PC160LC-7EO or PC160-8

[josephny]

Sure would appreciate some advice.

I am in the market for a ~120hp excavator for clearing woods and I found a 2008 PC160LC-7EO with 4,400 hours, 70% UC, manual thumb ($62,000); and a 2011 PC160LC-8 with 4,300 hours for $75,000.

They both seem to be in very good condition, 24" pads, etc.

Is the LC-8 worth the extra $13,000?

Thank you!

Joe

 

[josephny]

Anyone?

 

[VKSheridan]

If the undercarriage wear on the Dash 8 is similar, that's a good price. The Dash 8 has several improvements to fuel, hydraulic efficiency and break-out force over the 7E0. Best wishes...

 

[josephny]

Thank you!

I've been searching online for a serial number lookup and can't find one.

Can someone lookup c10074 for me?

Thanks!

 

[bam1968]

I don't know about the pc160's but the PC200 LC-7's with a "C" at the beginning of the serial number are grey market machines. That is what I have been told anyway. A lot of people say to stay away from the grey market machines and there are plenty of articles/posts about not being able to get parts for a lot of these machines. That being said I have a 2005 PC200 LC-7 with a "C" serial number and can honestly say I have yet to have any problems getting any parts for it. Just my $.02

 

[DK88]

from what i know..
A***** is american
***** (all numbers) is japanese
C***** is thailand
K***** is german / european

 

[whitemike]

24" pads are a little narrow if any of the land you clear is low ground. I have seen some of that pretty rich black soil up there when i used to haul chickens and eggs to the city, then we go up north and haul back potatoes. You cannot go wrong with 30" pads and don't rush to buy, there are many good deals out there. I just found a 2013 Doosan 225 with hyd. thumb, 1722 hours, paint is great and a year factory coverage for just alittle more than you priced at.

 

[John C.]

That specific number shows up in my AED serial number guide as a 2008 model PC160. This particular book usually does not include machines that were not specifically sold new in the United States. I'm not saying the machine isn't gray market but my book hasn't steered me wrong in years.

The width of the pads in that size of machine are more often chosen by the amount you have to pay for over width permits when trailering the machine on the highway. Not a lot of that size of machine around here that hasn't had the outside inch or two chopped off with torch to get under the maximum width that doesn't require a permit.

 

[josephny]

Thank you all so much!

1) Gray market or not: The seller's position is that there are many such machines here in the US and that all the machines are made in Japan with the exact same parts. The difference is simply which country they were intended to be sold in. And, that it doesn't affect its use, serviceability, compatibility, etc.

2) 24" vs 30": I do have plenty of wetter areas. In fact, I have a Komatsu D37 dozer now that I've gotten stuck twice. Getting the dozer out of mud that I (stupidly) sank to the foot board level is a heck of learning experience, but now that I've learned I'm pretty sure I'll be fine not repeating the process. Nonetheless, I probably will and having the excavator for this is another benefit. That said, I don't know the trailing laws, but it sounds like moving a 30" track machine is more costly and a hassle. Will it help not get stuck in the wet, peat I've got? The flip side is that most of the work I envision will take place in the woods, where maneuverability is important -- not sure if the track width will affect that.

3) I'm told the machine is a 2008 PC160LC-7EO, so I'm glad it matches!

4) I admit I didn't know about Doosan machines. They look nice. I don't need to buy Cat, or any other premium brand. But, checking machinerytrading.com it looks like their pricing is right in line with Komatsus. Where is the best place to find a good deal?

Thank you again,

Joe

 

[John C.]

Actually it can make a very big difference and you need to be careful. For years gray market Komatsu excavators had a different size boom cylinder installed on gray machines and there were many people doing a lot of head scratching when it came time to repack. Gray market Cat excavators used a different cab shell that was not available for the US market. Not too many years ago a boat load of gray Hitachi excavators hit this country and went right to the Ritchie Bros. auction. Some one called the EPA and Ritchie loaded those units up and hauled them to Canada. I ran into a couple of Hyundai excavators with no EPA tags on the engines and had to inform the owner that those machine could not be legally sold in this country. He called the EPA who came out gave the seller a bunch of grief.

It isn't the problem it used to be but you still need to do your home work. The seller won't give a rip once he has your money.