New excavator prices

[Shimmy1]

Picking an excavator could depend on the kind of work you do.. Cat and Deere for production. Case/Link-Belt for smoothness and fuel economy. We recently switched from deere to link belt.. Saved $35,000 and fuel consumption is lower.. If you're mainly doing work by the hour than Link-Belt is a no brainer.

Hey Dirthawk, I'm wondering about your comment about Cat/Deere for production. Are you talking about bigger machines? I have a new 210C Case and this hoe is as fast as any 200 machine I've ever ran. As far as fuel economy, I can't even believe it myself. If you can keep it in A mode, I've gone 40 hours on a tank of fuel. That's 2.5 gph. Another thing, and I'm sure all the new ones are similar, is how everyone comments about how quiet it is. I've always been a Cummins guy, but this little Isuzu is pretty amazing. -9°F (-23°C) the other morning, heater came on for about 3 sec, turned key, lit up like it was 30°.

 

[lumberjack]

2.5gph is some major light duty cycle/work.

 

[Shimmy1]

That's running a 7' ditch bucket throwing the spoil out 180° from the ditch. Sitting on a 3:1 slope on a ditch that's about 6' deep. Going from max reach loading the bucket to max reach dumping the spoil.

 

[Shimmy1]

I not trying to be a smart ass, but anyone that wants fuel economy I'm pretty sure Case/Link Belt is top of the class and by a looonnnng way too.

 

[Welder Dave]

Isuzu has always been a well liked, long life and fuel efficient engine in Hitachi hoes. Curious why know one mentioned Hitachi or aren't they available because of a deal with JD? I heard the JD engines are mounted higher so the pumps have to work a little harder and the JD engines use more fuel than their Hitachi counterparts? I don't know about the new machines but a few years ago an operator told me that Link Belt and Case were basically the same Sumitomo design(different engines) but Link Belt used bigger pins. Isn't Cat also based on a Sumitomo design?

 

[TrentNz]

You cant beat a hitachi for precision, smoothness, production, reliability. They're just the complete package. Would love the new zx135usr

 

[DIRTHAWK]

Hey Dirthawk, I'm wondering about your comment about Cat/Deere for production. Are you talking about bigger machines? I have a new 210C Case and this hoe is as fast as any 200 machine I've ever ran. As far as fuel economy, I can't even believe it myself. If you can keep it in A mode, I've gone 40 hours on a tank of fuel. That's 2.5 gph. Another thing, and I'm sure all the new ones are similar, is how everyone comments about how quiet it is. I've always been a Cummins guy, but this little Isuzu is pretty amazing. -9°F (-23°C) the other morning, heater came on for about 3 sec, turned key, lit up like it was 30°.

I too have also ran the 200 series deere, and the biggest thing I noticed was the speed of the machine. Deeres hydraulics just seem to be a lot better. When loading trucks it just seemed like I could get a load out faster.. Link-Belt is a pretty amazing beast though. We went up to the 250 and the fuel economy is still there.. Very reliable machines.

 

[Shimmy1]

I don't know about the new machines but a few years ago an operator told me that Link Belt and Case were basically the same Sumitomo design(different engines) but Link Belt used bigger pins. Isn't Cat also based on a Sumitomo design?

He was on the right track. Back in the 90's they had different size pins, but Case had the bigger ones. For instance, a Case 9030 had 80 mm pins and the L/B 2800 had 65 mm pins. As far as I know, that nonsense ended when they went to the standardized model numbers (160, 210, etc).

 

[Shimmy1]

I too have also ran the 200 series deere, and the biggest thing I noticed was the speed of the machine. Deeres hydraulics just seem to be a lot better. When loading trucks it just seemed like I could get a load out faster.. Link-Belt is a pretty amazing beast though. We went up to the 250 and the fuel economy is still there.. Very reliable machines.

Were you running the same control pattern? I know it sounds silly, but in this day and age, a lot of operators can switch back and forth. The guys that prefer Deere, are they running backhoe controls? Only reason I'm asking is I run backhoe (Deere) and have run ISO (Cat). I never felt I could be as smooth, precise, or fast with the stick and bucket in different hands. For what it's worth I've been running hoe for 25 yrs.

 

[DIRTHAWK]

Were you running the same control pattern? I know it sounds silly, but in this day and age, a lot of operators can switch back and forth. The guys that prefer Deere, are they running backhoe controls? Only reason I'm asking is I run backhoe (Deere) and have run ISO (Cat). I never felt I could be as smooth, precise, or fast with the stick and bucket in different hands. For what it's worth I've been running hoe for 25 yrs.

Yep same controls at all times. Don't get me wrong Shimmy, I really like our Link-Belt. Just think the hydraulics are a little slower. The swing and boom mainly. I just feel a day of hogging out a large cut, the production edge would go to deere. That being said, that deere would be pretty thirsty in about 8hrs!

 

[Shimmy1]

Just thinking about this, I'm wondering we're not hyjacking this thread. Maybe CM could let us know later on.

 

[CM1995]

Just thinking about this, I'm wondering we're not hyjacking this thread. Maybe CM could let us know later on.

LOL, I have been know to hijack a few threads myself..

It's big sig's thread, it's his call.

 

[big sig]

Yall are fine hijacking it. It's letting me learn quite a bit about everyone's opinions.

 

[big sig]

Well I ended up buying the 320E and d5k. They came down some and helped out on interest to get it closer to the volvo. I hope to get them next week

 

[TrentNz]

Awsome man throw up come pics

 

[pafarmer]

That's a real decent price on the CAT and a little high on the Volvo....from what my area is bringing..

 

[big sig]

Have any of y'all used any mowers to go on excavators? I would like something that I could mow banks, ditches, trim field edges, pond banks, etc. I don't care for a mulcher head basically like a bush hog on the end of the stick. If so what are some good brands?

 

[Dickjr.]

I've never used one , but while moving the dozer the other day the state had a 324E with a rotary cutter running up the side of a two lane state road. Cutting and clearing nearly 20' of anything from 4" diameter down. Road really opened up and looked much better. An independent contractor owned the machine , the state highway department was tending traffic. Looks like a good way to make money in the off season of construction. The only thing to stop this work would be snowy slick roads. It did have the swivel head on it. Forgot to mention it had regular 3 bars grousers.

 

[Landclearer]

A guy around here runs Denis Cimaf heads on a couple 320 Cats. Only thing you need is 2 pump flow and I think a case drain.

 

[lake side bob]

A D5K for $125,000
A D6K for $164,000
A 320E w/thumb for $195,000 or $225,000 W/ no thumb
Don't you guys think those prices are amazing.
A D5 & 320 for 1/3 million dollars.
Some contractors must be able to get big bucks for the equipment in their bids.
Or is all the other equipment in the fleet is working to make the equipment bank payments.
Or by the way who would have though a tracked skid steer would be priced at $100,000?