13-14 tonne excavator

[Martin78]

Hi All, would really appreciate some advice.
im looking to buy a 13-14 tonne excavator.
im a house builder by trade but my passion is excavator driving. So I’m looking for a machine I will run on for a good few years and put around 1000h on a year and do less of the building and more machine work.
my budget is around 40-60k which if think puts me in the bracket of 2016-2020 excavators.
So my questions are.
what are the best brands in that weight bracket?

How concerned do I need to be about hours?

Was there any stand excavators made between those year?

Are there any makes or models I need to stay clear of?

Is there anything more I need to know?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[Thomas7740]

I haven’t used one that age, but my brother swears by CAT in that category, and from what he has shown and told me, they would be my choice. You’ll also not go wrong with Case, Hitachi, Volvo etc a lot of it will come down to price, condition, dealer etc

 

[doobin]

Prices are coming down and will most likely come down quite a bit more. I’d keep your powder dry.

 

[V8Druid]

Prices are coming down and will most likely come down quite a bit more. I’d keep your powder dry.

and under lock and key

 

[DaveDCB]

For 60k you can buy pretty much anything you fancy….

 

[Mick-the-fitter]

Komatsu 138us pretty good in there day, of the 4 on my patch all got to 4000 hrs, 1 pump and injectors, due to op filling tank with water, 1 alternator op putting jump leads on wrong way around, then realised isolator was off! 1 track plate. Serviced regularly no other problems.

 

[Davedb]

Father in law loves his case diggers he’s a 21t,35t and 50t the operators pick them over the Komatsu 35tonners and they have been far more reliable

 

[Mick-the-fitter]

Father in law loves his case diggers he’s a 21t,35t and 50t the operators pick them over the Komatsu 35tonners and they have been far more reliable

They all have their faults that why I do what I do

 

[Giles]

Case are sumitomos descendants aren’t they? Sumitomos are cracking machines

 

[Regy53]

Prices are coming down and will most likely come down quite a bit more. I’d keep your powder dry.

I don’t think they will come down much more now. Did you see ritchie bros?

2022 kobelco sk130
1000 hours
50 k

 

[Regy53]

2017 plate thwaites 6 tonne straight tips

5 k

 

[doobin]

2017 plate thwaites 6 tonne straight tips

5 k

Getting closer to the magic 3k

 

[Thomas7740]

I don’t think they will come down much more now. Did you see ritchie bros?

2022 kobelco sk130
1000 hours
50 k

Someone’s took a fair hit on that

 

[DaveDCB]

Someone’s took a fair hit on that

Especially when they get smacked with the 8% sellers fee!!

 

[Thomas7740]

Especially when they get smacked with the 8% sellers fee!!

Yikes

 

[Mick-the-fitter]

2017 plate thwaites 6 tonne straight tips

5 k

Because all new sites want cabbed with A/C!

 

[6feetdown]

Because all new sites want cabbed with A/C!

Tbf if you want to get people in construction these days and your sat on a dumper for 8 to 10 hrs a day, how many would put up with it in todays society?
But there's still a place for the traditional if your off and on all day or occasional use who the heck would want to spend im guessing 50k on 1

 

[DaveDCB]

Tbf if you want to get people in construction these days and your sat on a dumper for 8 to 10 hrs a day, how many would put up with it in todays society?
But there's still a place for the traditional if your off and on all day or occasional use who the heck would want to spend im guessing 50k on 1

Got told 40k for a 9t on swivel without a cab!! Think a 3ton swivel was 35k cabbed with aircon!

 

[Mick-the-fitter]

Got told 40k for a 9t on swivel without a cab!! Think a 3ton swivel was 35k cabbed with aircon!

35k for a 3t dumper, when the first time it goes on site it ges the back or the skip ripped out with a 13t exc, and they’ll come back with its only an old dumper!

 

[DaveDCB]

35k for a 3t dumper, when the first time it goes on site it ges the back or the skip ripped out with a 13t exc, and they’ll come back with its only an old dumper!

I did consider one, but only for use with a dedicated operator… but then a £5k 6 ton dumper is a lot more appealing