# Buying excavator



## BattleRidge (Feb 9, 2008)

Im looking at buying a sk120 kobelco excavator with 7400 hrs and I was wondering if you guys had any tips or hints to look for. I am also trying to figure out the dig depth on it but cant find the specs online like i can for most machines. Any ideas>?Thanks


----------



## jlsconstruction (Apr 26, 2011)

Hints.... Don't buy something with 7400 hours on it. That's like buying a car with 300k on it


----------



## BattleRidge (Feb 9, 2008)

What do you run and what would you recommend for a starter rig?


----------



## jlsconstruction (Apr 26, 2011)

We have a kabota backhoe and a bobcat 185s skid steer. I wouldn't get anything over 4000 hours for a small machine thought. 7000 hours is usually when they start needing everything


----------



## jlsconstruction (Apr 26, 2011)

My skid steer is an 01 I think, when I got it I got it from a landscaper for 8 grand with 800 hours. It also had a brand new auger attachment that was worth over 2 grand with a few bits and forks


----------



## augsterformula (Jun 7, 2013)

With 7400 hrs depends alot on how it was used and taken care of. if the machine was taken care of service regularly, greased often you should be able to get some hours out of it. What does the the machine look like, how tight are the pins and bushings on the boom, what do the tracks look like, did the machine have a hammer of ho pak on it? Check the engine for blow by, hydraulic cylinders pumps and valves for oil leaks.


----------



## Upchuck (Apr 7, 2009)

I always figure on switching excavators around 10000 hours. If its cheap enough it may be good deal depending on how many hours you figure on putting on it. Might be worth having a dealer mechanic do a once over for you. John Deere has done that for us. Charged us a couple hours. Well worth it for that type of investment.


----------



## muskoka guy (Nov 16, 2013)

I agree with chuck. When I buy equipment, I do the initial leg work myself and narrow it down to the machines I think look good. Then I have my mechanic come and do an assessment for me. Its amazing how many times he has found stuff the owners were not aware of, so they say. He almost got into a fight with this one guy when he told him his equipment was not what he said it was. It was a dozer that the guy said had new tracks. My mechanic told him they were not new, they had grousers welded onto the old tracks. The guy was an jerk. My mechanic saved me from buying that one, as well as several other machines over the years. Well worth the cost. Any problems you buy are instantly your problems. Better to know up front so you can haggle the owner down for any repairs it will need or just walk. Good luck.


----------



## Moxley-Kidwell (Jan 28, 2011)

If it's in decent shape the hours wouldn't scare me off either. We've got plenty machines with over 10k hours and they work pretty much every day. Do your homework on the machine like the others said.


----------



## Gld700 (Aug 12, 2012)

If you like playing Russian roulette then I would buy a machine with 7000 hrs. I guess I'm just not old school enough but the way I look at it your either going to pay the parts department( hence not making money during downtime) or go to the sales department and buy something almost new with warranty and go to work everyday. :clap:


----------



## SeyCon (Jul 31, 2014)

*Sooo true*



Gld700 said:


> If you like playing Russian roulette then I would buy a machine with 7000 hrs. I guess I'm just not old school enough but the way I look at it your either going to pay the parts department( hence not making money during downtime) or go to the sales department and buy something almost new with warranty and go to work everyday. :clap:


Fully agree with Gld700. We've saved some on trucks and then paid it back and more when all of a sudden the truck broke down. Then you are out the cash and ALSO out the production for that day/week/month.

Especially because most new excavators come with an agreement where they'll provide you a temporary replacement if something goes wrong with yours and it takes over a couple days to fix.

The only exception is if your are running the machine yourself and are VERY mechanically inclined IMHO.


----------

