Buying a new 35 class mini

[stumpjumper83]

Looking to add a rental machine to my business. Have cat, deere, case, kobelco, komatsu, takeuchi, bobcat, and yanmar to choose from.

Preferring to use mfg 0% 48mo financing.

What brand would you all choose? So far it's a toss up between case, kobelco, and yanmar. Yanmar is including a hyd coupler.

Due to it being a rental, open canopy, coupler, thumb on whatever I buy.

 

[KSSS]

I have spent time in the CX37 and the CASE 42D and compared them in Oct. The 42D in my opinion is a much better machine. It's a little heavier, may not be what you want for that reason, but if the weight works it might rent better. It's about 1500 pounds heavier, has 46 hp and 3K pounds more bucket breakout. Rental customers that know what their doing, like contractors would recognize the increase ability and keep coming back to rent it. Home owner may be not so much and be just as fine with the less capable 37C. The 37 is fine, there are quite a few around here in both CASE and NH. Guys seem to like them, very few issues with them as it sounds. The 42D is a CASE machine, the 37C is Hyundai. The 42D might give you niche in that market, maybe charge a little more, but it can easily run a hoe pac or mulcher off of it as well due to the high horse power and more aux flow.

I haven't run a Kobelco since they split from CASE. That said, at least back then, it's a really reliable excavator. I liked renting them. I never rented a 35 but rather the 50 and 55.

Yanmar, its been a while since I have run one. They seem to have a loyal following. I am sure they would be a good selection. My biggest issue with them is how the lower bucket breakout force is with their supplied coupler. Again, only certain customers would likely notice that.

My choice in order would be
42D
Kobelco 35
37C/Yanmar

 

[skyking1]

I've run the cx37, the JD35G, the Cat 303.5 lately.
Of those 3 the JD was the best all around machine. Of course I'm biased and put the first thousand hours on that one.

 

[Old Growth]

Whats the going rate for rental fees/costs on a 35/mini these days?

 

[stumpjumper83]

Ksss, interesting that you as well noticed the yanmar having a weaker bucket #. I saw that as well and it's kinda significant as it's over 10% loss. Yes, id like a heavier machine, but... a 35 fits in a 12k dump trailer and rolls behind a 3/4 ton pickup legally. A 45 doesn't, I own a tak tb53fr as well, and it's a med dump load, not a pickup load.

Skyking, deere is like 3rd most expensive right now... oddly bobcat is #1 and they are less stable than kobelco. I'm waiting on hard #'s from deere, cat, case, expecting cat to be highest. Deere also doesn't lead the stat chart...

Old growth, my area ranges from 250 a day from my yanmar dealer to 500 a day from my kobelco dealer. Both of those do not rent to homeowners. Avg rental is 400 a day. 400 a day means if it rents 2.5 times a month. It pays it's own way. When it rents 120x its mine. I did research my local rental yard, they rent a bobcat e26 as largest, it goes out 80x a year @ 295 a day.

This morning I'm headed to put an hr or 2 on a takeuchi 235 / 335 & the Komatsu pc35. Stat wise the takeuchi is breakout king. That being said, those brands do not offer 0/48 factory financing making them 8,500 more expensive over life of loan.

 

[motionclone]

How do you factor in costs related to customer damage. I realize youll be charging a security deposit but im guessing that doesnt always cover some of the more major damages. Also some damages might not be noticeable until long after the customer is gone. Like if he attaches one of his own attachments that happens to be full of metal and contaminates your machine.

I remember renting a machine about 20 years ago to pull apart an old block foundation. I used the bucket teeth like a jack hammer for a full 8 hrs. Cant have been good on bucket pins and bushings but not something thats noticed right away.

 

[stumpjumper83]

Damages would be covered thru my inland marine policy, or renters credit card.

In a perfect world contaminated attachments would be caught by filter.

Hard use unfortunately is a factor of rental life

 

[MG84]

Do you not have a Kubota dealer near by? The U35 or KX033 are very good machines. Spec out well, good quick coupler, very durable/reliable, and I think they have good financing. Most all of the independent rental places around here run Kubota. United Rentals runs Takeuchi, which would be my next choice.

 

[KSSS]

Ksss, interesting that you as well noticed the yanmar having a weaker bucket #. I saw that as well and it's kinda significant as it's over 10% loss. Yes, id like a heavier machine, but... a 35 fits in a 12k dump trailer and rolls behind a 3/4 ton pickup legally. A 45 doesn't, I own a tak tb53fr as well, and it's a med dump load, not a pickup load.

Skyking, deere is like 3rd most expensive right now... oddly bobcat is #1 and they are less stable than kobelco. I'm waiting on hard #'s from deere, cat, case, expecting cat to be highest. Deere also doesn't lead the stat chart...

Old growth, my area ranges from 250 a day from my yanmar dealer to 500 a day from my kobelco dealer. Both of those do not rent to homeowners. Avg rental is 400 a day. 400 a day means if it rents 2.5 times a month. It pays it's own way. When it rents 120x its mine. I did research my local rental yard, they rent a bobcat e26 as largest, it goes out 80x a year @ 295 a day.

This morning I'm headed to put an hr or 2 on a takeuchi 235 / 335 & the Komatsu pc35. Stat wise the takeuchi is breakout king. That being said, those brands do not offer 0/48 factory financing making them 8,500 more expensive over life of loan.

Looks like a great opportunity to make some money and have a machine paid for as well. Little competition, and so the rates look really good for you. I am surprised that Kobelco can pull $500 a day for a mini ex rental. They must be killing it. Mini excavators across the board have a very low repair rate as far as things going wrong. If your going to rent something out, a mini ex is probably the easiest piece of equipment to rent and make money on it.

Whoever gives you the best price is likely your winner. Given that information, your not really having to compete against another rental store. If the low price dealer's machine is at least comparable, I don't think you will make more money by having a machine that maxes out the spec sheet, if you have to pay more to gain that. Your machine will rent no matter what. New paint, and a fair rental price will carry the day against your competition.

 

[BC Placer gold]

Do you not have a Kubota dealer near by? The U35 or KX033 are very good machines. Spec out well, good quick coupler, very durable/reliable, and I think they have good financing. Most all of the independent rental places around here run Kubota. United Rentals runs Takeuchi, which would be my next choice.

Kubota & Deere mini‘s are probably the most common at rental shops here. Really liked our Kubota 040, smooth, fast and really powerful for its size. Bonus on the u35/kx 033; no dpf….and as mentioned easy to haul.

Have owned: Cat, Hitachi/Deere,Yanmar, and Komatsu (currently have a Deere 50d); the Kubota was my favourite. To be honest they were all remarkably reliable, not really a bad one among those brands.

The local Komatsu dealerships are extremely expensive for any parts….put me off Komatsu.

Was pretty impressed with the Yanmar as well (vio 27), really smooth hydraulics. Never noticed any lack of breakout force in stick or bucket.

on edit: should note our Yanmar did not have a coupler…

 

[stumpjumper83]

After running 4 machines kobelco is 1 or 2 in performance, 1 on stability, 1 on price, 2 on warranty, 2 on financing. For a culmative top score.

Have to wait til mar 1 for official $ numbers, but it's looking kobelco

Komatsu digs possibly better, better visibility cause a 2 post canopy vs 4 post rops, but worst warranty, and mid pack price. Worst financing. Slightly less stable than kobelco.

Bobcat is the big looser, most money, ok financing, mediocre to worst dig, fairly unstable.

Stability test was heap a bucket full of material, swing 90 over tracks, lift blade, full extend, drop and catch bucket... bobcat could flip if you tried that too gingerly. Komatsu jiggled a little. Kobelco might have lightened a track slightly. Even repeated it with a piece of sandstone 3x the bucket size with good results.

 

[KSSS]

Nothing wrong with going Kobelco. I bet if you leveraged Kobelco to match the warranty of the best coverage of the group your looking at, that they would match the warranty.

 

[stumpjumper83]

Nothing wrong with going Kobelco. I bet if you leveraged Kobelco to match the warranty of the best coverage of the group your looking at, that they would match the warranty.

Your likely right. Yanmar has best warranty with 4yr/ 4k hours. Kobelco is 2nd with 3/3k. If my numbers are right the machine should pay off 2x about the time warranty expires hours wise. And I'm thinking that at 1200 to 1500 hours it's time to trade machines anyhow. The

Komatsu lost 8k dollars between a 19' w/ 1100 hrs and a new machine. And likely that 19' was bought for close to what they are asking for it now.

Regardless, if in 1500 hours of rent time, the machine pays for itself, I trade it in, and loose even 10k on trade vs new, the replacement machine will pay its note off before its time to change its break in oil.

 

[Ridinhigh1500]

Try looking at a Kubota. The CAT machines all run Kubota engines in them. So if you had CAT and Kubota machines you would be buying a lot of the same filters and all the engine parts and maintenance would be the same. The biggest difference between the CAT and Kubota machines are price and hydraulics. The KX080-5 which is basically 308 CAT is $120,000 for a cab model. The hydraulics on a Kubota are KYB and CAT is Rexroth.

 

[apetad]

In rental the Yanmar bucket coupler is FANTASTIC! Can install hydraulic breaker or change buckets in under one minute, also works with a variety of ear widths and pin sizes and spacing! Customers LOVE that they can change from breaker to bucket without removing any pins!!!!!