Mini excavator for farm, has anyone bought one?

[Sakeopete]

There are a couple of mini 1 ton excavators for sale in the kingdom. T-Rex and Komochi probably the same machine branded differently. They are only a bit over Baht 200k new I was thinking it would be fun to have one at our farm (play Minecraft for real LOL). I see photos on one of the websites showing a farang taking possession of one.
Has anybody on bought one and can give me insight on owing it?

[scammed]

they look neat, and i like it how you can buy a trailer

and shuffle it around with a pickup,

but labor is cheap here and truth is you would pretty quickly run out of things to do with it lest others can call you for work which you cant do as foreigner anyway.

 

compared to forest harvest machines excavators are dependable and dont break down even a fraction as much

[Sakeopete]

11 hours ago, scammed said:

they look neat, and i like it how you can buy a trailer

and shuffle it around with a pickup,

but labor is cheap here and truth is you would pretty quickly run out of things to do with it lest others can call you for work which you cant do as foreigner anyway.

 

compared to forest harvest machines excavators are dependable and dont break down even a fraction as much

Definitely not economical compared to renting. Near me I can rent a newish PC30 size for 4500/day. Having said that the fun factor would be worth it. I also plan to let my kids learn to operate it before they move to Canada for University. We have a family friend who owns a construction firm maybe they could get summer work. 

[patman30]

i have been looking at buying one myself over renting, Labour being cheap is an out of date argument as any job big enough for an excavator will use an excavator these days, and labour is not that cheap any more, renting beats physical labour hands down.
the reason i prefer to buy than rent, is i will be able to do the work as and when i want,

it also will save time for smaller jobs, turns digging small holes into 5 minute tasks
when i am completely done with it, i expect i will be able to sell it for roughly the same price i purchased it for
its value will literally be the same,
and you do have the fun side of teaching the kids to use and the extra income of renting it out later

you dont need to do the digging when renting out, most operators do not own their own machinery, they rent it.

[Slugs11]

You tend to use them more than you think. Bought my one, 4 years ago, a little bigger  (3ton) than op mentions. Have dug out trees, ditches for water drainage, digging 450m trench for water pipe and numerous other projects. It’s ok to rent, however you have to stand in line and wait for them to turn up, rather than using your own machine when you need it. Great fun to use, and practical 

[Slugs11]

My machine have the offset boom, which allow you to work very close to fence or a wall. Believe it’s worthwhile considering this when buying a machine 

[scammed]

On 5/6/2021 at 7:11 PM, Slugs11 said:

My machine have the offset boom, which allow you to work very close to fence or a wall. Believe it’s worthwhile considering this when buying a machine 

what is an offset boom ?

[Nojohndoe]

21 minutes ago, scammed said:

what is an offset boom ?

Not  quite  straight ! lol

The boom ( arm) is offset to one side allowing straight line trenching even up against such as a wall.

[Freigeist365]

I had everything, from a huge 2nd hand Komatsu PC220 down to a brand new Kubota U17... We own a big farm AND a construction business... All I can tell you is that it is much more economical AND less cost intensive to simply rent one by the hour with a driver whenever you need work be done. Yes, I know it's fun for the first couple of weeks to use it yourself and dig in like a kid building a sand castle on the beach... But believe me when I say that the initial euphoria will wear off real quick. All that remains are costs, high maintenance, storage (otherwise it will rot away fast with cables being eaten by rats) and loss of resale value. Unless you plan to do a business that rotates solely around digging and soil sales and transport, you are losing money and most likely will sell that digger rather sooner than later. Been there, done that, bought the shirt!

 

You could compare it to a boat - a boat is (unless you are a natural born sailor who simply can't live on dry land) a giant hole in the water... After the initial fun has worn off, imagine yourself throwing (once or multiple times per month) all your money and posessions into a row boat, row out into the sea to that hole, throw ALL of your posessions in there and row back to shore... This is how it feels to be a boat owner. Also here (despite having had one of the greatest scuba businesses in SEA almost two decades ago, running 2 own ships and one chartered)... Been there, done that, bought several shirts...

 

Hope that helps.

Cheers, 

Freigeist 365

 

 

[scammed]

8 minutes ago, Nojohndoe said:

Not  quite  straight ! lol

The boom ( arm) is offset to one side allowing straight line trenching even up against such as a wall.

ah, ok, doesnt sound like worth investing in for a hobby

[Nojohndoe]

2 minutes ago, scammed said:

ah, ok, doesnt sound like worth investing in for a hobby

Hobby? Hmmm

But  you  could maybe  generate some  excitement  by trenching mystical bird figures and giant mosquito patterns across the plains creating fascination from gullible facebookiz?

[scammed]

8 hours ago, Nojohndoe said:

Hobby? Hmmm

But  you  could maybe  generate some  excitement  by trenching mystical bird figures and giant mosquito patterns across the plains creating fascination from gullible facebookiz?

i mean, hobby as in, the employer doesnt require you to have it to get hired

[Slugs11]

In truth, not sure a offset boom would cost that much more than the normal. It’s just a extra pin hinged connection in the main boom arm with a hydraulic ram to offset it. I have used my one only a couple of times, however without it then could not have achieved what I wanted. Another option to consider whether to buy or rent, I have used my machine numerous times to lift equipment of my truck. As in, I  have bought farming equipment like offset disc plough, 8” water pump, round bailer etc. With have the excavator then able to use it almost like a small crane and lift equipment with it. As stated you tend to use these machines more than you think. The 4 years I have had my machine, other than buying some hydraulic oil, then no other maintenance costs. I understand if you are working the machine with high hours, then would occur costs. However the cost to rent a machine for long would be very high. 

[patman30]

2 hours ago, Slugs11 said:

In truth, not sure a offset boom would cost that much more than the normal. It’s just a extra pin hinged connection in the main boom arm with a hydraulic ram to offset it. I have used my one only a couple of times, however without it then could not have achieved what I wanted. Another option to consider whether to buy or rent, I have used my machine numerous times to lift equipment of my truck. As in, I  have bought farming equipment like offset disc plough, 8” water pump, round bailer etc. With have the excavator then able to use it almost like a small crane and lift equipment with it. As stated you tend to use these machines more than you think. The 4 years I have had my machine, other than buying some hydraulic oil, then no other maintenance costs. I understand if you are working the machine with high hours, then would occur costs. However the cost to rent a machine for long would be very high. 

For the 4 years you have had your machine,
how much is it worth now compared to when you bought it ?
(i am assuming you purchased a used machine)

[Slugs11]

Yes, it was a used machine. At a guess I would assume it’s probably worth around the price I paid for it. However you could argue it’s 4 years older therefor not worth the price I paid for it ?. 
 

What costs would I have occurred to rent machine the numerous times over the last 4 years  ? Deduct that cost if you can calculate it, from the purchase price and sell at that value. You are still ahead, as you can use the machine when you want, not wait for a hire machine to turn up.

 

One final point, if you have a excavator, you can take your time and make sure the job is done correctly. When hiring, it’s all about time clock, you are watching the cost, while the company just want to get job done, get their money and away. Do you get a good job, do they care how the end product is ? I accept and respect everyone have their own opinions with regards hire or buy. 

[Lazaruss]

Hey tractor guys, Im over by NongBuaLampoo on a new piece of Land starting on our castle, could use a mini excavator for tons of things, any suggestions where to start looking I wouldn't mind a used unit if in decent shape, 

 

[cheskakim]

I need a good one for my new and first construction. I don't want to spend too much. Any recommendations please?

[kickstart]

5 hours ago, cheskakim said:

I need a good one for my new and first construction. I don't want to spend too much. Any recommendations please?

I would say it would make more sense to rent one if it is only a one-off job, in my area, I see them all the time on trailers being towed to another job, it seems the latest business idea, prices now should be competitive, prices were about 800 baht/hour, now they should be a lot lower, just ask around in your area.

[orang37]

I recently bought a mini excavator for my farm, and it's been a game changer. After doing some research, I decided on the Kubota KX033-4. It’s got a good balance of power and size, with a mid-range operating weight of about 7,000 pounds and a maximum dig depth of around 10 feet. It’s perfect for tight spaces, like working between trees or near fences, and the zero tail swing makes it super maneuverable.

 

If you're considering getting one, definitely think about what kind of projects you’ll be doing. For me, the Kubota’s enclosed cab with heat and A/C was a nice bonus since I spend a lot of time in it during all seasons. It’s also compatible with various attachments, which makes it versatile for different tasks around the farm. If you're trying to figure out the best option, you might want to check the steps about how to choose a mini excavator to help with your decision.

Edited August 12 by orang37