Kymron YH14 Mini Excavator Detailed Review - Awesome Gas Powered Mini Excavator!

[@jacklabloom635]

Nice showroom . The fact that his machines come with an upgraded pump, better thumb, and warranty, plus he sells attachments and parts is a sound business model, which easily justifies the higher price compared to buying cheaper Chinese manufactured machines from eBay, that come with none of those things. It is basically a no-brainer, for customers within driving range of his location. I hope his business continues to grow and expand. Thanks for sharing. I hope your purchase works out well for you.

[@ColoradoCamperman]

I agree with everything that you said and that is why I purchased this machine. It has been working out great so far. Just hit 10 hours on it this weekend. No issues so far other than the seat belt. At 10 hours, you are supposed to do an oil change. I will take a video of that and upload it. Thanks for watching!

[@03treefitty]

They deliver you dont need to go in person if its just to far. I purchased mine from a phone call and a few emails. Gets delivered late may early june

[@ColoradoCamperman]

@@03treefitty Very true, I think the delivery quote I got was $1,500, so I decided to make the drive. I also wanted to test the machine out and look at the other machines in case I changed my mind.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

​@03treefitty will they deliver it to your door- like with a lift gate? I don't have access to a loading dock. Thanks

[@ColoradoCamperman]

​@@Samlol23_drrich Not sure, it may depend on which freight carrier you hire. On K&R equipment's website, they have a section about shipping.

[@mixflip]

I didnt think I needed a mini excavator until today lol....now I need some land to work on too. Great video.

[@ColoradoCamperman]

Lol, yeah watching these videos can be dangerous! When I was looking at buying I watched all the videos I could find and it definitely gave me the itch. It has been a very useful machine so far. Thanks for watching!

[@ZenClements-i4m]

thank you for such a detailed review! you dont see alot of in depth reviews like this for these on youtube

[@ColoradoCamperman]

You're welcome! Thanks for the comment and watching.

[@leebennett7126]

Thank you for the great video. Looks like a nice machine. You’ve got a nice property and good dog!

[@ColoradoCamperman]

You're welcome! Thanks for the comment and watching!

[@donfrance3]

I have a Chinese machine like this - no problems so far for a year and we use it often in the snow - the wide finish bucket works well for clearing decks where the roof slides and piles up frozen. of course trenching and driveway work is what these are made for. recommend the thumb for picking up rocks and logs. get one and you will be surprised how well it works for a small unit.

[@ColoradoCamperman]

Thank you for sharing your experience. We used ours a ton this winter to move snow. It definitely came in handy. I am finally doing dirt work with it now that the snow has melted. Thanks for the comment and watching!

[@jakeroininen6298]

I have the RH14-3 Have 12 hours on it now. Have been using it in North Arkansas, very rocky ground. Have used the jackhammer attachment in hard flint rock. Issues bolts come loose. The Chinese don't use lock washers on all bolts. Check all the bolts. The key switch in the plastic dash is a bad design, had to use a rubber washer between the dash & the switch. The switch was spinning when trying to start the engine. Cooling fans need to be installed at the factory. The engine compartment runs HOT & your sitting above it. I am putting 12 volt fans on mine. If you are mechanically inclined you'll be ok. The people at K&R are good people. The machine is a little light in the back end. I made a set of forks about 30 in long. Forks clamp to the blade. This gives you a huge digging advantage. I do like the machine.

[@tonymartin6559]

I'm in North Arkansas also, Salem

[@jakeroininen6298]

At Clarkridge

[@ColoradoCamperman]

Thanks for all the info and sharing your experience! I really liked the RH14-3. I would have bought that instead of the YH if it had a ROPS. Thanks for the comment and watching!

[@tonymartin6559]

I've never heard of that town, the bigger towns close to me are mountain Home or Hardy​@@jakeroininen6298

[@brucedeleskey8540]

Thanks I'll spend the extra money and not buy this junk Kubota our Bob cat

[@JimboSouthDakota]

Someone may have mentioned this already. The main pins that have a retaining bolt generally do not have lock-tite or lock washers. A friend of mine had the main pin at the arm joint come 1/2 way out (on his YH-20) while pulling small trees, and bent part of the main arm pin area. It is a good idea to pull all of them, and install lock-tite, and put a small strip of paint on the heads to detect any backing out. Just a thought.

[@ColoradoCamperman]

Thank you so much for the heads up on that! I appreciate the comment and you watching!

[@portnuefflyer]

One unexpected feature of any mini X, is how handy they are for precisely positioning a trailer into a crowded building. The combo of being able to swing the house plus move the boom make it super handy. I used to think my hydrostatic tractor was handy for that, but went to using just the mini. The thumb uses are endless, more than one may think until you have one! At your 10 K elevation, you are dealing with a fair bit of power loss of course.

[@ColoradoCamperman]

The thumb is so amazing! I have found a lot of uses for the excavator so far. The only problem right now is the fact that we've gotten about 70 inches of snow in the last month and a half! I'm looking forward to the day everything is melted so I can use it more. There is definitely significant power loss at our elevation. I looked for a high elevation jet kit for the Briggs & Stratton motor. They actually do not have one. They say that it should not be re-jetted. Thanks for watching!

[@governmentcheese2257]

Subscribed! Really hoping to find out how well the rocks treat you with that piece of equipment. I had been eyeballing them for a while now. Thanks for sharing.

[@ColoradoCamperman]

Thanks for subbing and watching! So far it has done really well digging through the rocks. Unfortunately we just got about 2 ft of snow and so it is going to be a while before I will use the excavator to dig. I can tell you one thing, it moves snow nicely, lol!

[@neilkoster4823]

Thanks for the video! I'm at wait for a much larger scary cash purchase Excavator still in production. This actually eases my mind .

[@neilkoster4823]

I have never talked with Ron, But I'm working with one of his dealers

[@ColoradoCamperman]

Glad the video was helpful! How big of an excavator are you getting?

[@ColoradoCamperman]

I've heard good things about his dealers. I wish there was one closer to Colorado!

[@thebrazilianguy4652]

I got the rh14-3 unit! I’m in Arkansas, totally awesome! Runs like a dream! Very smooth controls, uses very little gas, simple to maintain! No problems so far! 😃👍

[@ColoradoCamperman]

That is great to hear! I was really interested in the 14-3. If it had a ROPS, I would have bought it. Thanks for the comment and watching!

[@brucedeleskey8540]

Is thare anyone that had one for at least one year to say how it's doing

[@jprice-ss4bz]

Great video....I am waiting for my yh14 to show up How many hours do you have on your machine

[@anonymous_friend]

@@ColoradoCampermanWhat is ROPS?

[@ColoradoCamperman]

@@anonymous_friend Roll Over Protection System

[@dirtydish6642]

I think there are kits out there to run a spreader bar between the tracks at the rear to protect the driver motors in the even you back into a rock low to the ground. Thanks for sharing the pros and cons, as it seems all models vary on these and so its user preference on which good and bad to take, but at the end of the day they all dig and are (relatively) inexpensive.

[@ColoradoCamperman]

Funny you should mention that, I definitely plan on buying one of those very soon. I have too many rocks on my property to not get that. The biggest thing I wish I would have considered when purchasing this was access to the engine. I would have spent a little more money to have better access or panels that raise up. Especially since I plan on doing all the maintenance myself. Thanks for watching!

[@SpruceHill]

Nice seems like a really handy machine!

[@ColoradoCamperman]

So far it has been great! I'm looking forward to the warmer months when the snow has melted and the ground is thawed. Thanks for watching.

[@bogieman101]

Great review. I have watched tons on these Chinese mini's and was looking at taking a long trip and a chance with an auction unit or maybe purchase the same units from a dealer (?) a little closer to me, but looking at the features of the Kymron, I was sold-UNTIL I saw the access to the engine. Sorry to say, I'm back to the cheaper more accessible units-I think.

[@ColoradoCamperman]

Thanks! Engine access definitely sucks. I wish it was better, especially since I work on it myself. I would definitely recommend getting a model that has better engine access and make sure you get a model with a hydraulic cooler. Right now, I am battling the machine getting too hot. And this is while it is running in 70 degree outside temps. I'm going to try some fans to see if that helps, if not, I will be installing a hydraulic cooler. Other than that, it is a great machine! It digs in rocking soil and helps me gets jobs done at our property.

[@lanceadams1318]

Hey there, Are you still loving this machine? I can't decided between this model or the YH20D that has a diesel engine and weighs 1300lbs more. Thanks for the review.

[@ColoradoCamperman]

I still love the machine! It has been doing a great job so far. Really my only beef with the machine is the fact that the engine access is terrible. You can remove some of the vents around the engine but the access is not good. The XH14 has much better access with panels that are on hinges. The only reason I did not buy that one is because it is too tall and would not fit in my shipping container.

[@tonymartin6559]

I've been watching a lot of videos from this company, just waiting for another disbursement to come in before I make the call myself. Have you tried it yet? Do you like it? One reason I want to get mine is so that I can lift logs onto my sawmill.

[@ColoradoCamperman]

It's been a great machine so far! I have about 8hours on it. I was lifting an aspen log the other day that was probably 14'', maybe 10-12" diameter. It was a drier log since it has been dead for a while. One reason I got a Kymron was so I can lift logs and dig up stumps. It has not disappointed yet. Thanks for watching!!

[@R94GC]

Awesome! I’ve got a similar unit but I put a tree sheer on mine. I posted a video of it on my channel! Crazy how productive these things can be.

[@ColoradoCamperman]

That tree sheer is pretty sweet! Where did you get that?

[@TyThompsonPGA]

Great video and explanation -- I also live in Colorado and have been looking at different brands, etc. This seems to be worth the extra money over the AGT line. What is the weight capacity of the trailer you are using? I have a high wall utility trailer with a 3,500lb single axle that says GVWR is 2,990 and Cargo weight 2,190

[@ColoradoCamperman]

Thank you! It has been a great machine so far. Put 10 hours on it already. We may have the same trailer, lol! Those numbers are identical to mine. I bought mine from Big R, I believe the brand is a "Carry On". Thanks for watching!

[@TyThompsonPGA]

Seems like many of the things you don't like are addressed on the XH14 -- did you consider that model?

[@ColoradoCamperman]

@@TyThompsonPGA Yes I did, but like I said in the video, it was too tall to fit in our shipping container.

[@ty.thompson5280]

I have purchased the YH14 and wondering how your hauling experience was from Oklahoma back to CO? Did you have to go slower speeds? Did the minix balance well in the Carry On trailer over the axle, etc?

[@ColoradoCamperman]

@@ty.thompson5280 I thought I mentioned it in this video, but maybe it was my other one. The trailer towed extremely well! I was able to go the speed limit or faster the whole way home. No trailer sway or anything too. I was really impressed with my trailer! Have fun with your machine, I actually just got done using mine, lol!

[@budowaslask]

Zgrabna maszyna 😊

[@ryanyoung2368]

I really don’t understand that thumb not closing 180 degrees. Love the machine but as an owner of a heavily wooded property that would be an issue for me. I’m trying to decide between this and Rippa Texas mini

[@ColoradoCamperman]

I agree 100%, it's annoying. You can still grab stuff, you just have to have the bucket in the proper position and move the stick out a little more. Definitely get a machine with a hydraulic cooler! I have been having issues with mine overheating lately.

[@ryanyoung2368]

@@ColoradoCamperman that makes sense. Just one of those little quirks I suppose. Each of these brands of the minis seem to have their own little down fall. It’s hard to find one that has the proper cooling fans, easy to maintain, has the drive gear protection, hydraulic cooling system, built strong etc. I’m deep in research on them all and it seems like basically it’s a give and take. Any idea if you could add some more fans or hydraulic cooler on your model? I’ve seen them on the new AGT industrial mini

[@ColoradoCamperman]

@@ryanyoung2368 The hydraulic cooler comes standard on the 2024 YH14 models. Mine was a 2023 so it did not have one. If I were to go back, I would have purchased the XH14 because it had better engine access with doors/a hood and a hydraulic cooler. But for some reason Kymron no longer sells them? Not sure why that is. At this point, I am actually considering getting a larger machine. I really like the YH14 and there are a lot of pros to a smaller machine. However, for the projects I have on my to do list, a larger machine would be more suitable and save me a ton of time!

[@ryanyoung2368]

Great video btw

[@ColoradoCamperman]

Thanks for the comment and watching!

[@KUBBI7488]

Congratulations!!!

[@ColoradoCamperman]

Thank you! It's an awesome little machine :)

[@KUBBI7488]

@@ColoradoCamperman i bought Yh20d ! Diesel one! Love it !

[@KUBBI7488]

Great review! Make more videos

[@ColoradoCamperman]

​@@KUBBI7488That's a sweet rig! What kind of projects have you done with it so far?

[@ColoradoCamperman]

​@@KUBBI7488Thanks man! Will do.

[@LucaslawncareservicesL.L.C]

Is there a larger machine like 8k machine or a bit larger

[@ColoradoCamperman]

Yeah, for sure. They have machines up to 16,000lbs. Go to www.microtrackhoe.com Thanks for watching!

[@HiramSpringer]

I have that on my wish list. Just need the doe?

[@ColoradoCamperman]

Keep saving, you'll get there! Thanks for watching.

[@jprice-ss4bz]

Did your yh14 come with grease tension tracks

[@ColoradoCamperman]

I believe so, but I'm not 100%. I've only put about 20 hours on it so far. I've greased about every zerk I've seen, but I haven't taken off the plate on the tracks. Maybe it's in there?!? I'll have to check the next time I use it.

[@Steven-h33]

Do you happen to know if the track tightens with a bolt or a grease fitting

[@03treefitty]

Some kymron have bolt some grease from videos i have watched

[@ColoradoCamperman]

I'm not 100% sure. I haven't needed to do that yet and the excavator does not come with a manual of any kind. When I was researching these excavators I vaguely remember seeing a video of a guy tightening the tracks with a bolt that was accessible on a panel on the track base.

[@davidrussell8795]

I've been looking at these Chinese excavators. Although it's costing me to build my own,but the parts are here,don't have to go through a customs broker! There are plans you can buy to build your own digger or small skid steer tractor! I'm copying the towabke version,but I'm adding drive wheels to it! I also found out,here in Canada,your not allowed into the Vancouver shipping and dock yards,so you have to hire a bonded carrier licensed to go into their yards,fetch your digger, and take it to their trucking yard,which is more expense and storeage costs,plus the fees at the dock yards! The Chinese excavator shown here looks like it's made by : The Hi-Top excavator company. Theses companies allow you to put your label on them! So don't be fooled by a companies label like AGT,it's still built by some Chinese company. Like Hi-Top,look at the design of Hi -Tops digger,it's the same even though there's a different name on it! There are others lots,and they used to list all the options and specs online,not so much now,you must ask a lot of questions if your goingbthrough Alibaba or made in China,and you WILL BE BOMBARDED WITH THEIR BUY NOW,emails. Also they have no problem with deceptive advertising,thst machine is not 400$ that's the deposit! Shipping,is it: fob,cif or the worst is ttf or similar. I see a lot of these can be bought by the dozen for 600$ a piece,So more dealers are grabbing these up,which means easier places to buy one over here. The lower tonnage units are just one step above use once and throw away if it breaks,hope the company will fix it,or you throw it away ! One thing is these are painfully slow!😢 You can opt for a 2 stage hydraulic pump,which I was told will make it go faster but costs more! Note these can be loaded into the back of a pickup trucks bed,6 6-inch bed. This is the issue, is this digger really there's? The roof cabin on this is to weak,the tracks on a lot of these are top short and not wide enough to prevent tipping over. The arm is not long enough for deep digging,the forearm and bucket,may reach 5' to 6' but if your doing trenching and specs call for a sand bedding at 7 feet to lay pipe or underground conduit, the forearm is to short for that and I'm a prospector, I need a longer arm to reach deep into the top soil( overburden). Some mini diggers as they are also called,have expandable tracks,which is good and you want that if your working on a 30 to 45° slope. They'll ask if it's for fsrm or mining and construction,so,must be a different build designed for this! The smaller .8 or q to 1.2 ton I was tkkd js not good enough,honup to a 2 ton! The engines are questionable, the koop,has blown a rod in one in Australia. Some come with your choice of engines gas ir deusel. Note dome are electric so you need to watch out to don't end uo with one by mistake and no good in mountains,without charger. The hydraulic druve motors on some are exposed to the ground,and are bent downwards to it,no protective plate. The biggest advantage is its a nicely built little machine,that beats hand dogging.but don't expect the same results as a bigger unit. Size of seat and driver area,big feet,not enough room on some! If they'd make tracks 2 feet longer,and operators compartment is fir tiny men! Not us big boys! I can't condemn them for trying,they are great fir small jobs. Drive speed is slow,I complained to Higop,they Saud put in a 2 cylinder hydraulic pump,which is not mentioned to much! Some have 9 hp engines husbands has a 14 hp Briggs and Stratton,which is tge first time I heard this. The gas tanks ,I asked for a bigger tank,can do. The thumb design on thus is very good Engines access in these can be a problem! Warning,one guy is pretending to be a mini excavator company, but when I questioned him,he said he was a reseller but just out of diggers ! If yiu get a scam over tgere,font count on seeing your $ return except through Alibaba or maybe made in China!

[@03treefitty]

Huh?

[@ColoradoCamperman]

We've been happy with ours so far. I don't have the time or energy to build my own or go through the process of ordering myself from China. Thanks for the comment and watching.

[@maximus297759]

I looked into getting one them cheapest 7900 or comparable cheapest Chinese mini 3750 cash. So no brainer for me if need parts I’ll buy another one. If I could get your 7900 for 6500 that would be worth for me personally. Price points to high and prob charge tax no one does.

[@ColoradoCamperman]

$3750?!? Where?

[@kicker6274]

Looks like it isn't under 10k now.

[@ColoradoCamperman]

The base is $9,900 now and the model I got is $10,700. They were $1,000 off when I bought it because it was an old model. The new models have a hydraulic cooler that mine doesn't have, wish it did.

[@kicker6274]

@@ColoradoCamperman Nice. I, like you did, are deciding if it is worth the drive.

[@ColoradoCamperman]

@@kicker6274 Yeah, it was definitely a long drive! I'm still liking it though. I wish they did a better job at engine access though. It's a PITA to access the engine.

[@kicker6274]

@@ColoradoCamperman Looks like there is now a dealer in NM, so that's good for both of us.

[@kicker6274]

I wish you were closer.

[@ColoradoCamperman]

Where are you at?

[@kicker6274]

@@ColoradoCamperman Near Canon City. Not sure if it is worth the drive to OK.

[@ColoradoCamperman]

@@kicker6274 NM is definitely closer and their prices are the same as OK.

[@thebrazilianguy4652]

I just did a dig and leveling for a above ground pool in the backyard to make it match the house deck, the rh14-3 run flawlessly and was very smooth, completed a 12x20x10” deep in 3 hours. My rig has 100 hours so far. You can check my videos con it on KZbin.

[@ColoradoCamperman]

Awesome to hear! Thanks for the comment and watching!

[@thebrazilianguy4652]

Just so you guys know to charge the battery you have to hook to the kill switch not the battery , its just the way the battery is connected a bit different than most vehicles, if u hook to the battery the machine comes on even with the key off. So hook the charger black ground to the kill switch the red power to the battery. 👍

[@ColoradoCamperman]

That is good info to know. I appreciate you sharing.

[@thebrazilianguy4652]

@@ColoradoCamperman👍

[@mad151maxx4]

How much? And specs.

[@ColoradoCamperman]

There is a link to the website in the video description.