Importing and modifying a new mini excavator from China

[MossRoad]

This has been a great thread. I followed it since you started it. Nice job and thanks for the great documentation on the process. :thumbsup:

 

[4570Man]

What’s the plan for the tiny excavator? Have you considered adding some ballast to make up for the lighter motor and gain some digging strength?

 

[ArlyA]

I'm following this thread as well.

 

[dfkrug]

Have you considered adding some ballast to make up for the lighter motor and gain some digging strength?

This machine is only about 2000# and the hydraulics are fast and strong. 2400psi and 3" cylinders make for some serious force. That is similar to the system on my tractor's hoe, and it weighs 3x as much. You can see the 3 ballast plates in the open rear of my machine in some of the above photos. They prob add no more than 150# ballast. There is not really room for any more.

Having such power and speed with little weight will mean that I will need to be extra careful, and use the dozer blade wherever I can for additional stability. Especially on my steep trails, my intended use (see my first posts).

 

[dfkrug]

Thanks, everyone, for watching. I do hope to get some more pix of my trail-making after we get some rain here. I have also been showing it to some local contractors and others who are really impressed. It is not for sale.

 

[stevem5215]

It seems to me that if these were sold in the $9k range they would be pretty popular. Not having ever run anything like this in small or large sizes I don't know the capabilities of a large vs small machine. My only experience was with a small excavator one time at our local clubhouse with a friend who owned one for a short time. It seemed pretty powerful for a mini configuration. (don't know the size 4 or 8 ton i'd guess)

As far as digging power goes, what kind of difference is there ? I'm sure larger takes a bigger chunk but if these were cheap, EPA certified (with this chinese engine) I'd think they'd sell like hotcakes. IMO of course.

Steve

 

[bindian]

df,
Happy digging! Here's mine using the hyd. thumb I added.
hugs, Brandi

 

[dfkrug]

Here's mine using the hyd. thumb I added.

I did not know you added an excavator to the stable, Brandi. What did you get? Looks like at least 4-5T.

I have a few days experience years ago in a rental Takeuchi mini-X. I recall that it was 4 or 5 tons. It was great, and I got pretty good with it. I loved the hydraulic thumb. Excavators are much more efficient at digging versus backhoes. Everyone should try them.

Tho there are some larger Chinese excavators with EPA-certified engines, there are none yet as small as this one. Yet.

 

[bindian]

I bought it back in October 2015. In 2016 I had the bucket link and bushings repaired and last year I added the hydraulic thumb with a diverter valve just like the one I installed on the Mahindra's loader.

Back in June I had to rewire the poor girl as she smoked wires from the instrument pedestal all the way back to the battery & relay. Check that out here........ https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/398806-project-i-had-not-planned.html?highlight=

She is a CAT E70 rebadged from a Mitsubishi MS070, back when CAT bought them out. She weighs in at 15,400 without the thumb, so she's a 7 tonner. Wobble sticks instead of joysticks, which made it very easy to rewire.
hugs, Brandi

 

[4570Man]

I did not know you added an excavator to the stable, Brandi. What did you get? Looks like at least 4-5T.

I have a few days experience years ago in a rental Takeuchi mini-X. I recall that it was 4 or 5 tons. It was great, and I got pretty good with it. I loved the hydraulic thumb. Excavators are much more efficient at digging versus backhoes. Everyone should try them.

Tho there are some larger Chinese excavators with EPA-certified engines, there are none yet as small as this one. Yet.

I have tried a mini and I’m not a fan. The biggest minis around here is a 50 series John deer or equivalent. That’s too small to run with a full size backhoe. Combined with the loss of the front bucket and the slower transport speed they just don’t work good for what I want to do. Everyone should try a real TLB even a compact one like a M59 before coming to the conclusion backhoes suck.

 

[dfkrug]

Everyone should try a real TLB even a compact one like a M59 before coming to the conclusion backhoes suck.

I don't know anyone who says, categorically. that "backhoes suck". The reason that most of us on TBN have CUTs, some with backhoe attachments, is that they provide good-enough performance for many different tasks. An articulated wheel-loader is going to load materials better than any TLB/CUT. Just as an hydraulic excavator will dig better than any TLB/CUT.

I will bet that there are very few excavator owners on TBN who do not own other equipment, usually tractor(s). If you allow yourself only one piece of equipment, then a general-purpose tool, like a TLB/CUT will usually make more sense.

 

[4570Man]

Of course a excavator and skid steer beats a backhoe but you have 2 machines to buy, 2 machines to pay insurance on, and unless you have a semi you have to make 2 trips to move. A mini excavator by its self can’t compete with a backhoe. And you have to go to a rare class of excavator to compare to a full size backhoe.

 

[MossRoad]

Of course a excavator and skid steer beats a backhoe but you have 2 machines to buy, 2 machines to pay insurance on, and unless you have a semi you have to make 2 trips to move. A mini excavator by its self can’t compete with a backhoe. And you have to go to a rare class of excavator to compare to a full size backhoe.

I don't think anyone's trying to compare a mini-excavator to a full sized TLB.

However, when you're doing an excavating task, an excavator of similar size will outperform a backhoe of similar size in that it can dig faster, around more obstacles, reposition itself faster, and backfill the hole/trench faster.

Of course if you only have one machine, a multi-purpose machine is the thing to get. If you can afford two machines, though, why not do it?

 

[Agvg]

The largest problem with a backhoe is space, it needs a lot of space. And they don't climb very well up rock piles and such. And wheels are hopeless on wet ground.

 

[pmsmechanic]

And wheels are hopeless on wet ground.

You set FEL, wheels and stabilizers more or less level and with the hoe you can skid yourself pretty well where ever you want to go.

 

[farm boy00]

You set FEL, wheels and stabilizers more or less level and with the hoe you can skid yourself pretty well where ever you want to go.

Yes but what about getting there when its slick mud or your sinking?

 

[4570Man]

You can’t work in such conditions anyway. The better muddling abilities of the mini comes at a steep price to build, tears the ground up worse and is slower to get around.

 

[pmsmechanic]

Yes but what about getting there when its slick mud or your sinking?

I worked really well when I did it a number of years ago. I went through about two feet of water and cattails until I got back onto good grass. I would think it depends more in the type of soil than anything else.

 

[4570Man]

Yes but what about getting there when its slick mud or your sinking?

I’ve only had one job that I couldn’t have done with a backhoe that required renting a mini excavator and 360 swing was more important than the tracks. The job was digging a pond deeper. Had I have had my 310 backhoe then I probably could have taken a different plan of approach and made it work.

 

[Agvg]

In my part of the world classic backhoes doesn't exist anymore, a few old 30 year + is still used as hobby machines but the 6 - 8t excavators have killed it totally.