• Thank you for visiting HeavyEquipmentForums.com! Our objective is to provide industry professionals a place to gather to exchange questions, answers and ideas. We welcome you to register using the "Register" icon at the top of the page. We'd appreciate any help you can offer in spreading the word of our new site. The more members that join, the bigger resource for all to enjoy. Thank you!

Thoughts on a Link Belt 160X4?

KSSS

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2005
Messages
4,316
Location
Idaho
Occupation
excavation
I am seriously considering buying a 2018 160X4 with 2500 hours on it. It has hyd coupler, Prolink thumb and long stick. Anyone have any thoughts on the machine?
 

James Sorochan

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2020
Messages
489
Location
Lethbridge county, Alberta, Canada
Occupation
x-water & sewer construction Now farmer.
Have you been happy with your Case machine?; Case dealer for parts and service? Have you dealt with the Link Belt dealer before? I would compare shop rates and parts prices between the two. Talk to other contractors that have been using the equipment for a few years.
 

KSSS

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2005
Messages
4,316
Location
Idaho
Occupation
excavation
I have been happy with my Case CX160 it is my second Sumitomo machine. I know them and like them, I would have preferred to get it CASE colors just for the dealer support, but was unable to find one. CASE here says they can work on it and does work on Link Belt machines (since they are essentially the same machine). Link Belt support is out of SLC which is about 4 hours away. There is very little out there to look at for sale used. I looked at a couple Kobelco 170's dash 9 and 10. Support for them is also out of SLC. An excavator friend of mine has two LB 245's, one is an X4 and he likes them (he is the guy that has won the Link Belt excavator challenge at ConExo the last or 3 or 4 times in a row). This machine is obviously different, so I was curious what the thoughts were on here about the 160X4. I would be surprised if there was an issue, but you never know.
 

Aarons81

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2021
Messages
133
Location
Central Ohio
I would also be surprised if there was a major issue with it. I have 4 sumitomo pieces and wouldn't hesitate to buy another.
 

cuttin edge

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
Messages
2,690
Location
NB Canada
Occupation
Finish grader operator
We have 6 Linkbelt machines, from 2014 to 2019. They seem to be pretty reliable. 4 of the spin ace, and 2 350x4 machines. They rented a 160 this summer, but I was never near it, and didn't hear anything about it.
 

James Sorochan

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2020
Messages
489
Location
Lethbridge county, Alberta, Canada
Occupation
x-water & sewer construction Now farmer.
Shane, What's your timeline for purchasing? Have you looked outside your area? I see some further away like down southeast. I also see some up here in Alberta on Kajiji. Not sure what the prices are like down there in your area. The US dollar is $1.28 to our Canadian dollar. Crunch the numbers to see if it works out better to buy from up here. Transportation and brokerage costs need to be included of course. Have you considered looking one or two sizes up? How about other makes like Deere/Hitachi, Volvo, Cat? Here is a pic of the two up here in Alberta.
 

Attachments

  • Image 2021-12-04 at 7.23 PM.jpeg
    Image 2021-12-04 at 7.23 PM.jpeg
    24.5 KB · Views: 11

KSSS

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2005
Messages
4,316
Location
Idaho
Occupation
excavation
I have been following Machinery Trader for several months. I have not looked in Canada. This machine is coming out of Iowa, got what I feel is a great ship rate of 4K to Idaho Falls. I have been speaking with Western States Cat, they have a 2015 316 pro link, coupler, bucket with 3K hours for $135. Monday they are supposed to give me their best number. I am not interested in a Deere/Hitachi due to the dealer here. The deal I have on the 160X4 is $128K. Prices have certainly gone way up. I really need the machine to me before the end of the year.
 

KSSS

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2005
Messages
4,316
Location
Idaho
Occupation
excavation
I luckily found what I think is a better deal in SLC. The Link Belt dealer there has a 2020 160X4 with hyd. coupler and 42" bucket. I will need to put a pro link thumb on it. I got this one at 132K, and trucking is only 4 hours away. I sold my 04 CX160 for $46K today. With the 2020 I get the remainder of the 5 years warranty that came on the machine.
 

DGODGR

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2009
Messages
1,062
Location
S/W CO
Nice! Where's the thumb? Are you going to mount it yourself or forego the thumb on this unit?
The biggest potential problem I see with this purchase is that you almost had to deal with Century Eqpt. (didn't you mention looking at a Kobelco in SLC?). They have a store in my town and I was all set to buy a Kobelco 160, and 25 tn trailer from them. I was warned to stay away from they (by several other excavators in my town) but I gave it a shot anyway. It's a long story but the short version is that they gave me the "about-face" at the last minute (of a late December deal) with financing. I gave them the chance to do what they had promised and they refused. I ran back over to Cat and they had me in a machine the next day. The Cat hoe cost me $25k more but I have no regrets for going with the Cat (machine has 9k hours and still going strong). After returning the Kobelco (I had been renting the unit for a month before we worked out the purchase) I had issues with the dealership trying rip me off that went all the way to the top of Century. I was left with the conclusion that the culture at that dealership is to say one thing and then they would do the opposite. The sour taste from Century is still in my mouth and that was almost 20 years ago. I will never buy a machine from Century. In fact, I haven't even stepped into that store in 18 years.
I know that you are a pretty die-hard Case guy. Hopefully your dealer is Pioneer and I didn't just spend all that typing to berate the dealership that you work with.
As it relates to support from SLC, the Case and Link-Belt have paint color as the only difference between them so, like you mentioned above, you should be able to have the Case dealer do all work save for warranty work.
 

KSSS

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2005
Messages
4,316
Location
Idaho
Occupation
excavation
Yea I did talk to Century about the Kobelco. The guy I spoke with is out of the Logan store, seemed alright, but I just didn't want support for the Kobelco so far away. The Kobelco that was at the RB sale with 1400 hours and a 2014 (I think that was the year) sold at 85K, assuming I could have got the Kobelco for 90K or so I would have saved a lot of money going that route. I just didn't feel comfortable with it, even though it cost me another 50K to get the LB, I feel a lot better about it. I had never spoke to Century before and had not heard anything about them good or bad. Ironically when I went down to SLC to pay for the LB, Century called me back and said they had got a CX160D back off rent. It was a '20 with 500 hours on it. They wanted 183K, I was obligated on the LB anyway but I wasnt going to pay that regardless.

I bought a Pro Link thumb from Rasmussen as part of the deal on the excavator. I will pick it up when it gets in and have Pioneer install it. Cat came down on a 2015 316, which had a coupler, prolink and a 42" bucket, and 3K hours came down to 128K. Which was not bad I guess for now, but the machine had been in their rental fleet the whole time. 3K hours of rental use, just didn't seem like a good idea, even though Western States was going to go through the machine at that money.

LOL, that white stuff sucks! Plenty of it falling now. I was lucky to get the machine here between snow storms, I was worried it would not be here before the end of the year. Very pleased to see the low boy show up!
 

KSSS

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2005
Messages
4,316
Location
Idaho
Occupation
excavation
I thought I would provide some thoughts on the 2020, LB 160X4. The machine is much faster than what I am used to in my CX160. The good: The cab is very comfortable, and quiet, ergonomics are very good, I really like the display, its intuitive and full of info. Machine is quick, it is going to take a couple more foundations to get myself dialed to the machine. I like having the camera.. Easy to access everything for fluid checks. That Izuzu sips fuel, much more efficient than the Cummins in the CASE. Lastly, this five year warranty that Link Belt offers on X4's is comforting, hopefully I wont need it, but its comforting knowing that is there. The not so good: The machine gets tippy at full extension, I don't blame it necessarily on the machine, but rather the way I have it set up. The 42" bucket, hyd coupler, with the prolink thumb are just a bit heavy dealing with the heavy pitrun material we deal with here. Nothing I cant deal with but my CX160 had a 36" bucket, prolink and hyd coupler, and it was rock solid at full extension. While I like the camera, the wide angle makes it difficult to see exactly where something is at. First world problem I know, you can see if something is there, but its hard to tell where the machine is at relative to the picture if that makes sense.

Have a large demo project coming up which will give me a chance try out the new EPIROC MB1000 hammer on the machine. Overall, so far, very happy with it. I am getting holes dug faster than I could with my older machine and am more comfortable doing it. So to steal an old saying, "Money may not buy happiness but it can buy you a newer excavator, and that is the same thing".
 

CM1995

Administrator
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
13,246
Location
Alabama
Occupation
Running what I brung and taking what I win
Good write up on the 160.

I have always heard good things about Link Belt from owners and operators. Our dealer is so small and constantly changes ownership. If the brand ever stabilizes here I'd like to give one a shot.
 

cuttin edge

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
Messages
2,690
Location
NB Canada
Occupation
Finish grader operator
Good write up on the 160.

I have always heard good things about Link Belt from owners and operators. Our dealer is so small and constantly changes ownership. If the brand ever stabilizes here I'd like to give one a shot.
Like I said, the 6 we have have been trouble free. I guess they just traded the 2014 145 spin ace for a new 145. The newest of the 3 145s has a long stick, wonder if the new one will have it. The long stick is a bit heavy on the front, but the 145s have a blade, so it does help a bit. I asked one of the guys about the 160 they had rented, and I guess it was front heavy as well. It had a thumb, but no quick attach. The 235 spin ace is solid until they put the mulching head on it. Same as the 2 350s, pretty stable. All machines have thumbs, and wedge type couplers. One thing of note, are that all machines have block heaters, but the 2 350s don't have a place for them, and have lower rad hose heaters.
 

KSSS

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2005
Messages
4,316
Location
Idaho
Occupation
excavation
Interesting to hear they thought the 160 was a bit heavy on the front. Mine is also a long stick.
 
Top