Importing and modifying a new mini excavator from China

[Fixastuff]

What about Jansenusa minis? I almost bought one a few years ago. After reading this thread now I wonder if it is one of these Chinese minis rebadged and marked up?

 

[JoshT1604]

Decent 2tons are 2x - 4x the price of a 1ton.
I don't think > 3000lbs will be nice with briggs so you are 3x to 4k for 2ton . . . Best 2t price I've seen about 14k total DDP. With some options and attachments you're going toward 20k.
Your budget and models listed = one ton.

Personally imo 'diggit' has been the best value at auction. Can import total DDP for <7k most cases. . . you can decide the value at auction. Yes you'll pay up for attachments locally or will have to order from china.

I recommend opening convo with rippa (ndi322) leking (kv13plus(=diggit)) and nuoman (nm-em15 iirc). All decent machines with pilot and load sense dbl pump. Iirc Leking had the largest footprint length/width. Ltmg and Leite get worthy mention.
Get at least two quotes with importers ("fowards") that will quote total DDP import (to your door, or to be picked up). All above companies have contacts for at least one 'forward'. I can also recommend 'transworld import' in ohio, re:stephanie had reasonable price, experience, and good communication.
With an idea of total price delivered (DDP) you can compare machine pricing in simple terms of FOB among manu's. Look up and understand the terms if considering import.

Best combo of value and capability presently I think is import or auction the 2000 - 2200lb pilot models. . . Possibly even add diesel to import for <10k total.
Also, AGT will finally have a competing pilot (and diesel) model jan/feb for sale in states for ~14k I understand. Typhon is a worthy mention also for US sales. If import is not an interest.

Really wanting to stay under $10k. Would prefer 5-8k price range. $9K for the Diggit on FB Marketplace is really pushing what I want to spend on the basic unit. Going over that and I'd be better off paying someone to do the main project I'm considering purchase for.

Sounds like <2 ton is what I'm looking for then. Might have to try for the Diggit on the auction tomorrow. If that doesn't work out we'll probably ride up and take a look at the AGT reseller that's a few hours away.

There are many importer/resellers of the Chinese minis now. You can find them off Ebay, various Auction listings and dedicated importers such as Kymron and Ground hog. This last year it seems that Agrotk (AGT) has pretty much dominated the auction machines. They do sell direct and ship from Chicago on their own dedicated web site.

Spend some time watching the videos that others have posted on the Internet about their experience with owning one. Read Threads like this one.

Digging up tree stumps is not an easy task depending on size of stump and soil conditions. Ideally you want a pretty powerful machine to do that.

One machine I think might be a good buy but have no experience with (I own the Typhon X 1-ton (1000kg)) is the Typhon XVIII (1800kg) with Kubota diesel I see listed on Ebay for around $13K with free delivery.

I saw the AGT website, was wondering if they actually had them there or they just acted as an importer when ordered. Certainly not against ordering off their website if they'll deliver, but there's a place reselling them a couple hours away so can see in person and pick up.

Yes pulling stumps may be a bit much, but I don't expect it to snatch them out of the ground. I've got a bunch of pulp wood sized pine trees I'm going to be removing. So not huge stumps and tap roots rather than large root balls. I could dig them all by hand if I had a few years and nothing else to do. I intend to tackle them the same way just using a mini-x instead of a shovel and mattock.

Most of what we have planned I could do manually if I had the time. Dad isn't in physical condition to do it manually anymore, but he can certainly operate controls of one of these. The mini-x is intended to be a time and back saver. A hydraulically assisted power shovel if you will.

Also FWIW, I do want a grapple, but not for picking up trees. It'll be used for loading limbs, brush, scrap metal, etc either onto a trailer or burn pile.

 

[JoshT1604]

That's a long first post. Welcome to TBN.

I know this thread has a lot of pages now, but within lie many answers to your Qs about these small Chinese excavators. If the length seem daunting, skim it with emphasis on the early parts. Also use the search utility within the thread. If you did, for example, you could quickly see the posts about the Diggit EM15.

Note that these machines are not for everyone. You need to be a bit handy, or have access to someone who is.

I intend to work my way through it, but my readers aren't working great right now. Thanks to diabetes, I have to get injections in both eyes about every other month. Just got them yesterday, so it'll be a day or two before it's comfortable to do a lot of reading again

Didn't do a lot of reading when making the post, or it might have been shortened up a bit. I get wordy when tired, and I was both sore and tired.

Posts about the Diggit somewhere between pages 50 and 60 ( don't recall exact number) is how I found this thread. Went through a few pages, liked what I saw, but couldn't keep reading.

Being handy won't be a problem. I was an aircraft mechanic for 18 of the last 20 years, and turn wrenches on my own stuff on the side. Dad was an aircraft mechanic for several years before getting messed up in an accident, prior to that he worked on everything from small engines to heavy equipment for a few decades both professionally and as a side gig. Chinese excavator hydraulics might not be our specialization, but I think we can figure it out.

 

[JoshT1604]

What about Jansenusa minis? I almost bought one a few years ago. After reading this thread now I wonder if it is one of these Chinese minis rebadged and marked up?

Those look interesting, unfortunately they are still over the price point I want to hit. That said, it including a few attachments (couple buckets, grapple, rake) which helps offset the added cost. With those, the control layout, and the swing arm will keep it as a prospect.

 

[dfkrug]

What about Jansenusa minis? I almost bought one a few years ago. After reading this thread now I wonder if it is one of these Chinese minis rebadged and marked up?

Virtually ALL of these machines are re-badged or one-time-only badged. I like it when a maker decides to put their own name on their machines. Rhinoceros (Xiniu in Mandarin) seems to be one of the few doing that now. Their XNxx minis may be about the best made, but even they may require a few fixes right away. And some of their components still are poorly-designed (buckets!).

 

[dfkrug]

On another note, it seems buying directly from China has less risk than China consigning to auctions here in the US.
On the Chinese Excavator FaceBook page I am on, one of the sellers, I think it might be AGT, sent 10 containers of minis and equipment to L and L Auctions in TN. Now L and L isn't paying them for them and blowing them off.
Disgraceful. I hope L and L gets slammed.

That's an interesting wrinkle. Normally, buying a container or more directly from the seller in Shandong, or indirectly thru Alibaba requires payment up front. If a seller in China directly consigns units to an auction in the US, and does not get their expected final bids, what happens? They lose a ton of money. I do not see them placing secret reserves, since that costs even more. I wonder what is going on there in TN.

Locally, I suspect (without evidence) that our local auction in Sacramento is directly dealing with maker(s) in China. It certainly could be another middleman doing the importing, however.

Market saturation is here.

 

[D'oh]

Market is getting Saturated, but also the Time of the Year. I was thinking that when I was bringing the QH12 back from Auction Halloween, I paid exactly 1/2 of what the person paid for my JF12 last March, same Auction Company, same Machine, Same color even, just a different name Stickered on and 1 year newer tag applied.

Is it Saturation or these things won't do anything in the Canadian Winter, they might bounce back some again in the Spring time. Either way, my gamble of selling it to make enough profit to pay for the trip to get the Stand On, paid off. Worst case I would have a Parts Machine down the road.

Sorry to hear of your issue Fred, but how bad is the Leak? Is it multiple Leaks?, a O Ring or Hose, or worse like a cracked valve body? Don't write it off without investigating

 

[Fredrik]

Sorry to hear of your issue Fred, but how bad is the Leak? Is it multiple Leaks?, a O Ring or Hose, or worse like a cracked valve body? Don't write it off without investigating

Iv'e replaced 2 hoses that blew off because of improper crimping, both drive motors leak at assembly seals not fittings, tank temp gauge leaks(replaced seals,still leaks), curl cylinder has severe weep(tied shop towel around that), slew motor has leak somewhere not sure where. I basically leave a puddle wherever I go. Mini loses about a pint an hour when working, less if parked but sits on bed O-Zep. Agt never has parts because it was an auction machine. Imported by same importer: Tiller-King :but they claim mine is not one of thiers. Someone with more patience than me will get it. Thanks for the inquirer D'oh. I'll be importing a machine to my specs . In talks with a couple of suppliers as we speak.
Almost forgot to mention constant tightening of components even though I have put lock washers and red locktite on anything not welded.

 

[MattB4]

Iv'e replaced 2 hoses that blew off because of improper crimping, both drive motors leak at assembly seals not fittings, tank temp gauge leaks(replaced seals,still leaks), curl cylinder has severe weep(tied shop towel around that), slew motor has leak somewhere not sure where. I basically leave a puddle wherever I go. Mini loses about a pint an hour when working, less if parked but sits on bed O-Zep. Agt never has parts because it was an auction machine. Imported by same importer: Tiller-King :but they claim mine is not one of thiers. Someone with more patience than me will get it. Thanks for the inquirer D'oh. I'll be importing a machine to my specs . In talks with a couple of suppliers as we speak.
Almost forgot to mention constant tightening of components even though I have put lock washers and red locktite on anything not welded.

That sucks. One thing that I wonder about is if Auction machines are of the same quality control as those sold directly by Agrotk Industrial. Your mention that they claim it is not one of theirs could be accurate in the sense although it comes out of the same factory in China Agrotk Industrial is not the importer to the US.

Auctions are dumping grounds for a lot of things.

Incidentally my Typhon came with several QC stickers on it (a green dot with QC Pass) including a numbered and hand initialed one for the B&S motor. Not that means much but it strikes me that someone felt it was important.

 

[JoshT1604]

Ok, some decisions have been made. We have a hard cap of 10K for initial investment. If its a base machine that is fine and we can get addons and acessories at a later date as needed.

I got registered on the auction site this afternoon and am going to go for one of the two Diggit EM15s that are going up tomorrow. I prebid on the first one up and still don't have the high bid at 3K, so I'm going to sit on it and see what it looks like in the morning. The second one I currently have the high bid at $1700, but I fully expect that to be beaten before the night is over. I'll see what the first one goes for in the morning and if I don't get it, I'll try again for the second. I'm capping my bid at 5000, that'll put total cost around 6K with taxes and fees. If I don't get it there will be more.

Following those there are a bunch of the AGT **-12 units being auctioned. If I don't get one of the Diggits I may bid on them, but it'll be lowball. Considering that I can buy new one from AgroTK or a place in state for around $5K, I don;t think I want to go much over 4500 all in on one of those at auction, so my max bid for one will probably be in the $3500 range.

I don;t actually expect to have much success, but this will be my first auction experience even though I am using online proxy. If I strike out I'm not in a rush, so its ok.