast Farmer]

Also worth mentioning for things to look for, drive sprocket should have plenty of meat on it, if it's shiny and pointed then it's done a lot of track work, look at the paint on the tracks has any flacked off, check the under carriage for grease and oil leaks, while operating the boom check for looseness in the linkages, put boom at full stretch and move up and down you'll feel play in the undercarriage, shake the handles all ways and see how loud she is in the linkages, check for wear on the handles and the seat depending on the hours on the clock.

 

[ILovebaling]

I've a 2005 Hitachi 13 tonne. Had 6k hours on when I bought it and put 2.5k hours on in 3.5 years and never had a problem, apart from the air con belt just snapped (and new chains and sprockets on undercarriage but that's just inevitable wear) Was 22k then. (just looked it up and actually was 20400 Inc vat. So not as much as I thought)

Can't see a 13 tonner being less than 30k looking at prices now,i may be wrong.

I'd agree a blade would be a handy tool but I've not got 1 on, how much extra would that add to a digger these days?

 

[Phil P]

Crawler excavators - Construction equipment

used.mervynlambertplant.co.uk

The one I was looking at was the dx140lcr which I presume is just reduced swing.

 

[DaveGrohl]

We were look for a similar machine, 14t, blade and offset boom. Hen's teeth is right. We managed to find an older Takeuchi with all those things for relatively cheap money. We struck gold as it had been looked after superbly by one operator and another potential buyer pulled out. I don't drive it but the lads love it.

 

[Phil P]

I've a 2005 Hitachi 13 tonne. Had 6k hours on when I bought it and put 2.5k hours on in 3.5 years and never had a problem, apart from the air con belt just snapped (and new chains and sprockets on undercarriage but that's just inevitable wear) Was 22k then.

Can't see a 13 tonner being less than 30k looking at prices now,i may be wrong.

I'd agree a blade would be a handy tool but I've not got 1 on, how much extra would that add to a digger these days?

seems to be plenty of ex hire machines about in the 20-30k range at the moment, think a lot of companies will be cutting excess stock with the current financial climate.

 

[Fast Farmer]

Give another 6 months we'll be in recession again so there'll be plenty of cheap diggers when the housing construction grinds to a halt ?

 

[Hilly]

Give another 6 months we'll be in recession again so there'll be plenty of cheap diggers when the housing construction grinds to a halt ?

Bet they are dearer .

 

[ILovebaling]

seems to be plenty of ex hire machines about in the 20-30k range at the moment, think a lot of companies will be cutting excess stock with the current financial climate.

Maybe. But what hours they got on and track condition? You need to take that into account as its another 2.5k roughly for chain and sprockets.

Don't know where in the country you are but mine came out of the paper from a guy called M. J. Wilkinson, Blackpool area and he had A LOT of gear so could he worth looking up.

 

[Fast Farmer]

Ours was an ex building contractor who had gone bust, Mid 20k for daewoo/doosan 600 hours and quick hitch plus 5 buckets

 

[Fast Farmer]

Bet they are dearer .

They weren't last time and history always repeats itself haha