Which 1.5 T excavator??

[john87]

Hi all,

Welcome to my first ever post!!

Ok, I am looking to buy a 1.5 T excavator for a self build project.. The idea is to get one, it would certainly not be abused, it would be kept in a building and well and truly looked after and then sold in about three years.

What do i buy though?? The people next door to me have a Takeuchi TB016 i could buy, BUT, i do not believe it is theirs to sell.. [the firm was liquidated and they want cash in the hand and i have to take the stickers off!] AND, all the pins and bushes are well knackered.. Tracks are not very clever either. They want FAR too much money for it anyway.. Nearly 8k for a tired 2009 machine that wants £1500 spending on it..

Anyway, i am looking to spend between about £7,000 and about £13,000.. cash as in pound notes if that makes a difference..

What do you all recommend?? I was thinking a Takeuchi TB016 or perhaps a TB216 or a Volvo EC15 or 17..

Are either of these known for problems??

What do you recommend i do??

Thanks all!!

john..

[Muz]

With that sort of budget, you might be best talking to a dealer for a purchase, at least that way you wont be buying somone elses problem. Kubota still makes strong money on resale and holds value well on the small stuff Parts prices are mostly reasonable also ... but you shouldnt be needing many

[john87]

Good Advice!!

Hi Muz,

Yes, good advice.. At least if i get one from a dealer it should be a good one and they know what they are looking at and would not by in crap one hopes..

I know where there will be a Volvo EC15 for sale soon, only thing that puts me off is i have read a lot about problems like the counterweight falling to bits and the dipper arm breaking?? I believe they might have been posts by you?? Is the dipper breaks, do Volvo just replace it, or do they say "out of warranty" and that is the end of that..

john..

[Muz]

Hi Muz,

Yes, good advice.. At least if i get one from a dealer it should be a good one and they know what they are looking at and would not by in crap one hopes..

I know where there will be a Volvo EC15 for sale soon, only thing that puts me off is i have read a lot about problems like the counterweight falling to bits and the dipper arm breaking?? I believe they might have been posts by you?? Is the dipper breaks, do Volvo just replace it, or do they say "out of warranty" and that is the end of that..

john..

Back in the days I was told by my dealer they would honour that failure out of warranty but they never did.

Yes Ive put a thread on here about how to modify the dipper to stop that problem when I repaired one of mine, but ive owned lots of them and whilst a dipper stress fracture appears and stays, only one has failed. There are other niggles with them, but just about all those answers are on here .. Kubota and Takeuchi will give you less trouble, but when something on one of them does go, it tends to be a bit more spectacular ! You should find a 3000 hour Volvo for £6k or there abouts in reasonable condition I'd have thought ... been a while since Ive checked though so dont quote me on that, Kubota should be a bit dearer. The dealer advantage ofcourse is that they will give you a warranty, and will have thoroughly inspected and serviced the machine before sale, obviously that service commands a higher price though.

[john87]

Excavator

Yes, as it is something i do not have much experience with, i think buying from a dealer is the way to go.. The main thing is i thought i would try to get something decent so it will be easy to sell when the time comes. I will be gentle with it and keep it in the dry and grease it every ten minutes, so when i have finished with it, it will still be a nice machine.. Which is the most popular, canopy machines or cabbed ones??

john..

[Mattir]

Yes, as it is something i do not have much experience with, i think buying from a dealer is the way to go.. The main thing is i thought i would try to get something decent so it will be easy to sell when the time comes. I will be gentle with it and keep it in the dry and grease it every ten minutes, so when i have finished with it, it will still be a nice machine.. Which is the most popular, canopy machines or cabbed ones??

john..

Older machines offer surprisingly many work hours when serviced properly. Oil changes and greasing are the most important things to do. Additionally, by taking care of the paint, one can keep the machine good looking and preserve the value.

I would prefer a cabbed machine- it is a bit more convenient in slush and rain.

[v8druid]

where are you in the country John ? .... got a s/h dealer near me who is a decent, no nonsense chap and gets some real nice stuff in.

[john87]

South wales..

Been looking at a kubota u17... What are they like??

john..