Buying a new/used mini-excavator

[AlfCol]

Hello,

I'm looking at buying a new/used mini-digger. Just wanted some advice on what we should be looking out for. We want to use it to clear loads of built up soil banks surrounding our property, which has built up over the last 20-30 years through different clearance jobs. We don't care about any fancy gadgets - just want it to have a covered cab. We are buying because we want to keep it on site for the next year or 2 as we have plenty of other groundwork jobs we want to carry out.

I have been given these 2 quotes:

HITACHI ZAXIS 26U-6. BLADE, HAMMER LINES, QUICK-HITCH + 3 BUCKETS, RUBBER TRACKS 90%, IMMOBILISER FITTED, 1 OWNER FROM NEW WITH FULL HITACHI SERVICE HISTORY..
2020 model
905 Hours
£22750

__________________________________________

BOBCAT E27z (towable ‘3t’, zero tail swing) - £31,500 + vat

• 2024 plate
• 3 year/3000 hour warranty
• heated cab
• longer dipper arm and heavy counterweight
• manual quick hitch
• grading bucket and two digging buckets
• suspension seat
• keyless ignition
• radio
• auto idle
• amber and green beacons
• 1st auxiliary line
• Bobcat IQ Telematics
• PDI and delivery
• first service cover

Please treat me like a simpleton when giving advice as completely new to this

Thanks

 

[doobin]

If it’s for your own sporadic use only over the next two years I’d go secondhand. You’ll definitely loose via depreciation on a new machine, the first three years are the most expensive.

A secondhand machine at three years old won’t drop nearly so much. And that hitatchi is overpriced.

 

[Storrsy]

If it’s for your own sporadic use only over the next two years I’d go secondhand. You’ll definitely loose via depreciation on a new machine, the first three years are the most expensive.

A secondhand machine at three years old won’t drop nearly so much. And that hitatchi is overpriced.

And a horrible horrible machine to boot.