Decisions, Decisions - EX120 vs EX200

[knightgang]

Man, I am having trouble deciding between the two.

I am purchasing a machine for my 20 acre property. We have at least 3 retention ponds to dig, a 200ft 6x8 (minimum) canal and a 1-1.5 acre 20ft deep pond. Also looking to do some lot clearing on the side.

The ground we are working on has a high water table from 6" to 36", below 36-40 in deep we start hitting dry sandy dirt. The property also has a thick root mat as the result of logging 17 years ago.

Last year at 4th of July we had a Cat 323F onsite to do the clearing and root raking with. I am now purchasing a machine instead of putting more money into rentals. I am looking at a EX120 and a EX200. The asking price of the two machines is the same. Not sure exactly what the wiggle room in them is yet. Here are the listings:
EX200 - http://www.machinerytrader.com/list...achi-ex200-2?dlr=1&pcid=3109425&OHID=16920429

EX120 - https://augusta.craigslist.org/hvo/5996400443.html

The 120 I have seen and looking at again tonight. The 200 I have only seen pictures of.... Here is what I know right now.
EX120
Machine is pretty tight, UC is really good. It is 2 hours form me. Does have leaking boom cylinders, mostly I think because the machine has been sitting and they are dry. Needs about 6 hoses put on it and has some slop in the front bucket pin. Does have a manual thumb installed already. Electronics work, but not the hour meter. Shows 4800 hrs, but has not worked in the last 7 years.
Concerns: What line boring will cost to fix the bucket slop, between new pins and the labor, or can it be fixed with a replacement used bucket and new pins for 1/3 the cost.

EX200
Pictures look really good, but no history on the machine other than I know that it came from a Utility Company in Pensacola, FL. This machine is 4 hrs form me. One Boom cylinders show a leak, possibly due to sitting as well. It is stated that there is a little noise in the swing bearing, but no slop, most likely just needs to be greased. Hour meter works and shows 10K hrs.
Pros: Larger Machine, wider tracks, more productivity.
Cons: Have not laid eye on it yet. Larger machine and more expensive to transport. No thumb at all. (Least Expensive I can find is $1800 new, have not shipped used yet.) Has pitting on the UC Frame steel from wet dirt staying on for an extended period of time. Not sure how much or a concern this really is....

Both have an asking price of $19.5K (listing on the 200 shows $21K, but they changed it after I started my inquiry).

So, I am really undecided about what Machine I should buy. I don't want to get the 120 and discover in a month that I should have bought the bigger machine. I don't want to buy the bigger machine and then have a ton of costly repairs.

Can someone that has run both size machines regularly chime in with their opinion based on what I have outlined?

 

[knightgang]

Well, i decided to buy the EX120. It should arrive tomorrow at the property. It has a lot of digging in its future.

 

[Graham1]

If you are looking at old high hour machines you really need to have a look over them. If the 200 was too far to go and look you made the right decision. You have some idea what you are buying.
Any high hour machine will have wear and failures, but hopefully you got a reasonable one.
Graham

 

[knightgang]

If you are looking at old high hour machines you really need to have a look over them. If the 200 was too far to go and look you made the right decision. You have some idea what you are buying.
Any high hour machine will have wear and failures, but hopefully you got a reasonable one.
Graham

Certainly.... I posted this prior to going to look a the machine that I did purchase for the second time. I was trying to get some feedback because the EX200 was 4 hours away. That being said, I was planning on making the trip to look it over had I not made a deal on the 120. The purpose of my questions and seeking opinions was because I did not want to waste a 4 hr trip to Atlanta to see the 200 if it was going to be too big of a machine, or there was something glaring in the pictures that I missed. Some of you have been around heavy equipment since you were crawling, some like me did not really get around heavy equipment until just a year or so ago.

I believe that anything mechanical and used should be looked over in person or my someone that you trust prior to purchasing. I at this point that I made a good decision as the 200 would have cost me about $4K more in the beginning between transport and purchasing a thumb. And, the machine that I purchased I got directly form the owner, so I got some history on the machine, I could not get that from on the 200.

I really wanted the larger machine, but I think that was mostly because my first real experience in an Excavator was in a 3 year old Cat 323F with Hydraulic thumb. It was a rental machine that I ran for about 50 hours and it was a Cadillac of a machine. But I do think that the 120 will do everything that I need it to do, and it should do it for less money and less fuel burn.

And if I get the opportunity to do some lot clearing to make some money, for the size lots that I would be working on, I think the 120 will be better suited and will be more profitable.

 

[Bls repair]

If the bucket slop you talk of is the dipper end to bucket pin ,you should be able to put new pin and bushing in dipper end
A 10,000 hrs machine I would want to see in person