SANY SY 80 Vs. KX 080-4

[Gchartrand]

I'm finally in the market for a new machine. I'm an owner operator with a dump truck and tag along. Lone wolf kinda guy. I've been like that for a very long time and I like it that way. My main jobs throughout the year are 40% septic beds, 10% general excavation and 50% of the time I work with hydro one as a contractor during late fall and throughout the winter months and into spring installing hydro poles for residential and distribution. My 09 kx has 11000 hours and keeps chugging along just fine, except that it now needs some body work from floating it during the winter months on roads full of road salt. I don't have enough down time to repaint it myself and replace the undercarriage again. So I did an analysis and for the amount of money and time I have to put into it to do another complete overhaul, it's definitely time for a new or newer machine.

I'm not interested in equipment bashing unless you have real life first hand experience. I know SANY is Chinese, but I'm seriously considering it as an option.

The SY 80 is new. It's 144k (cad) with 5yr/5k/hr warranty at 1.9% financing for 5 years.

A new kx 80 is 190k (cad) with 2yr/2k/hr warranty. Dealer is going to get back to me on the financing options on new. They also have a 2019 with 1600 hrs for 125k finance is 8% on used!

As of now the SANY is looking pretty good. In normal times I would pay cash for my equipment and not finance. But the reality is that I also have another business that i just started and it's sucking up some serious cash at the moment. So right now I want to finance to keep me liquid for the time being.

I'm looking for real life feedback on on SANY and how you'd compare it to the KX. I know what I'm getting with Kubota, but people who have SANY all seem to love them. There's also a guy on YouTube that has both and mentioned that he's thinking of trading is his low time Kubota for a SANY. That's means something in my books. You don't just get rid of a Kubota for nothing.

Both are local dealer with good service history. I don't have any other options available. Any advise would be appreciated.

 

[skyking1]

is there no demo/rental possibility? That's what I would do in your shoes. You have enough experience to know if you like it out of the gate.
If the dealer can't/won't demo it to you I would not be thrilled with any future dealings with them.

 

[KSSS]

What does installing hydro poles for residential and distribution mean? How did you get down to these two as your only options? Everyone else is too far away? or Priced higher?

 

[skyking1]

power pole installation.

 

[Gchartrand]

is there no demo/rental possibility? That's what I would do in your shoes. You have enough experience to know if you like it out of the gate.
If the dealer can't/won't demo it to you I would not be thrilled with any future dealings with them.

I never thought of asking to demo it. I'll see what they say. I know in our area we're quite short on 8 ton equipment cause I beu sell super quick. I'll have to see if they have something to loan out.

 

[Gchartrand]

What does installing hydro poles for residential and distribution mean? How did you get down to these two as your only options? Everyone else is too far away? or Priced higher?

Locally we have Kubota and SANY. We do have a cat tech locally with a service truck. We have a JCB and Wacker dealer, I just done see myself owning those two brands for some reason. All JCB's that I've seen literally fall apart inside after a few years. Plastics crack and thinks done seem to function correctly. Ie seat adjustment, front window binds weird.

 

[Gchartrand]

power pole installation.

Ya that's right. We dig a hole, the guys plant the poles weather its for distribution lines or residential. I also install a lot of primary and secondary underground lines as well. 8 ton is a nice size for that.

 

[Tags]

This is just my opinion. The Kubota has 11000 hours. How many real issues has it had in those 11000 hours? Does your Kubota dealer help out and support you with any issues or parts when or if the machine goes down? I am not bashing SANY, just asking questions that you probably already have answers to compared to dealing with SANY. I would think if you could rent a Sani and apply that towards the purchase if you go, that way would be a great way to find out how the machine runs compared to the Kubota. I looked at the Sani machines and spoke with a salesman for a while at the Connex show, they seem fine, but some of the fit and finish of all the components didn’t seem as nice as the major manufacturers. It all depends on how much you rely on your machine on a day-to-day basis, and if it goes down, who’s going to get you up and running the quickest. You know kubota will be around for a long time, I would think SANY is a bit of a crapshoot if they’re here to stay or not at this point.

 

[skyking1]

I never thought of asking to demo it. I'll see what they say. I know in our area we're quite short on 8 ton equipment cause I beu sell super quick. I'll have to see if they have something to loan out.

That is a good plan. If you don't like it immediately then you need not look further.

 

[KSSS]

I would say this, run the Wacker ET 90. I have run the ET90 against Kubota, JCB and Taki during a customer evaluation in Austria (so European operators, except me). Performance wise it was dominate over the JCB and Kubota, it was subjective with the Taki 295. I would not over look WN, especially if your willing to buy Sany. WN used to have a 5 year warranty, not sure if that is still the case.

 

[Gchartrand]

This is just my opinion. The Kubota has 11000 hours. How many real issues has it had in those 11000 hours? Does your Kubota dealer help out and support you with any issues or parts when or if the machine goes down? I am not bashing SANY, just asking questions that you probably already have answers to compared to dealing with SANY. I would think if you could rent a Sani and apply that towards the purchase if you go, that way would be a great way to find out how the machine runs compared to the Kubota. I looked at the Sani machines and spoke with a salesman for a while at the Connex show, they seem fine, but some of the fit and finish of all the components didn’t seem as nice as the major manufacturers. It all depends on how much you rely on your machine on a day-to-day basis, and if it goes down, who’s going to get you up and running the quickest. You know kubota will be around for a long time, I would think SANY is a bit of a crapshoot if they’re here to stay or not at this point.

Those are all things that are going through my mind at the moment. My kx has been deadly reliable. The only issue is had was a fuel solenoid at 8200hrs. That's it. I did change chains every 2000hrs or so cause I tram the machine a lot of hydro. They do give me good service whenever I need something. Although I never had a breakdown. Lol now that I'm typing it out, I'd does seem ridiculous to not go back with another Kubota.

I don't have any history with the SANY dealer, but he does seem pretty full of **** and vinegar to to create a relationship and I have noticed their's quite a few smaller 3.5 - 5 tons kicking around town now. I just really like the warranty period of the SANY and the Kubota has none and it's already a 3 year old machine.

 

[Gchartrand]

I would say this, run the Wacker ET 90. I have run the ET90 against Kubota, JCB and Taki during a customer evaluation in Austria (so European operators, except me). Performance wise it was dominate over the JCB and Kubota, it was subjective with the Taki 295. I would not over look WN, especially if your willing to buy Sany.

Interesting. Ok...I'm gonna have to think about that a little more.

 

[CM1995]

I have not been impressed with the build quality of the few Sany's I've been around.

, I just done see myself owning those two brands for some reason.

The same way I see Sany - I'll never own one.

I think you have answered your own question -

Those are all things that are going through my mind at the moment. My kx has been deadly reliable. The only issue is had was a fuel solenoid at 8200hrs. That's it. I did change chains every 2000hrs or so cause I tram the machine a lot of hydro. They do give me good service whenever I need something. Although I never had a breakdown.

Why would you swap to a Sany with the experience you've had with a Kubota? Just because there are other Sany mini's kicking around town doesn't mean anything to me.

What does make a difference is strong dealer support and availability of parts. Price is the 3rd and sometimes 4th consideration when I am buying equipment.

Here if one buys a Sany they better be planning on keeping it for the long haul or prepare to take it on the chin on resale. YMMV.

 

[KSSS]

Well if you do nothing else but put it in the dirt on a job and see what you think. It's free hours, and I think you will come away with a different outlook regardless of what you end up buying. Your spending 6 figures, might as well have all the available information. The ET 90 is, in my opinion, their flagship machine. Everyone has different likes and dislikes on how a machine runs. Me personally, this machine would be the one I would build if I had the say. It responds exactly as I want one to run. I wouldn't say that about their 5 ton machine that they just replaced, thankfully. Having one break down in 11k hours is incredible. I think you could run a handful of Kubota 80's to that many hours and not be that fortunate again.

 

[KSSS]

Without getting too deep in the Sany discussion, much was said about them in another post, but I willl mention this. Resale value would be an issue. Since you ran the last one to 11K that may not be as big of an issue for you, but if you end up not liking it, and wanted out, than it would be. I am curious if things go sideways with China globally, what happens with companies like Sany? Would the US/Canada block imports of parts and machines? I have no idea, but those are not issues with something from Japan or Austria. Certainly regardless of where they are made, China components are a part of it. I think other countries can pickup the slack in computer components and other subparts, but machines which are completely China built could be impacted greatly by political decisions made in world wide conflict.

 

[skyking1]

That is an interesting point. It might take quite a while for India to tool up spares, for example.

 

[etd66ss]

Not that I own a SANY, but IMO, I have been burned by Chinese stuff far too often. Can a SANY even make it to 11k hours?

 

[Tones]

Another prospective on Chinese diggers. As I've mentioned in other posts about a Liugong excavator which is now heading towards 30,000 hrs without any serious breakdowns and it hasn't been treated kindly by its current owner. All the bells and whistles parts stopped working many moons ago the nuts and bolts of the machine which make the money continue to function. The owner isn't interested in the resale value because he's already earned twice that amount. He's happy to park or scrap it when he's finished.

 

[Gchartrand]

I have not been impressed with the build quality of the few Sany's I've been around.



The same way I see Sany - I'll never own one.

I think you have answered your own question -



Why would you swap to a Sany with the experience you've had with a Kubota? Just because there are other Sany mini's kicking around town doesn't mean anything to me.

What does make a difference is strong dealer support and availability of parts. Price is the 3rd and sometimes 4th consideration when I am buying equipment.

Here if one buys a Sany they better be planning on keeping it for the long haul or prepare to take it on the chin on resale. YMMV.

I think the lure of trying something different and new is attractive. I've had that Kubota since 2009 and knew it like the back of my hand.

I have not been impressed with the build quality of the few Sany's I've been around.



The same way I see Sany - I'll never own one.

I think you have answered your own question -



Why would you swap to a Sany with the experience you've had with a Kubota? Just because there are other Sany mini's kicking around town doesn't mean anything to me.

What does make a difference is strong dealer support and availability of parts. Price is the 3rd and sometimes 4th consideration when I am buying equipment.

Here if one buys a Sany they better be planning on keeping it for the long haul or prepare to take it on the chin on resale. YMMV.

Now that I have the opportunity to try a new brand, it might be clouding my.judgement. lol maybe the grass isn't greener on the other side.

 

[CM1995]

Now that I have the opportunity to try a new brand, it might be clouding my.judgement. lol maybe the grass isn't greener on the other side.

Well that's for you and you only to find out. Let us know what you decide.