Ncjetskier
Well-Known Member
I passed a Kobelco SK200 LC for the last three years on the way to work that has not moved. One day I pull in the driveway and ask what is wrong with it and is it for sale.
The machine was purchased at auction for $30K, and cost an additional $3k to transport it. Upon receiving it in North Carolina, the bidder finds out the machine has problems. Everything operates slowly -if it operates at all.
I agree to buy it for $7.5K after I get the engine running. The under carriage is in good shape - so how bad can fixing the hydraulics be???
Well Kobelco company service tech shows up (a kid) gets out of his truck and says "this is a project". He gets back into his truck and the company charges me $1200 (travel time and shop supplies - although the kid did not do anything).
Mechanic #2 - a young man that fixes excavators at a rental center. He looks at it and says "I don't have time for this machine". He leaves, but does not charge me anything. His house was less than 1/2 mile away.
Mechanic #3 Older gentleman that runs his own company but it is out of town most of the time. He also does not have time to work on the machine. He states that it is probably the hydraulic pump. So I take the pump off, travel 24 hours ( 12 hours round trip -once to bring it to get fixed and 12 hours round trip to pick it up). The company located in SC was great. They stated that the pump had wear and tear but probably was not the problem. They rebuild the pump and dyno it. They offer a one year warranty on their work. Cost of travel and have pump rebuilt $5K. Cost to have friend take off the pump and put back on $.6K
Put the pump on with the help of a friend. At the same time we have mechanic #4 start pulling the valves located next to the hydraulic tank. His bill is $1600 (which included 50 gal of new (name brand) hydraulic fluid). Mech #4 works for a large machinery company - and he states "I don't like doing side work" although he charged $150 an hour labor.
After the pump is replaced and the one set of valves are cleaned and put back, the machine "kind of" comes back to life. The bucket and left track are VERY slow.
The machine came with two new main wire harnesses. Since I have them, I get mech #5 (#4 states he will come back several times and tells me what days - but never shows up). to install the two harness. Cost $2K. Does not make a difference. Both of these guys are not good with hydraulics.
The stepping motor does not work (engine RPM control motor). So I buy one out of China and put it in myself. Cost $.5K. The RPMs of the motor are only 1000 at high idle. Strange - the screw adjustment on the fuel injector pump will only let the RPMs reach 1000. I adjust the new controller with the computer with the "special wire harness" and get the RPMs up to 2100 (still a little on the low side). BTW the $250 special wire harness is nothing put two wires connected to a momentary switch. You can build your own for $10.
Mech #6 shows up. I got #6 by driving down the road and seeing a heavy machinery, repair truck parked in a residential driveway. I ring their doorbell and ask the guy for help (for pay). He agrees and when he sees the machine, he states that we need to rebuild the Arm cylinder as well as the bucket cylinder. When we get the seal kits in $600, and take apart the arm cylinder, we notice chunks of metal missing out of the piston. He states that his company machine shop can fix the piston, however when trying to take the piston off, the threads strip. I find a parts machine (a SK 210) and buy both cylinders for $1200. We put on the new (used) cylinders and they work, but still supper slow. Mech #6 works 60 hours a week (as many do) and really does not want to work anymore on his free time - I understand. He charges me $400 for help with the cylinders - but I tell him he is too cheap and pay him $600.
I go to get more hydraulic fluid and ask the hose store if they know of any good hydraulic repair companies. He gives me a number, I call the company and they send two guys out to work on the machine. They spend a solid week pulling spools, releif valves, etc. No luck. Have not gotten this bill yet!!!!!!
The two guys get the company owner to come out 3 weeks later. In three hours he figures out the problem. When the machine was in Minnesota (before auction) someone took off the hydraulic pilot hoses and did not put them back correctly. In three hours he has the machine running correctly.
Somehow I add the numbers above and know that I am missing some additional costs. I think I am up to $25K on this machine. The good is that I know the machine fairly well, and I damn sure know more about excavators.
The bad, is this machine has taken an ALOT of time. If I had to do it again, I would have just bought a local used one for $35K.
The machine was purchased at auction for $30K, and cost an additional $3k to transport it. Upon receiving it in North Carolina, the bidder finds out the machine has problems. Everything operates slowly -if it operates at all.
I agree to buy it for $7.5K after I get the engine running. The under carriage is in good shape - so how bad can fixing the hydraulics be???
Well Kobelco company service tech shows up (a kid) gets out of his truck and says "this is a project". He gets back into his truck and the company charges me $1200 (travel time and shop supplies - although the kid did not do anything).
Mechanic #2 - a young man that fixes excavators at a rental center. He looks at it and says "I don't have time for this machine". He leaves, but does not charge me anything. His house was less than 1/2 mile away.
Mechanic #3 Older gentleman that runs his own company but it is out of town most of the time. He also does not have time to work on the machine. He states that it is probably the hydraulic pump. So I take the pump off, travel 24 hours ( 12 hours round trip -once to bring it to get fixed and 12 hours round trip to pick it up). The company located in SC was great. They stated that the pump had wear and tear but probably was not the problem. They rebuild the pump and dyno it. They offer a one year warranty on their work. Cost of travel and have pump rebuilt $5K. Cost to have friend take off the pump and put back on $.6K
Put the pump on with the help of a friend. At the same time we have mechanic #4 start pulling the valves located next to the hydraulic tank. His bill is $1600 (which included 50 gal of new (name brand) hydraulic fluid). Mech #4 works for a large machinery company - and he states "I don't like doing side work" although he charged $150 an hour labor.
After the pump is replaced and the one set of valves are cleaned and put back, the machine "kind of" comes back to life. The bucket and left track are VERY slow.
The machine came with two new main wire harnesses. Since I have them, I get mech #5 (#4 states he will come back several times and tells me what days - but never shows up). to install the two harness. Cost $2K. Does not make a difference. Both of these guys are not good with hydraulics.
The stepping motor does not work (engine RPM control motor). So I buy one out of China and put it in myself. Cost $.5K. The RPMs of the motor are only 1000 at high idle. Strange - the screw adjustment on the fuel injector pump will only let the RPMs reach 1000. I adjust the new controller with the computer with the "special wire harness" and get the RPMs up to 2100 (still a little on the low side). BTW the $250 special wire harness is nothing put two wires connected to a momentary switch. You can build your own for $10.
Mech #6 shows up. I got #6 by driving down the road and seeing a heavy machinery, repair truck parked in a residential driveway. I ring their doorbell and ask the guy for help (for pay). He agrees and when he sees the machine, he states that we need to rebuild the Arm cylinder as well as the bucket cylinder. When we get the seal kits in $600, and take apart the arm cylinder, we notice chunks of metal missing out of the piston. He states that his company machine shop can fix the piston, however when trying to take the piston off, the threads strip. I find a parts machine (a SK 210) and buy both cylinders for $1200. We put on the new (used) cylinders and they work, but still supper slow. Mech #6 works 60 hours a week (as many do) and really does not want to work anymore on his free time - I understand. He charges me $400 for help with the cylinders - but I tell him he is too cheap and pay him $600.
I go to get more hydraulic fluid and ask the hose store if they know of any good hydraulic repair companies. He gives me a number, I call the company and they send two guys out to work on the machine. They spend a solid week pulling spools, releif valves, etc. No luck. Have not gotten this bill yet!!!!!!
The two guys get the company owner to come out 3 weeks later. In three hours he figures out the problem. When the machine was in Minnesota (before auction) someone took off the hydraulic pilot hoses and did not put them back correctly. In three hours he has the machine running correctly.
Somehow I add the numbers above and know that I am missing some additional costs. I think I am up to $25K on this machine. The good is that I know the machine fairly well, and I damn sure know more about excavators.
The bad, is this machine has taken an ALOT of time. If I had to do it again, I would have just bought a local used one for $35K.
