Hitachi EX200 Life?

[chris pochari]

I'm wondering what you guys think is the maximum number of hours before it becomes uneconomical to buy a used machine.
Thanks
Chris

 

[Delmer]

There's a bunch of factors that go into the calculation...

You gonna work on it, or have an independent mechanic, or a dealer do the work?

Are you doing farm work with no deadlines or street work?

What's your local labor rates?

What's your frustration tolerance?

 

[John C.]

What is your definition of economical?

 

[Shimmy1]

What machine? A skid steer can be almost completely used up with 5,000 hours, a D11R could run 50,000 hrs.

 

[chris pochari]

What machine? A skid steer can be almost completely used up with 5,000 hours, a D11R could run 50,000 hrs.

EX200 excavator

 

[chris pochari]

There's a bunch of factors that go into the calculation...

You gonna work on it, or have an independent mechanic, or a dealer do the work?

Are you doing farm work with no deadlines or street work?

What's your local labor rates?

What's your frustration tolerance?

#1 Mechanic
#2 Street work
#3 I guess average
if it were you what hour range would you buy ?

 

[chris pochari]

What is your definition of economical?

well what I mean is if a machine is to the point where it requires huge repairs, than it makes more sense to buy a higher hour machine.

 

[John Shipp]

For me, the stress of buying used equipment and trying to quantify how many repairs will be needed before it becomes reliable, means that I want to see at least 5000hrs of ownership after all the last owners left-over problems have been dealt with, before it racks up another long list of issues. With a quality piece of kit like a ex200, it would depend on hours run divided by maintenance given. I would go to look at a machine with up to 10,000 hrs with the feeling that if it's been looked after well I can get my 5k hrs ok. If it already has 15,000 on it, I would need a lot of assurances that the maintenance has been top level before driving very far to look at it.
Of course, there are 20,000 hrs machines that have had quality professional maintenance and care that would be a better machine than the 2000 hr machine that got left in a puddle before the storm, etc!

 

[chris pochari]

For me, the stress of buying used equipment and trying to quantify how many repairs will be needed before it becomes reliable, means that I want to see at least 5000hrs of ownership after all the last owners left-over problems have been dealt with, before it racks up another long list of issues. With a quality piece of kit like a ex200, it would depend on hours run divided by maintenance given. I would go to look at a machine with up to 10,000 hrs with the feeling that if it's been looked after well I can get my 5k hrs ok. If it already has 15,000 on it, I would need a lot of assurances that the maintenance has been top level before driving very far to look at it.
Of course, there are 20,000 hrs machines that have had quality professional maintenance and care that would be a better machine than the 2000 hr machine that got left in a puddle before the storm, etc!

Thanks John, great advice.

 

[Volvomad]

What's your frustration tolerance?
I love that line Delmer . I think I will ask my self that every day .

 

[chris pochari]

well what I mean is if a machine is to the point where it requires huge repairs, than it makes more sense to buy a higher hour machine.

I meant lower hour lol you can't edit on this damn forum!

 

[Shimmy1]

I meant lower hour lol you can't edit on this damn forum!

Sure you can, you have an hour to do it. I personally don't care for the forums that let you edit or delete basically forever, I think the hour limit holds a person more accountable.

 

[DMiller]

I have bought four high hours, basically obsolete machines in the course of my life. Still own two, may be working toward another so the frustration level can be awe inspiring here. Short parts, short distributors, short on everything but time to frustrate my use. That said I have less in the two than I would had I bought newer and still got done what I needed to so becomes as a hobby for my 'Spare' time. Using for a business would take that edge completely away, if you have to work on it as much as with it the game is up before you start. Buying used iron is a shot in the dark most days, sometimes you catch the brass ring sometimes you are sitting in the dirty toilet. Getting someone accomplished with the machine of note to inspect, operate and determine viability of a used piece is still no guarantee it won't shut down during a important more often than not time limited job. To that end most that use machines for day in day out business either buy or lease newer or new machines rotating into new or newer machines OFTEN.

 

[chris pochari]

Sure you can, you have an hour to do it. I personally don't care for the forums that let you edit or delete basically forever, I think the hour limit holds a person more accountable.

stupid me!

 

[Mplan]

I have an ex 200-5lc that had 21000 hours on it and still going well.bought it with 647 hours on the clock.great machine. Better to make payments on a good machine than spent it on an old machine that you don't know

 

[tbone1471]

We have machines with as few as 300 hours and as much as 17,000. The best luck we have are with machines that have been well looked after in the 5000-12,000 hour range.

We seem to have a lot of stupid electronic issues with the newer equipment. Stuff from the mid 90's to early 2000's is great.

We have 2 case 160's that have been severely abused. They are about 2010 models with less than 8000 hrs. Nothing but problems. We have a 96 deer 892elc with 16000 on it and it just keeps digging but it has been well looked after.

Hours don't scare me. Who owned it and the maintenance history are the only things I really look at.