Looking to buy used 30-40k pound machine

New to excavators have some land in northern MN and I’m looking at getting an excavator for tree clearing and using to put up a steel building. Hoping to find something used in the 20-40k dollar price range. Any advise on what type of machine I should be looking for would be greatly appreciated.

"New to excavators have some land in northern MN and I’m looking at getting an excavator for tree clearing and using to put up a steel building. Hoping to find something used in the 20-40k dollar price range. Any advise on what type of machine I should be looking for would be greatly appreciated."

Just curious as to why you would come here for help.
This is where to go for assistance in -FIXING- machines, not FINDING.
I would suggest you do google, yahoo, Etc searches 'for sale' and what you want.

If you live in -Arizona- or -MN- you might find equipment there.

I'm partial to caterpillar in my mid and large excavators.
I'd suggest something like a 312 or 315.
I've got and had 312L, 314CLCR. 314DLCR, and 314ELCR machines. They've been ridiculously simple and inexpensive to keep running.
The 312, 315, and their B series counterparts are where I'd start. A dealer evaluation of the condition should be considered.

So 120-160?
While brands very by taste and familiarity, and to parts and their costs. In that size price range, you can expect to have repairs, or wear items near the end of their useful life.

And once you are done taking out trees, is it re-saleable. So again, strong dealer support. Drive around and see what brands the pros are using in your area.

CatKC said:

Just curious as to why you would come here for help.
This is where to go for assistance in -FIXING- machines, not FINDING.
I would suggest you do google, yahoo, Etc searches 'for sale' and what you want.

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HEF is very much the place to ask which machine to look for or stay away from. There are a lot of members including myself that have O&O experience on all sorts of machines knowing the good, the bad and the ugly. The last thing I am is a mechanic..

Now to answer Brandon's question with another question - What do you need the excavator to do? This will begin the discussion on the size machine you need. Price is a variable of size, location (for shipping cost) and condition.

I've owned two Cat 315's - one C and one D - both were excellent machines as heymccall stated.

Also owned a 325DL which was probably the best hoe we've ever owned. Strong, fast and well balanced. Had zero problems other than the Great Recession of 2009 that forced it's sale.

Currently own a 321DLCR with close to 7K hours on it which has been a great hoe. The largest $$ repair other than wear items was a boom solenoid.

Also currently own a 325FL '18 model with 1800 HRS that has had more problems than any one single Cat hoe I've ever owned, might have had more problems than all the hoes above combined but can't say for sure as the memory fades over time.

There is a lot more to discuss about dealers, parts availability and so on so give us a little more information.

Trees have a way of humbling a track hoe quickly. As a friend says "If you tear up your stuff pushing dirt its your own fault. Trees just want to kill you." I don't know your soil conditions, but I suspect you are wetter than I. Around here a 20 ton hoe would be good to about 16" trees. Larger trees take a lot longer, then you have a root ball you can't get out of the hole.

I has two 325FLCRs. The 2500 hour one seems to drink DEF moreso than every other tier 4 here, save for its twin, and had a failed pilot solenoid around 1500 hours.
The other has 1000 hours, drinks just as much DEF, and has had zero issues.

Heymccall our 325FL is our first DEF hoe so we haven't had a record to go on.

Buy a rental machine from auction.
Like this one.
https://www.ironplanet.com/for-sale/fromlandingproduct/4494321

skata said:

Buy a rental machine from auction.
Like this one.
https://www.ironplanet.com/for-sale/fromlandingproduct/4494321

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I think he wants something that will actually be able to work. That thing is beat for 4200 hours wow. You'd think they'd have the common sense to at least clean the dirt off before taking pictures.

suladas said:

I think he wants something that will actually be able to work. That thing is beat for 4200 hours wow. You'd think they'd have the common sense to at least clean the dirt off before taking pictures.

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A late model excavator that you could probably pickup for around 30 to 40k. And you're worried about a little dirt?

Without being there to look at it in person on the face of it a bit of TLC and there could be quite a reasonable machine under all that dirt.

skata said:

A late model excavator that you could probably pickup for around 30 to 40k. And you're worried about a little dirt?

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It's not the dirt, it's the reason for it. That machines screams abused, and the dirt etc also screams lack of maintenance/care by rental company. The amount of damage/wear on the machine is also crazy for the hours, that looks worse then most hoes with 10,000 hours. Who in their right mind would haul a machine with that much dirt on it? I bet there is an extra ton of dirt on it. Rentals are generally abused as it is, but one that wasn't looked after on top of it spells a headache of a machine to me.

I think of it as worse then it is being a texas machine as in the colder climate if you ran a machine like that you could destroy a few rollers in a day. But it still shows how little the rental company cares for the equipment. One guy spending a day cleaning it up would net them thousands in a higher sale price.

Maybe the rental company figure they can get their depreciated value for it whatever condition it’s in.

It’s somewhat akin to saying a used car is a bad buy because nobody cleaned it and the ashtray is full of cigarette butts. Same answer - not necessarily.

I looked at a few machines at rental companies before I bought my CX 130 Case excavator from a dealer. One at a rental company that was for sale was a frozen muddy mess, the thumb was missing, and thou it had autolube had so much slop between the boom and the house it was aweful. It looked like it moved over an inch. A few others weren't as bad, but knowing how some people treat rental equipment I gave up looking at their junk.
I am sure there are good machines that come out of rental, but I didn't find them.

I'd much rather buy that machine as is than buy it after they have a low wage man blasting it for a day with power washer. Seals torn off, water inside all the bearings, no thanks. I bought a 200 deere from bidadoo on ebay. 30 day return privilege. I bought it enough cheaper compared to the machinery jockey's asking prices I could afford the risk. Had the local deere dealer send a mechanic to look it over before the return window expired. Its been a good machine. If I was going to make a living at it I would have a new Cat. But if it sets, I don't care. No payments.

If our Canadian colleague was horrified at the state of the ex-Sunbelt rental machine up for auction above, what would he make of this I wonder.?
In its defence, it does have 40k hours on it and under all the exterior grime is actually an oil-tight machine in good shape for the hours on the meter.

Nige said:

If our Canadian colleague was horrified at the state of the ex-Sunbelt rental machine up for auction above, what would he make of this I wonder.?
In its defence, it does have 40k hours on it and under all the exterior grime is actually an oil-tight machine in good shape for the hours on the meter.

View attachment 229947

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That's a lot of hours. Anything original in it? Lol

It's a late 2014 machine (same as the auction one above) and is slated for a full life of 80k hours before final disposal. At that point it's probably a case of dig a hole and bury it.

Everything big & steel is original - carbody, swing bearing, track frames, revolving frame, control valves, cab/sheet metal (mostly), and boom. Cylinders, sticks & buckets get swapped out amongst the fleet. If a bearing bore eggs it gets line-bored w/new bushes and pins during a PM.

The pay me now or pay me later philosophy ,I like it