Digging footings with the Chinese Mini Excavator

Hi all and welcome back to everyday with me, Nick
On this one, im using the Chinese mini excavator to dig footings for Steve who has the house next to my parents house. He is wanting a 3m extension X the full length of the house. The building inspector has passed off the footings dig and now its time for the concrete pour. We are getting ready mix concrete for the footings as it is quicker and has the correct grade that some building inspectors ask for.
So the next video will be of the footing pour. Thank you all for watching and supporting the channel.
Hit me up at [e-mail] if you need any more information.
#chineseexcavator #miniexcavator #building

[@andrewhills6535]

Nice to see digger earning its keep , more or less paid for itself now Nick 👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@everydaywithmenick]

Thanks Andrew for commenting 😀 Yeah I'd say it has paid itself now. Last year's work was crazy including my own projects so it's been well worth it. Maybe onto better things, who knows 😄 Take it easy buddy

[@davejaguar6532]

G'day Nick. Nice video, I like the way you always show real world use where you've got to get in and get the work done, no rooting about. I noticed that you look reasonably comfortable sitting and working that digger. That's usually quite the opposite of most people I see operating the chinese tiny-diggers. Having a close look at your machine I can see what you've done in re-orientating your control levers further towards the seat. Makes all the difference doesn't it. I have a UME12s 1.2 tonner (an Aussie sticker-rebrand of the older Rhinoceros XN12) and after my first two or three hour digging session realised that I couldn't cop the standard operating position which basically required one to lean forward from the seat and hunch over while operating using hands, arms, shoulders and neck. To fix what I saw as one of the digger's major disadvantages, I ended up completely reshaping the metal tube control lever stalks using my oxy to heat and bend (off the machine of course) to lean the handgrips much further towards the seat. I reshaped rather than just turned them as you did because (after trying that) I wanted to keep the original spacing between the hand grips). Now my excavator is set up so I can lean back into the seat in comfort and operate using only my hands and forearms which makes the whole operation a lot more precise and doesn't fatigue me anywhere near as much. Maybe not as good as proper pilot controls to each side but much better than the original set-up on these machines.

[@anthonyfindlay466]

They're upper scale chinese machine with better engines, hydraulic pumps etc... but you now know you get what you pay for. All the best for this year cheers.

[@everydaywithmenick]

Hey Anthony, there are some much better chinese excavators for sure. They also cost a good bit more too. But yes, you get what you pay for definitely. Thanks for commenting 😊

[@lalloy21]

Hello Nick, laughing, I restarted my mini digger 2 days ago to make a trench to bring power to my well pump and prepare the soil for the vegetable garden! Great minds think alike . We love our little machines! Can you imagine doing this job again by hand? Good luck my friend !

[@everydaywithmenick]

Hey buddy 👋 did yours start up no problem ? No I couldn't imagine doing this by hand now. I feel for the old timers. I dug a 12m trench for my water line and I wouldn't do it now having the excavator. Take it easy buddy and hope you get your projects done safely.

[@lalloy21]

Hello Nick. Yes, my digger started on the first try. You know, I thought of something, it's that the noise of this koop motor can be useful because, who would manage to fly such a noisy machine at night? As for your sweet ears, I think you do have noise canceling headphones, I always have one attached to my shovel. I will send you by email a photo of my digger in winter version and with the hydraulic management system for the brushcutter which works great. I am working on a modification of this one to be able to use it also as a tiller. Friendly!@@everydaywithmenick

[@everydaywithmenick]

excellent buddy, glad all started with no issues. Yes who would want to steal a noisy koop engine 🤣 you'd hear them a mile away. Yes I have wireless ear buds that do have active noise cancelling on them. Yes I'll look forward to seeing those. Is it all working tip top now ? Have you used it already ?

[@lalloy21]

@@everydaywithmenick The brushcutter works properly by having added a pressure divider to the mini digger preventing the brushcutter from taking all the flow and leaving just enough for the movements of the machine, it is adjustable and very practical for an auxiliary accessory . I had it installed by a hydraulics pro! It could be practical for you, for example, a small concrete mixer. I'll show you all of this! see you soon !

[@GOPHERS_PC10]

Hi Nick, it's a beautiful day, you started a new project again, and I see that your mini excavator has been completely repaired. How did you do it?

[@everydaywithmenick]

Heyy 👋 yes we got more work on for the start of 2023. I used heavy gauge 4" channel and welded it around the existing chassis. Welded in some strengtheners and painted black. All good now.

[@GOPHERS_PC10]

@@everydaywithmenick Do you add reinforcing bars on the floor of the steel trough, is there a U-line at the bottom of the steel trough or reinforcing bars at the steel plate connection points?

[@everydaywithmenick]

@GOPHERS_mini_ excavators I had to add 12mm solid plate to the underside of the chassis. The 10mm thick channel section steel has wrapped around the chassis.

[@GOPHERS_PC10]

@@everydaywithmenick 👍👍👍

[@fredduncan1610]

Nick, I’ve been really enjoying your videos! I’ve received a pretty good (cheap) quote from Infront on a digger. Sometimes you say yours is great and sometimes it’s junk, so I can’t figure out exactly where you are with it. I’m just going to be using on a small farm for myself, not as a business. What are your thoughts? Thanks!

[@everydaywithmenick]

Hi Fred and welcome and thank you for commenting. So I'm at a love more hate relationship with Infront Machinery. Their chassis are crap PERIOD. I confronted them and said you need to redesign or at least beef up that area so no one else's machine does the same. It may not happen right away but it may happen eventually. The single cylinder engine is incredibly annoying and noisy. I wish I had got a machine with a 3 cylinder engine in so it was smoother and quieter. Don't get me wrong it does work but it is also something I wish I had upgraded. Infront had promised things that never materialised and now I tell people not to purchase from them. I have removed their brand from the machine and now it is just a Chinese built machine 😆 For occasional work, I think it will be fine for you. Make sure you have hearing protection for sure. If the budget allows, go for 1.2 with a Chinese built 3 cylinder engine for the longevity of motor. The machine moves at about 1.8mph so is painfully slow too. All stuff I'll be mentioning in my 2 year review that I hope to do very soon. Hope this has answered your questions on my take on the machine buddy. Anything else, don't hesitate to comment again 👍

[@fredduncan1610]

@@everydaywithmenick thanks Nick!

[@user-un5ob9cx3k]

中国应该有更加高级的mini挖掘机。老板请加多一点预算😄谢谢您购买中国制造的产品。我会去跟生产厂家反馈的。把整个支撑结构钢板增强。对整体成本几乎没有影响。

[@everydaywithmenick]

Do you work for Infront Machinery company ?

[@user-un5ob9cx3k]

​@@everydaywithmenick 先生你好。我没有在这家公司工作。不过我可以把您的遭遇反馈给他们

[@everydaywithmenick]

@@user-un5ob9cx3k i have had extensive talks with the company and they promised me all sorts but nothing ever came from empty promises. I appreciate your help but i just hope other dont deal with Infront Machinery.

[@davidprins9401]

Yeah, glad you took off their name/brand … they don’t deserve any advertising

[@everydaywithmenick]

Hi David, your very right, they don't deserve being advertised by me. Now I don't tell folk who's machine it is. Thanks for commenting 👍

[@MikeK84]

How many hours on that machine now? I'm close to pulling the trigger on one but wont be working it half as hard as you 😆

[@everydaywithmenick]

Hey Mike and thanks for commenting 👍 so I've got about 180hours on it now. All varying from light work to some very hard digging in concrete like clay. The digger has managed but sometimes I feel I have worked it a little too hard. A 3 cylinder engine would be prefered choice for noise and smoother running. Who are you dealing with ? You buying through Alibaba?

[@MikeK84]

@@everydaywithmenick Yes, I've been in contact with the factory thru Alibaba. It will be the EPA certified Briggs and Stratton gas engine on mine since I'm in Canada. Right now I'm still just trying to do some research on them, which is how I came across your channel 🙂

[@everydaywithmenick]

@@MikeK84 i see, is that something that Canada are strict on ? Thank you for falling into my channel then 😄 What size are you going for ? just a 1t machine ?

[@MikeK84]

@@everydaywithmenick Canada and USA won't allow engines to come in that aren't EPA certified. So all these chinese mini digger factories seem to offer the same Briggs and Stratton engine as a substitute for North America. Or a kubota diesel. Yes, i'm looking at the same 1T machine as yours except apparently it's an updated design that's 1050kg. Hopefully they beefed up the blade support section. 😄

[@everydaywithmenick]

@Mike K I'd like to see that in person and not trust the words written online unfortunately. Are you going with Infront Machinery ?