excavator pricing

[Rebeldad1]

Yeah those comments above are what I was kind of thinking as well. It’s kind of crazy though none of the dealers have any excavators on the lot hardly. Got lucky and found one dealer with one excavator that just came in. I priced it out, a bobcat E 20 which is just over a 2 ton excavator after-tax with two buckets and financing fees built in it was around $36,000. I keep finding guys asking around 25,000 for eight year old machines with close to 2000 hours.
For 25 to 36,000 i’ve got a lot of options. 15 to 20k. not so much. I’m just not ready to commit to $36,000.

not sure what you are going to do with a excavator. you might find a 4000lb unit a bit disappointing.
highly suggest renting one for a weekend and do all you can with it first.

 

[tman1020]

not sure what you are going to do with a excavator. you might find a 4000lb unit a bit disappointing.
highly suggest renting one for a weekend and do all you can with it first.

Yes very good advice. I’m looking for it to replace a tractor mounted backhoe. So my expectations are not that high. But yet don’t feel $35,000 plus would be a wise choice either. It’s more of a want than A need but at that high a price I don’t know if it will happen. I’ll just try to be patient we’ll see what the future brings.

 

[tman1020]

Literally, that last 5 years with mini-excavators have been like compact tractors over the last two decades. Seems EVERY is buying one and trying to put it to work (not homeowner stuff).

Cant help but think the generous housing market over the last decade have spoiled too many people and that when the market slows down....these guys making $1000/month payments with now work are gonna be struggling.

I am a member of a few FB groups talking about mini-ex work and what not. I am really surprised by the number of people that have smaller 2.7-3.5 class machines and constantly brag that their day rate is $2500 and they dont move equipment for less than that period.

By my math thats ~$300/hr for a freaking mini.

OR when people ask about trenching....one guy questioned how much to do 150' waterline to a barn at 3' deep, and he said he bid it at $1500 figuring half a day. So may people told him he was nuts at that $3500-$4000 is what they would charge

I dont know where these customers are.....but in my area....$100-$125/hr is the going rate for running a mini. Heck, guys running 15 ton machines digging basements and ponds are only in the $150-$200/hr range

Holy cow.

 

[4570Man]

Literally, that last 5 years with mini-excavators have been like compact tractors over the last two decades. Seems EVERY is buying one and trying to put it to work (not homeowner stuff).

Cant help but think the generous housing market over the last decade have spoiled too many people and that when the market slows down....these guys making $1000/month payments with now work are gonna be struggling.

I am a member of a few FB groups talking about mini-ex work and what not. I am really surprised by the number of people that have smaller 2.7-3.5 class machines and constantly brag that their day rate is $2500 and they dont move equipment for less than that period.

By my math thats ~$300/hr for a freaking mini.

OR when people ask about trenching....one guy questioned how much to do 150' waterline to a barn at 3' deep, and he said he bid it at $1500 figuring half a day. So may people told him he was nuts at that $3500-$4000 is what they would charge

I dont know where these customers are.....but in my area....$100-$125/hr is the going rate for running a mini. Heck, guys running 15 ton machines digging basements and ponds are only in the $150-$200/hr range

Location makes a big difference in work prices. Maybe someone in urban California gets 4K to put in 150ft of water line. But I don’t think all those ridiculous highball prices are truthful either. It’s easy to say you’d charge 4K to run a 150 ft line. Actually landing the job and getting paid is another matter.

 

[sd455dan]

Literally, that last 5 years with mini-excavators have been like compact tractors over the last two decades. Seems EVERY is buying one and trying to put it to work (not homeowner stuff).

Cant help but think the generous housing market over the last decade have spoiled too many people and that when the market slows down....these guys making $1000/month payments with now work are gonna be struggling.

I am a member of a few FB groups talking about mini-ex work and what not. I am really surprised by the number of people that have smaller 2.7-3.5 class machines and constantly brag that their day rate is $2500 and they dont move equipment for less than that period.

By my math thats ~$300/hr for a freaking mini.

OR when people ask about trenching....one guy questioned how much to do 150' waterline to a barn at 3' deep, and he said he bid it at $1500 figuring half a day. So may people told him he was nuts at that $3500-$4000 is what they would charge

I dont know where these customers are.....but in my area....$100-$125/hr is the going rate for running a mini. Heck, guys running 15 ton machines digging basements and ponds are only in the $150-$200/hr range

Well at that rate once I dig and run the 120 foot power from barn to She shed and bury it, plus what the 550 Ford has already done it will have more than paid for itself plus repairs upgrades.

Those darn low hour used minis and midis are outrageously priced right now. At least older backhoes can still be bought at FAIR prices.

I agree that if a person can wait a few months there will be a surplus of these newer ex's that will go for bail the owners payments out.

 

[houska]

I agree that if a person can wait a few months there will be a surplus of these newer ex's that will go for bail the owners payments out.

Interestingly, I raised a similar discussion (re KX040 in particular) back in June, at Miniex price *predictions*, including my musing that there might be a surplus of used for sale soon. Opinions varied, but most (not all..) of the crystal balls consulted didn't endorse that view at the time. Not sure the situation is any clearer since then...

For my part, I signed on the dotted line in August for a new KX040, cab, 6 way blade for U$65k. Lotsa $ ($5k more than if I had bought earlier in the summer...), but felt like the better investment than a variety of 2000+ hr older KX040s, straight blade only, for U$45-50k (though likely negotiable a bit). Even so, I need to wait until Dec for delivery, and meanwhile new prices at local dealers are up another $3-5k since then. Go figure. (BTW, this is Ontario, C$ converted to U$. There's often a bit of a price premium up here, but that's true both for new and used.)

 

[Frosty]

I bought a "used" 2020 KX040, 6 way blade, open station, 315hrs 2 yrs ago. It came w/ a 24" dig bucket. Cost = $49,700 I have added: 12" dig bucket, 48" ditch clean out bucket (smooth), a hydraulic auger drive, 9", 12", & 18" augers.

 

[joea99]

Location makes a big difference in work prices. Maybe someone in urban California gets 4K to put in 150ft of water line. But I don’t think all those ridiculous highball prices are truthful either. It’s easy to say you’d charge 4K to run a 150 ft line. Actually landing the job and getting paid is another matter.

Then there are those that say stuff like that in hopes that it will make people bid high, so he can come in lower.

It's a bit like inflation, talking BS to make the prices go up. All the time with a hidden motive.

 

[MBTRAC]

Unless you require a mini size for specific size related tasks, consider a mid size 10-12T or larger machine with a few more hours (& likely far less wear/ damage) as they have usually suffered less abuse.
Minis are often owned/abused by unsympathetic operators who:
-rarely maintain/grease the machine correctly & avoid preventative maintenance (particularly with track gear)
- use the machine as a toy, cash cow or not as their primary business earning tool
- when used professionally have a mindset due to the low machine cost, it's cheaper to replace the machine than maintain it (& fix on fail or replace).
- have a propensity to take on tasks well above the machines capability & or their skill level.
E.G 2000hrs is a lot on mini with many are trashed within these hours, whereas on a professionally operated 10T+ machine it's barely run in.....

 

[mike69440]

Literally, that last 5 years with mini-excavators have been like compact tractors over the last two decades. Seems EVERY is buying one and trying to put it to work (not homeowner stuff).

Cant help but think the generous housing market over the last decade have spoiled too many people and that when the market slows down....these guys making $1000/month payments with now work are gonna be struggling.

I am a member of a few FB groups talking about mini-ex work and what not. I am really surprised by the number of people that have smaller 2.7-3.5 class machines and constantly brag that their day rate is $2500 and they dont move equipment for less than that period.

By my math thats ~$300/hr for a freaking mini.

OR when people ask about trenching....one guy questioned how much to do 150' waterline to a barn at 3' deep, and he said he bid it at $1500 figuring half a day. So may people told him he was nuts at that $3500-$4000 is what they would charge

I dont know where these customers are.....but in my area....$100-$125/hr is the going rate for running a mini. Heck, guys running 15 ton machines digging basements and ponds are only in the $150-$200/hr range

No one wants to work nowadays.