Mini Excavator UHI UME 12 - The GOOD and the BAD

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

There were a lot more things, both good and bad, that I was going to put on the list. But in the end I picked just 5 of each. Don't get me wrong - I really do love this little Chinese Mini Digger and it has done everything asked of it. No trouble with so far! Cheers Dave.

[@nicholasbarker1566]

I have a ume10s and have just over 250 hours on it. As a whole I’m very happy with it. Especially when you consider it was 13k vs over 40k for the equivalent kubota plus attachments. The only issues I’ve had with it were a rotting fuel pipe, easy fix, and a weeping drive motor seal that has somehow healed itself. Yes the travel is achingly slow and the machine is not as smooth as a kubota but it’s a million times better than digging by hand!

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

Absolutely Nicholas! The main reason for buying the digger is I was over manual digging. Luckily I had the digger for the 100 metres of trench just done. Cheers Dave.

[@Gyppor]

Thanks for the video Dave. Here's a tip for scooping dirt up against the blade - twist the boom to the left, it will shorten the effective length of the arm, allowing you to scoop against the blade. Or at least much closer than before.

Je veux acheter le UME 12p 2024 et merci pour vos vidéos que je regarde depuis quelques jours. Je sais à quoi m'attendre maintenant et j'irai probablement de l'avant cette semaine. Thamk you!

[@dinomite_diggers3453]

Good video Dave. There's good and bad in everyone and the same applies tom Chinese diggers. To start with I got a Rhino XN12 and I really worried about the drive motors on that on my very rocky property, they just looked too vulnerable. People do waffle on about cheap Chinese junk but I'm very happy with my XN20 which now has 400 hours on it and running like a dream. And you are right with the best feature, value for money which is very important to small land owners like you and me. Cheers.

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

I really would like to upgrade one day to the XN20 size machine. As usual I appreciate you watching and commenting DD. Cheers Dave.

[@user-ks9lr5tm4u]

thanks dave bought one 6 momthx ago. your videos are great and precise and let us know the good and bad

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

Thanks for watching Michael. Cheers Dave.

[@patrickwong2823]

Hello again, Dave. I agree with your list ... 100% I have the same good and bad points with my CX-15B made by Ningbo Yinzhou Chuangxin Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. - But I too am happy with it. Overall, it is a very good value for what I paid. Good video, Dave.

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

Hi there Patrick. Could have made a longer list but really I don't have an issue with the digger and accept that yes there will be a few minor things given the price point. Cheers Dave. BTW UHI have dealerships now in Canada!!!

[@1BigSkiddy]

Pretty spot on in describing the issues, but overall still a great machine and I'm happy with my purchase, although the UME12P would have been nicer . That fuel tank is nowhere near 10L, I reckon it would be closer to 3L unless I've got a magical 20L jerry can that refills itself😃 Instead of reversing further back trying get that elusive mound of dirt collected, just push it forward with the bucket and retry collecting it. I find I don't use the blade, but it more efficient just to push with the bucket.

[@davejaguar6532]

No, it's not 3L, it's much more. I think you might gain some advantage by reading my comment from the other day regarding the tank and gauge to learn why it reads empty with actually around 7 litres still left.

[@dazzelar]

Hi Dave, I love your channel. I have the next model with expanding tracks and the Kubota engine. I have learnt lots from your videos. Strangely enough I have never slipped a track, nor adjusted them. They just always seem to be at the correct tension. i had replacement of the grease nipples on my to do list, just never got around to getting my thread gauge out. Thanks to you I now know they are m8/1.0 and an odd ball M6 which I wasn’t aware of. I agree with most of your list, but would replace your fuel tank size on the bad list, with the boom swing foot pedal.. It didnt matter how gentle I tried to be with the foot pedal I regularly slapped things. I modded the foot pedal and made it a hand lever. No more wall slapping. Fuel amount has not been much of an issue in the 200 hours I have used it, as i have a portable electric fuel supply, and the Kubota engine works great in the lower rev range and I get nearly 5 hours out of a tank. Mid range it vibrates which only goes out at high revs which i only use for travelling. Yes too slow travelling, but I have found that sometimes if I position 1 lever full open and not have the other one open as far it goes a lot faster, but still travels in a straight line. No idea why, but guess more oil is forced through one motor. My other gripe was not being able to easily get the canopy off to the height of the slip on front bar supports to get it into a 2.0 m door height. I modded the rear support bars to make them quick release so its height can be easily reduced. Panels not fitting was a pita, so I milled slots in the panels to give them some relief. I have also made up a towball attachment to manoeuvre my caravan into its parking spot which only had about 50 mm either side. tried power tow units and they were useless compared with how I can manage it with the digger. Should have had one years ago..Too old for digging stuff by hand any more. Keep the videos coming.

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

Yep you're right about that swing foot pedal! Strange thing is that it is only abrupt the first time after start up, and after that it seems OK. I have found the same thing with the travel motors. There is a sweet spot where it seems to run a little better. I have found a leaking seal in one of the travel motors so there will be a video on repairing that coming up in the next few weeks. I made the mistake of taking off the lower mounting bolts for the canopy and had a time of it trying to get them lined up again. Still happy with the machine, it has certainly made my life a lot easier! Cheers Dave.

[@user-fn3jr8xp3i]

@dazzelar I would be interested in more info on the lowball attachment you made, thanks

[@waynejanzen9346]

Great video Dave! I've got a similar Chinese one ton excavator up in Canada. My good and bad list would be very similar to yours. I got a different quick hitch on mine. I just have to pull out a button and use a short piece of pipe to get my buckets off, and no tools are required to put a new bucket on. I really like it.

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

Thanks for watching Wayne. UHI told me the other day that they have opened a UHI dealership in Toronto and have plans for some other locations in Canada. Cheers Dave

[@waynejanzen9346]

@@TreeChangeFarmer I didn't know they had a dealership in Canada. I just found their website and yes, they have locations in Toronto and in Quebec. I'm on the other side of Canada in British Columbia so unfortunately I won't be able to pay them a visit.

[@davejaguar6532]

I could add a lonnnng list to each too and I have made quite a number of mods to mine to alleviate some of the things I don't like. A word on the fuel tank on these - That stupid capillary gauge only reads on the first third or so of the tank's capacity. When it reads empty the machine still has approximately two thirds of the tank capacity still full. That's cos with the change to Rhinoceros Gen 2, the tank became two pieces, they kept the normal larger oblong tank under the floor and added a smaller tapered part onto the top of the tank which sticks up above the floor. To make the gauge readable from the seat they took it from the side panel of the digger where it used to read the level in the oblong tank and moved it up to the tapered part of the tank above the floor which means the gauge now only reads the fuel that's in the tapered part of the tank. To fix this inadequacy, I replaced my UME12's tank cap with an American cap that has an inbuilt dial gauge actuated by a float that actually reaches to the bottom of the tank which means I'm no longer refilling my digger every two hours and I know exactly how much fuel I have without having to look inside the tank with a torch. As for the "fit" aspect of the panels, I used a die grinder and chainsaw file to enlarge each hole in the tight direction on each panel part and I can now remove and replace all panels very quickly, makes a huge difference.

[@SimonCoates]

I have the same issue with the fuel tank on my XN10-8. It reads 0 to 6 litres. It actually holds about another 3 litres above the 6 litre mark and holds about 10 litres below the empty mark. I've been considering adding a low fuel sensor with an indicator light on the dash.

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

Thanks - great info on the tank size. Honestly I never knew! Cheers Dave.

[@HomesteadingUncontained]

Agree with the dozer blade - such a pain being so short and have looked into modifying it to extend it. If anyone has done this let us know.

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

Thanks Ian. Maybe we could come up with something that could attach to the existing blade but be removable if needed? I am sure your contacts up in China could knock them out in no time! Cheers Dave.

[@CGreciful]

I don't know if it's worth it unless you're pushing dust. I push and carve with mine. Any more leverage on it and it doesn't seem like it will last.

[@user-zf8bf6qy3h]

Great video, Dave! I recently purchased a Mini Excavator UHI UME 10s, and I have to admit, accessing the maintenance engine was quite challenging due to its complicated design. Additionally, I noticed that the running meter doesn't accurately record the engine run time; instead, it measures the duration the power has been on.

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

Yep the UME 10s is a good machine. I talk with a few guys that have them. Cheers Dave.

[@CGreciful]

Haha! Yup. I have "700 hours" on my machine that I've had a month. I slapped a spark plug sensing hour meter on going forward to get the real time. 15$ on Amazon.

[@kdegraa]

We visited the UHI shop in Sydney last week. The three smaller excavators look good, especially for the price. We were steered towards the larger machine which costs around $26K. It would be a better machine for a farm with hills and not having to go into tight spaces all the time. I don't think it is worth buying one though at this point of time. We can get an experienced operator in with a five tonne machine for $120 an hour, minimum of five hours so $600. In that time he is able to do a lot of work. Last time he worked on our farm he dug around 500 holes for tree planting, and removed four big stumps. He said the excavator costs around $150K.

[@marlonbrando9279]

Does it have a lot of grunt? Is the power high or moderate does it compare with say a whaker neuson? Also are the booms and movements or actions slow or fast ?

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

I find the power OK but it is certainly let down by having such a small, single pump (24 litres/min) for the whole system. Lower revs works best for me and now I am used to it, the controls are OK and I can operate the machine pretty smoothly. Never tried a Wacker Neuson but think it would be in another league all together. Cheers Dave.

[@markmeister2444]

That's a nice machine you have there. Yanmar diesel, swing boom, and all your attachments. I just bought a plain old garden variety Miva VA 15 and it's only claim to fame is it has the pilot controls which means you have to shut the machine off if you want to geton it or off it or it will take you for a ride! I only have about 3hrs on it. Right now I'm sorting out all its shortfalls like, not having cooling fans, and heat proofing hot engine parts to keep the temps down, and putting an oil drain hose on the Briggs motor so it doesn't puke oil all over the place when changing the oil.

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

Thanks Mark. One day I will upgrade to a machine with pilot controls. Would also like a slightly heavier machine - maybe 1.8 to 2.0 tons. Cheers Dave.

[@markmeister2444]

@@TreeChangeFarmer I wouldn't mind having one a little bigger but the price starts climbing as soon as you leave the one-ton bracket, especially if you add the diesel option. I need to buy or make a ripper tooth for mine it would help immensely pulling out small trees and brush.

[@f.hababorbitz]

I'm curious what caused your tracks to come off, and was it difficult to put them back on? I have sand to dig in, with no rocks other then a few small limestone remnants of the last glaciation. My projects are the install of a 200 ft long power wire from the house to the back garages. And a new septic system. I figure just those two projects will pay the $6400USD cost of the machine. I have a small skid loader to do any moving of earth piles and filter rock, as I can see the small blade on these machines are limited.

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

The tracks came off because one side was in a trench and I was trying to back out at an angle. Seems to be at about 70 hours that the tracks have stretched enough to be tightened. You also can sort of hear when the tracks are not running correctly. You should power through that trench for the power. For services I find the 200mm (8") bucket just the thing. Cheers Dave.

[@f.hababorbitz]

@@TreeChangeFarmer Thanks for posting your review on the machine. Yes, I was planning on buying the 200mm bucket for digging what I just measure was 260ft long trench. Appears electric code requires it to be 24 inches deep. Lots of oak tree roots along the path, some are stumps now. I also remembered I have a house foundation made with concrete block that was damaged before I bought the house in 1984. The basement wall next to the driveway is pushed in just a bit. I've made sure I never drive close to the house, as I don't need to have an emergency repair. But I do want to repair that. The machine can't dig down to the full depth, but if I get the majority away from the wall, I can dig to the footing with a shovel. I was trying to find one of these machines with a diesel engine, as I found many eBay listings that said that's what was on the machine, only to find that it's the XR Briggs&Stratton gas engine. Appears the EPA say's the engine is not compliant to emission standards. I'm seeing many videos of other buyers that are happy with their machine, and only minor issues. I'm a pretty good mechanic so I'm not worried. As well I have a full machine shop so I can make any part needed or repair any wimpy part of the original packaging.

[@mikedesilets3324]

Have you dealt with any hydraulic line fittings to determine the size/type? I have a different machine. AGT Industrial agrotk QH12 from China. I bought a VICSEC tilt bucket and the hydraulic shops are struggling to find the right fittings.

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

Hey Mike. The hydraulic lines on my UHI digger have a metric connector that is 8mm and has the rubber O ring. I think it is referred to a 08L (L being 'LIGHT') fitting. The other fitting I have is where the 08L connects to the 3/8 BSPP on the valve body on the stick. The full list of connectors to use the quick connect couplers is listed in the video description of the 'QUICK CONNECT COUPLERS' video that is also on my channel. Cheers Dave.

[@mikedesilets3324]

@@TreeChangeFarmer Thank you very much.

[@martynfrost3662]

Been thinking about getting a machine and this is some great food for thought. Won’t feel like such a newbie when I shop around. Is there a UHI in Victoria?

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

We will have to pay UHI headquarters in Melbourne a visit when I am down there. Cheers Dave.

[@68mustangmustang77]

Great review mate . I been looking for a while now and must admit struggling to make a decision. Its a lot of money sitting around when its not earning you money. I really would like something around 2.5t but might have to settle on something smaller. 🍻👍

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

The bigger machines will be about double the cost of the smaller ones. I am thinking about selling my machine and moving up to 2.0 tonne. For the amount of work I have done in the last 2 years I think it was money well spent. It is not like you spend $17K and thats it. I think I can get about $14K for mine second hand (under 100 hours) so over the long term it may have cost $1500 a year which is about the same as one weeks rental, but I had the use of it for 52 weeks. Cheers Dave.

[@georgezhou7961]

Great video, great honest rea life experience video. Thank you, i am buying those from China and import to USA, this video really help me a lot and keep doing the good work! How many hours on your machine now? any issues so far? thanks

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

Just under 100 hours George and no issues so far. Just regular service items and oil changes. Cheers Dave

[@CGreciful]

Has anyone had issues with their slewing / swing bearing? It seems built well enough, but mine makes a funny noise sometimes which I'm still investigating. Might just bee some sheet metal scrapping somewhere I can't see, like on the dust cover.

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

I haven't had a problem (yet). I have nearly 100 hours on my machine. I do regularly pump grease into those two fittings on the body at the front for the swing bearing. A pump or two then rotate the house 90 degrees and then a few more. The only sound I can hear when rotating is the oil going through the slew motor. Cheers Dave.

[@leighcashen7408]

Hi Dave, looking at buying the 12P I am on 20 acres with some slight hills does it go ok on hills,

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

I would not use them on hills. The motors when not going forward or back have no braking within and you can end up free wheeling down the hills. Only way is to have the bucket on the ground and slide it along as a sort of brake. Have a look at @howardkettner on youtube, as he has an example of free wheeling and how he solved the issue. Cheers Dave.

[@leighcashen7408]

@@TreeChangeFarmer thanks are they a good reliable machine I have 2 x JD tractors so just want something to did holes drive in fence posts etc

[@davejaguar6532]

Oh, and PS, I hate that quick-attach. As well as being a pain to have to turn and turn the bolt, it relies entirely on that thin bolt to keep the hook in place and that bolt is known to break because it has the lynch pin hole drilled though its shank weakening it. I change buckets and implements so often that I now use a Jaguar wheel nut crank to loosen the bolt and spin it off and on fast but I'd much prefer they'd supply a proper spring loaded quick-attach that you open by simply jamming in a bar and pulling down to open the hook. Faster and much less likely to break in regular use.

[@SimonCoates]

Rhinox in the UK make a lever quick hitch that fits but it's £500. The Chinese one I got was only £150. I agree about the pin and hole issue. It needs a better arrangement for locking the hitch bolt.

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

Thanks Dave. Will keep an eye on it. I only hand tight it and don't use any power tools. Need to remember to keep it lubed up. Cheers Dave.

[@davejaguar6532]

@@TreeChangeFarmer Yes, the first day I had it I used a battery ratchet wrench but I worried I might over-do it and wear the threads or crack the bolt through that hole area so I changed to using the jaguar 70's hand crank which has the additional benefit that it folds up nicely into the tool pouch I have attached to the back of the seat.

[@anthonywillett6833]

How did you change the battery

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

You need to remove the floor panel to get to the battery. It is shown in the oil change video on this link kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3LRkKJ4qKmor5o Cheers Dave.

[@skrotjorgenhellqvist6357]

#3 använd svängen på armen så kommer du närmare dozerbladet...

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

Tack för tipset. Ska prova det nästa gång. Heja Dave.

[@JamesMcnichol-ss2oc]

Keep in mind these are priced at half or more the price of a kubota John Deere or jcb so I think a person needs to accept that maybe the quality isn’t going to be the same. If you want good fit and finish and productivity maybe spend more on a higher quality machine.

[@HomesteadingUncontained]

I have a tonne machine and stripped the hole body, I would put the fit on the good list as everything lined up perfectly when rebuilding - no rust so far either. Well worth the money.

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

Thanks James. I was trying to get that point across but maybe I wasn't that clear. For comparison I did price a new John Deere 18EZ Mini Excavator which is a slightly bigger machine but only has the basic buckets and no additional attachments and the price . . . $44,000! Cheers Dave.

[@vtrandal]

That’s an extremely wide bucket for a small digger.

[@toddandangelbrowning2920]

Cheap Chinese metal. That’s why it rusts.

[@craigcharlestone]

Never mentioned the price. Fail.

[@TreeChangeFarmer]

In the video description bud. $16990. WINNER!