What to look for when buying a mini excavator

Just did a quick video here of what to look for if you or someone else is planning on purchasing a mini excavator. What to look for and some general items to check out. This video is sort of long but I think it will be worth watching. I plan to make more videos of this kind of stuff, or if you have any questions, just let me know.
** Check out my links below; if you are working on a tractor, dozer, excavator or anything else, you'll want to check out that cordless grease gun and impact below **
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[@michaelsawyer8313]

Awesome video professor, really enjoyed the class, I made a list of everything you talked about in your video, I am looking for one, came across this, subscribed and watched it 3 times, you saved me from making a 22,000 dollar mistake, Ty so very much, keep the videos coming, been looking now for 3 months, still looking, hopefully I can find a great deal like you did, congrats!!!!!

[@BarnStangz]

Thank you SO very much for the comments! This is exactly why I wanted to make a video like this, to help people out! You'll find a good machine, it just takes time and patience. I will be making an updated video soon, so keep an eye out for that one! Thank you again for watching!

[@adrianricker19]

This is a great video. I'm impressed with how thoroughly you went over your machine before you purchased it!

[@BarnStangz]

Thanks a LOT! That means a lot to me! I'm just trying to help people out. I need to make a "new" version of this video, there is other things I want people to look out for. Thank you so very much for watching!

[@paulhaworth1824]

Thanks mate enjoyed the vid made me think about things especially changing oil in final drives never really thought about that

[@BarnStangz]

Thank you so much for watching! Yep, most people forget about the finals! They don't take much, so I change mine often! Glad the video helped out you!

[@Gravattack]

Great video! There was awesome information in there even for people who want to own one period. I'd love to see you do a video of a service.

[@BarnStangz]

Thank you for the kind words sir. The weather here is pretty cold, so I won't be using the mini much, but this spring I will go over doing a service and also a "part 2" on what to look for. I've checked out some machines for friends and saw some shady things with used machines. Thanks again for watching!

[@daved7024]

Kubota makes quality machines 🍊 Good choice! The U - 35 is a superb excavator👍👍 Thanks for an informative video😊

[@BarnStangz]

Thank you for watching. I would like to make a "part 2" of this video this Spring since I think there is more that I can cover on what to look for and how not to get burned. But I would have to agree with you, the U35 is a very nice machine. Kubota makes a quality unit!

[@hermanvanwyk6400]

Great video. Thank you. Helps a newby like me to know what to look for

[@BarnStangz]

Thanks for watching! If you have any questions, just let me know, but yeah, this video should get you started pretty well on what to look out for!

[@davisexcavating7144]

Just commented on your rmax video and look here I have a kubota u35 also and it’s a great machine, I have a u55 as well and love my kubotas! Nice machine

[@BarnStangz]

Very cool! Yeah man, we need to have all the toys! I was thinking about a u55 but the u35 is a better fit for the stuff I do around our farm. Thank you for watching my videos and commenting!

[@tomrobbins6166]

You did a great job. Thank you.

[@T18skyguy]

Great video awesome job. You really covered it well.

[@BarnStangz]

Really appreciate it! Thank you so much for watching!

[@jackiehodges4797]

Great info,thank you!

[@BarnStangz]

Thank you so much for watching. Tune in for part #2 soon. I have a LOT more stuff that I can cover.

[@JIMHusky]

Thanks for your time

[@BarnStangz]

Thank you very much for watching. I'm going to make an updated video pretty soon, complete with some maintenance items to watch out for.

[@anthonyspadafora1384]

Good video but the brush hog and flail mower attachments require a certain amount of GPM through the auxiliary pump. From what I have found even the smallest brush hogs require a minimum of 12 gpm and if you plan to drive the unit as you brush hog you need to know if your gpm is shared with your drive or separate. It appears, correct me if I am wrong, that the minimum size machine is an 8000# class such as yours. Anything smaller will not handle a brush hog or flail.

[@BarnStangz]

100% Anthoiny. Yes, some machines, like IHI has separate pumps that will flow a dedicated amount of fluid for the attachments that you mentioned and yes, you are also correct that the minimum size to run a mower of some sort would be 4 ton. Honestly, I'd probably want a 5 ton machine for doing that kind of work, a 50 series would be more than enough. Thank you very much for watching my video.

[@harrymorley9847]

BTW your're actually supposed to put the boom out as far as possible to get the correct reading on the HYD level. But yeah, it definitely shows you in the manual because some machines do require the boom to be curled speaking from experience in the construction equipment hire industry.

[@BarnStangz]

Thanks sir and that makes sense since it's pushing all the oil back into the tank. Appreciate you watching and thanks for the tip!

[@KansanWolf]

Thanks!

[@BarnStangz]

You're welcome, I hope it helps. I'm going to be doing another video about maintenance and what else to look for, but this video gives most of the information that you'll need. But, now that I've been using my machine on a few jobs, I have other things that I would like to share, I think it'll be helpful.

[@randybobandyscheeseburgerp4387]

Our jd 35d has been an awesome machine

[@BarnStangz]

Good to hear friend. Yeah, most minis are good, just need to keep an eye on maintenance and stuff. Thanks for watching.

[@BAD4U22]

I like your video! Great explanation! Great info,im in the market, but looking for new with all bells and whistles, like the cat so for, jon deer is next

[@BarnStangz]

Thanks for watching! You pretty much can't go wrong with any new excavator, just make sure that the one you purchase is reasonably close to where you live if you need parts. And even if that isn't the case, it's pretty easy to get parts via mail.

[@miniwhatt]

Good vid thanks. Ps- you sound a lot like Ed Bassmaster 😂👍🏼

[@BarnStangz]

Thanks for watching! I didn't know who Ed Bassmaster was, so I had to Google it, lol! Thanks!

[@blackknight5748]

thanks for the video it helps

[@BarnStangz]

Thank you very much for watching!

[@dillonmurray3212]

My dad owns a construction company, and since we moved from our farm, I haven't been behind the stick of a Backhoe, Loader, Or Excavator in years! I've gotten into aviation, but am starting to get into the construction side. I am 13 and think It would be cool to start an excavating business or maybe get my dad to change the fields of his company. I work with him, so I have a source of income. Any tips?

[@BarnStangz]

How big is the excavator? If it is something under 5 ton you can start by doing small jobs, footers, drain tile, sidewalk demo, thinning woods and stump removal junk like that. I would make some fliers or business cards about your services and then when you are driving around town you can always stop if you see a home or business that looks like it might benefit from your set of skills. You can also use Craigslist or some other form of service offered website to post about what you can do. For me, the big thing is cost. Since I own all my equipment and am a "one man show" it's SUPER easy for me to undercut the rest of the competition. I have one job coming up where I need to dig a small footer, move some dirt from the front of a garage and then truck all the fill out of there. It should take me all of maybe 3 hours and I should make a grand. The guy had estimates as high as four thousand dollars from some people! Here is the thing, small jobs can be your "bread and butter" work. The big excavation companies don't want to waste the time hauling all the big (or small) iron to a little job, they want to make BIG cash, so you should be able to scoop up the little jobs. Good luck and I hope it works out for you guys!

[@bobearl7859]

No I won't spend stay inside the tracks you got the counterweight on the back that sticks out past the tracks

[@BarnStangz]

Thanks for watching, what machine do you have?

[@garretcorbin1682]

Anytime I’ve ever rented a mini excavator they always have either bobcat or yanmar funny you say always kubota! Those suckers cost an arm and a leg more then any other machine though I’ll tell you that much😂

[@BarnStangz]

I feel like the rental places by me are either Kubota or IHI. Both good machines, same as what you've mentioned. I've got a buddy that has some high hour Kubota's and they just keep going and going and going. It's all about maintenance these days... I'd like to re-visit this video and update it a bit more. I might do that this summer. Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@timmccarthy6374]

It probably weighs 7000.00 pounds the u35 probably means 3 and a half tons. It's a nice one for sure. Wish you would have said what you paid.

[@BarnStangz]

Thanks for watching, 7,800 pound machine weight. I paid $25k for it.

[@50Acres]

Good video, shopping for a U17 or U25 myself. Hesitant though, got burnt pretty bad on a used tractor.

[@BarnStangz]

Sorry to hear about you luck on the tractor. Use this video as a guide when you look at those Kubota's. If it is a clean and dry machine I bet you'll be okay. If the U25 isn't that much more consider it, more power is a nice thing to have. Thanks for watching and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to post them here. Good luck!

[@50Acres]

BarnStangz Thanks, I might just do that. The U17 is the top choice for mountain bike trail builders, but the U25 would be more handy for almost everything else on my property. Tough choices

[@BarnStangz]

For sure! You'll do what's right for you. Either one that you go with will get the job done and they really are life savers! Esp. for your 50 acres, I'm watching some of you vids now, I'll be subbing, looks like an amazing time! I would love more land, but I need to wait for my kids to be done with school before I do anything too crazy... Also, Kubota's are VERY easy to get parts for, keep that in mind. You'll want to get something that you can get parts for, Kubota parts are also not super expensive like some, Volvo, Bobcat, etc. Looking forward to hearing what you end up with, oh also, once you get good on the machine, you can make money with it on the side!

[@50Acres]

BarnStangz Thanks man, I’m having a blast. I Rented the smallest IHI they make and had a great time running it, but definitely wanted a bit more power and a lot more stability. Loved the BX25D but decided a combo machine was not where it’s at. Thanks for the sub I’ll do the same. I’ll have some more videos coming in a month or so when we get some warmer weather.

[@BarnStangz]

Right on brother, you do what you can. Weather is sucking for me too. Looking forward to a decent Spring, but I'm sure it'll just be mud season here. Yeah, the BX25 would be nice, I have a family friend that has one, might be a little bigger now that I think about it, but he has a frame mounted backhoe. It's good for small stuff, but a mini is where it's at. After looking at a few of your vids, you'd definitely be able to use one! thanks for the sub!

[@Gooselip]

Thanks for video what did you pay for this machine?

[@BarnStangz]

Glad you found it helpful. $25K, 1200 hours. One owner. My thumb was about $1800, I think. I sort of forget. I also have a 12" bucket that was $600 if memory serves. I plan on purchasing a 36" ditch bucket next, that should be around $700.

[@gmaster716]

Great advice! Are you in Pa? I am in the market for a skid steer and mini excavator. Where do you like to look for machines.

[@BarnStangz]

I'm in Western Ohio. The best thing to do is check FB marketplace a lot and Craigslist. It's also not a bad idea to stop into local equipment places just to talk to them, sometimes people know things, or know of someone that might be selling things. Best of luck and thanks for watching!

[@kaseycasece1340]

KUBOTA SKID - STEER LOADER BEST MACHINE / KX 35 OR 040-0 BEST MACHINE ALSO

[@BarnStangz]

@@kaseycasece1340 Thanks for watching!

[@WallaceRoseVincent]

What's a good price for the Kubota you have?

[@BarnStangz]

Sorry I missed this comment, right now, stuff is kind of on the high price with the supply chain issues (2021) but for a U35 like this, I personally wouldn't pay more than $23k as it sits, maybe a bit more for extra buckets.

[@usedexcavatorinkorea2013]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@kaseycasece1340]

IF U GOING TO WORK THIS MACHINE EVERY DAY , GREASE THIS MACHINE EVERY DAY TOO

[@BarnStangz]

For sure! Good idea to grease them well! I don't use my machine all the time, so I old grease it a few times a year.

[@coryhitchens6086]

What about the center gear?

[@BarnStangz]

Thanks for the question, the house gear in the center will see plenty of abuse, but of the excavators I've looked at, none had any issues. You could always crawl under the machine and take a look for grease stains and stuff like that. It's a good indication that it was lubed well. You'd also want to rotate the machine at full speed and listen for any clicking. You could also slow the swing movement down and listen for clicking or clunking. Thank you for watching!

[@l75rd83]

I live in the uk and Im only 14 and I really want an excavator lol

[@BarnStangz]

Dude, I was 14 once too and I know the feeling! I bet if you go to a construction site or rental place, or maybe even a dealer, they might let you play on one. But if you really want to get one some day, start saving as much cash as you can. It took me quite a few years to get this one...

[@blueflyerchen9177]

maybe start from a cheap mini one ? from us.

[@practacticaloutdoorsandthi6962]

I ordered a towable backhoe for a starter. I ordered a Jenson but harbor freight sells them as well

[@clearingbaffles]

Look at the upside down meter and see how many hours are on it Thanx from the left coast near the Krapitol of California

[@BarnStangz]

Thank you for watching!

[@jamesgould6001]

How would you determine how big a mini excavator you need? My need is for working on farm and some logging, cleaning ditches,etc.

[@BarnStangz]

That's a good question. What I did was make a list, be as accurate as possible with what you'll be doing, the main uses and maybe even some futures uses. Then think about if the excavator will stay put on your farm or if it'll be hauled somewhere. Something that weighs a lot will take more effort to haul safely. For me, the largest task was going to be logging, but I knew, that around me, while some trees that I come across are large, I could always buck them into smaller pieces. If you are doing a lot of ditch work and a fair amount of logging, I would say go with a 5 ton model. That should do just about everything you need and have some reserve power for other larger jobs that will come up. Keep in mind, that a machine like this is a great investment, one that you can still come out on pretty well should you choose to sell. Good luck and let me know what you end up looking at, if you want me to give you my ideas on it. Thanks for watching!

[@ferguson20diesel49]

Mini diggers dont even come into the question for making drains. Not even an ex 60

[@BarnStangz]

@ Ferguson; I think it all depends on the drain work, a 50 or even a 35 would be more then sufficient for small farm type applications. But yes, anything really big would require something much bigger.

[@ferguson20diesel49]

Here in ireland ex 120 or 130 is know as the farmers machine. Ex 60' s were not good enough. 120 130 are easy pull with farm tractors as well. Even yet farmers are putting long reach dipper arms on them and always have lc models

[@BarnStangz]

A 120 size is pretty good, but you'll need a full sized dump to haul it safely. I've seen them for pretty good prices used too. Good deals on older Hitachi's.

[@zackzander425]

Yanmar 👍 but Kabota is good too. Case, John Deere, etc don’t even make their own machines.

[@BarnStangz]

Yep, the "big guys" don't make 'em. I think IHI, Yanmar, Kubota and Tak are the best minis out there. Thanks for watching! I'm going to make a "second version" of this video soon. There is a LOT more that I want to tell people esp. with other things that I've seen over the years!

[@richardarieta1271]

@@BarnStangz I just bought a Yanmar SV40. Very impressed.

[@BarnStangz]

@@richardarieta1271 Yanmar makes a great machine! My buddy Mike has one and loves it! Thank you for watching!

[@mrpush2855]

Hiw much this cost?

[@BarnStangz]

Prices for an excavator like this vary, condition, hours and maintenance can make prices low, say $15K USD for something whooped with 6,000 hours OR something a few years old and in really good shape could be $25K-$36K used.

[@PowerStrokeTechTalkwARod]

....u know mini, any size it doesn'r matter 😭

[@BarnStangz]

It's amazing the work you can get done with these little babies!

[@Roguey]

Thanks for the video. We hired a Kubota k008-3 for a weekend, and after the machine got here, the water level was very low (sort-of like 10%). So we topped the water-tank up, to around 20% below the max level, and started to use the machine. The following day, after an hour-worth we saw water leaking down the back of the machine (onto the tracks). Once we saw this, we stopped the machine and took a look at the engine compartment. The water in the tank was bubbling away (being very hot) and was over 20% over the max line. After 5-10mins of cooling down, all the water in the tank disappeared into the machine - like it was empty again. During the weekend we had put roughtly 2 litres of water into the machine, for roughly 4-5 hours of work. Would you say there was something wrong with the machine? or simply that we put too much water into it? surely the water-tank should stay around the same level? many thanks,

[@BarnStangz]

There is something going on for sure. How many hours are on the machine. If it's eating coolant there might be a head gasket problem. When you pull the engine oil dipstick, what's it look like? OIL or milk shake?

[@Roguey]

@@BarnStangz I think the machine has 2,242 hours and is in a pretty unloved state (lots of paint missing, panels with cracks, plastic broken, patched up etc.). We borrowed it for the weekend. I dont know about the oil to be honest. We still have the digger until tomorrow, so I might be able to have another look, get some pics. Although surely water shouldnt be leaking out the back after a few hours worth of usage?

[@BarnStangz]

@@Roguey Yes for sure, water should not be coming out. it's overheating and puking coolant. I hope the head didn't get warped. Sounds like it lived a VERY hard life of neglect. If this machine isn't yours, or a rental, make sure you contact who you got it from ASAP to let them know it might have a blown head gasket. Keep me posted for sure.

[@Roguey]

@@BarnStangz hi there, I did get a couple of pictures before it went back. The guy took the machine back, so I gathered that he is happy with it in its current state. Hopefully youtube wont flag this post as spam, as ive put a link in it; roguey.co.uk/misc/pictures/digger/ I would be interested to hear what you think of it. btw just in-front of place where the digger is, there is a car mechanic. ps. I didnt get to look at the oil, couldnt find it in time and thought it was better to get pictures.

[@BarnStangz]

@@Roguey Took a look at the pictures. Looks like the machine had a pretty hard life. Lots of dust and it looks like it was never cleaned. Lot of caked up dirt all over too, which is a sign that oil was weeping somewhere. That means that dirt could have gotten into a system. I don't think that this machine is going to be used in the fleet too much long as it's been quite woefully maintained. Thanks for the pics!

[@tanglewood777]

are the chinese 1 ton excuvaters any gd

[@BarnStangz]

Thanks for watching. I don't know for sure. I know that the Chinese have stepped up their game with excavators, but I don't think I'd want to own one.

[@kaseycasece1340]

FAMILY OWN H H I EXCAVATOR KUBOTA EXCAVATOR MADE IN JAPAN / ASSEMBLE IN USA

[@BarnStangz]

Thanks for watching! IHI and Kubota are great machine!

[@ZR1Terror]

To me low hours is 1000 or less

[@BarnStangz]

For sure, but it could vary depending on who you talk to, I've seen some guys say 2000 hours is still low on a big boi machine. But yeah, I'm with you, 1000 or less, or even 250 hours I would consider low. Just need to make sure that the machine was taken care of.

[@timmccarthy6374]

Good Visio but wasting time with to many words haven't seen whole thing yet but hope you say how much you paid.

[@BarnStangz]

Thanks for watching! I have a tendency of talking to much... I've been working on it. I paid $25k for this machine, that was back in 2014 I believe.

[@timmccarthy6374]

It's really nice machine and well worth watching video so much good info. You got good deal. I think right now it's a seller's market. I enjoy operating excavators as much as anything else I've ever done for fun.

[@BarnStangz]

@@timmccarthy6374 Thank you sir! Yes, I felt like it was a pretty decent deal. The machine still runs strong, used it the other day! And it is for sure a sellers market! I feel like the machines that DO NOT have emissions equipment on them will continue to bring top dollar as well! Thanks!

[@XBaneyX]

"I like to let it run 30/45 minutes to let it get good and hot". Where in the world do you buy equipment that someone would let you demo it for 45 minutes at full throttle?

[@BarnStangz]

I'm not understanding you here bud....? Most places that are selling equipment like this will let you run it at full tilt and do work with it.

[@XBaneyX]

@@BarnStangz Maybe a dealership yes, but most private parties are not going to let you fool around with their machine for an hour.

[@BarnStangz]

@@XBaneyX I would say you're right with the private part. But really, if you're checking out a machine, it wouldn't take more than 15-20 minutes to find faults, esp. if the seller wasn't being honest with you.

[@kaseycasece1340]

MANILY THING CHECK SPOCKER

[@BarnStangz]

Thanks for watching!

[@bndwoodlands775]

Uh, uhm, ah…

[@BarnStangz]

Thanks for watching!

[@jamesdickson3616]

I think you should have bought a yanmar ,sorry much better machine for the money ,watching from Australia

[@BarnStangz]

Yanmar does make a good machine and I did look at them NEW, but I got a good deal on this U35 and didn't want to pass it up. Also, the Kubota parts dealer is literally about 6 miles away should I ever need anything. Knock on wood, it's been a solid machine. You really can't go wrong with any of the Japanese minis, just need to get a decent deal.... Thanks for watching!

[@alvahmacwilliam198]

Too much pointless information. Needs to be more concise.

[@BarnStangz]

Thanks for watching, I'll be making a much more condensed version next year. I actually have other things to cover.

[@randomnkbr]

Have to agree, such a common trap for youtubers. Need to cut out the obvious and get straight to the point.

[@johnnythediggerman684]

Kubota is cheap, slow and unreliable and not as robust as brands like Hitachi, komatsu, cat or volvo. but on the hand they are abit more pricey

[@BarnStangz]

Johnny O'Neill Care to backup what you said? I haven't had to do anything major to this excavator other than maintenance. You honestly can't go wrong with any mini, it will pretty much always come down to maintenance. Also, Kubota and IHI are what you see mostly at rental places, probably because they are durable. Next time backup your comments, otherwise what you said is just your opinion and well, we all know what they say about opinions....

[@ferguson20diesel49]

Kubota is tried an trued and make very good engines

[@VeluVelu-gm4yq]

How much cost in rupees