20 some years ago bought a Case 580 for $4k as a maintenance tool for our tiny rural desert town community of 50 elderly people including myself being one of the youngest in town at 70., it ran well, had newish tires, needed all new hoses & new hydro pump, new Hydro seals on outriggers & all around, fresh fluids & some zerk fittings replaced, Now 23 years later it still works nearly everyday helping someone do something in town It came with a couple extra buckets a thin trencher, a 2' & 3 buckets & a clam & claw setup plus a set of pallet stabs, A good buy for the price plus some basic R&R maintenance. An indispensable tool for saving old worn out backs doing different chores around the town. That top heavy little China digger looks like it could use a pair of improvised outriggers for stability during stationary work or any work on even a slight a grade, take that flimsy sun shade top off and get an old school farm tractor umbrella for those hot sunny summer days & your good to go. For small engine longevity like the B&S or any small gas engine that work in sand & dirt under a constant load should have oil changed at regular but shorter based hourly intervals.Especially the affordable Chinese engines without an oil filter. Chinese equipment & powered products are improving rather quickly, much like the Japanese did between the 1960's to the 1980's when Japanese Junk's antiquated technology evolved & turned into a market mainstay. 15 years ago I bought a used 1988 Honda Civic with about 250k on the clock, that gave another 250k service with the engine never needing any work, aside from CV joints and a brake job, gave a consistant 45+ mpg Sold it 5 years ago and it still runs like a top today.
What a difference a little time makes. I just picked up this same model, same manufacturer and all for our small farm at a Ritchie Brothers auction for $3200 bid and around $4k after fees. As long as it keeps me from wearing out all those shovels it will be worth it. So far it has done what I wanted with it.
Oh definitely I have seen a large drop in the equipment market. I sold my Chinese excavator for $9000 and have watched many sell at auction for around 3-4k. I was approached by a few manufacturers and they were offering them To me for around $3k shipped to port
Подскажите пожалуйста. То есть вы в сумме заплатили за такой экскаватор 7200 долларов? Просто я смотрю видео на ютубе и вижу что эти китайские экскаваторы продаются на аукционах за 4-5 тыс долларов. Получается, что вам нужно заплатить дополнительно после покупки большой налог, который по сумме больше чем цена экскаватора?
I've always enjoyed your videos. Thanks for contributing. Is there any way you could send me the name/contact of these manufacturers?? @@AbramsExcavating
Did you get one of those cinnamon bun looking grease packages with yours? I have been lucky to find some great deals on older models when I have needed them. It usually comes to pass that a friend really needs one after I get done digging a trench for a line or moving some shrubs for the wife. I am looking for a medium sized model that I will hold onto for the rest of its life this time. I really like them and they are perfect for going in and out of back yards with my brother's landscaping business. I am seriously looking for a tracked wheelbarrow first. Thank you for the in depth video.
I have the ht10b. Its like the one you bought. Paid a little more. I took off the back cover. Make it easy to check oil. It can get warm in the engine compartment. If you leave the cut off switch on. The power meter will add hours. The hoses and fitting are metric
Yea I could see many improvements that could be made if you wanted to use this machine daily. I figured most of the fittings would Be metric or BSP but around here that’s not difficult to find. Most of my equipment has BSP fittings. For the price I think it’s a good machine. I didn’t buy it to keep it. I have no use for a machine this small right now.
@@GophersMachinery I slapped an auto parts store fan on the side, it sucks the air out, in addition I swapped out the the spark plug for something a bit cooler so it mis-fired less. Hopefully yours wasn't wired like a joke under the romex.
I bought something very similar 4 years ago. Watching your video was like total Deja-Vu. My model is diesel however. It’s very funny to see what hasn’t changed about their design. Been a decent little machine for me.
I’m really excited about this video. When I get moved, I am going to be planting a ton of different fruit and nut trees so this will save me a lot of work since I’m almost 60 years old. I think trying to do it all with a shovel would be the death of me.
I'm 60 and after digging up a decent sized nectarine tree by hand and dragging it to a new hole, dug by hand, I bought one of these. 1st use was yesterday just to spread dirt. It worked great.
If you can plan ahead and condense the work into a few days, getting a good brand rental that digs out the holes in a few quick scoops might be the better and cheaper option.
For an extra 1500 dollars you can get a Kubota diesel engine in these mini excavators . If keeping for yourself would the diesel be the better option over the Briggs engine ?
@@96dodgeram the kubota diesel would be a better engine, but this Briggs and Stratton has plenty of power for the machine. I think the diesel would just be more fuel Efficient
I have one of these, just a different name and color. I probably use it more so than my 5 ton. Perfect for sump pump lines, septic lines, buried down spouts, and French drains or breaking concrete. I’ve even set this in a foundation to dig footers. I just wish it would have the controls set like the bigger units.
I have the same mini digger. No problems so far. Digs the same as a name brand of the same size. Controls are super touchy being direct control. I bought the breaker hammer (works great) and 40” bucket for use for loose dirt/sand /gravel. Hydraulics run hot, I put a fan on the left side blowing on the hydro pump. Not sure if it helps or not. Looking into an oil cooler. I modified the auxiliary hoses with flat face quick connects and the thumb with 1” pins instead of the bolts making it easier/faster to use the thumb. Mine has a Chinese engine. It pops, bangs, backfires, sounds terrible sometimes but I think it’s a Honda clone just like the Harbor Freight engines so should be an easy swap if need be. Definitely better than a shovel!
Great to hear! Like I’ve been telling others this isn’t a bad machine just cause it’s Chinese. If you are handy and have common sense I don’t see why this wouldn’t last you a long time. I haven’t run this machine long enough to get it hot but I could see heat being an issue come summer time
@@DieselRamcharger Mine is in customs right now, so hoping I'll get it in less than 2 weeks. I asked for them to put a cooling fan as another manufacturer was bragging about theirs having a fan. Since the seller I went with was cheaper, I just asked them if they had a fan. They charged an extra $50 for the fan. I also paid extra so the tracks below the excavator can extend. The tracks can get narrower and wider. And also, I paid extra so it would have a pivoting boom. I'm hoping this thing will help around the property. I got lots of jobs plans. From creating walking paths to digging trenches and installing posts. Can't wait. :)
@@luissinsin was looking up the "how to" on ordering and best companies. Figured by the time I would continuously rent one, I would've mostly paid for one. That and a jib style man-lift. Currently in a wheelchair after an on the job accident a few years ago, and looking for a bit more motorized help for my yard and house. ( I used to be taller 😂 )
When I did poured walls, we had 2 different minis, we called em the sack savers. In bullshit ground they were awesome for digging footers versus shoveling.
I do agree that it is a bit too small to use for anything really useful, but for the right homeowner that uses it occasionally to do landscaping or light duty work such as that it would be very useful. I work for an excavating company and would not mind having this thing around to use at home.
@@bahhumbug2072 I'm on board with you, it beats a shovel. but then I've had to repair other things in harm's way... with a shovel you might get a hint there is something there. I'll water for an in-depth review
Just posted a video of my using one of these pairs up with the TMK 150 tree sheer. mind blown with how fast I was able to clear land with one of these.
Yeah its a pain to transfer the wheels over and yes take it off the hitch first. I have a few mods on mine and one is a hoop welded on and I can rest my arms on it while using the controls. I also welded a receiver on the front and made another hitch setup which works awesome. A word of advise dont just let the controls go it can pop out of the small control ball. Lots of fun though eh.
@@AbramsExcavating Yeah after selling Chinese equipment for more than 30 years 1st thing I do is tighten up all the nuts and bolts before I even run those things. So what kind of stuff have you found it's broken or fallen off of it already?
nothing fell off yet, But i found a few of the boom pins the nuts were backing off. I want to go through and check all the engine mounts etc. but nothing major has come loose. I also have not run the machine. Working on uploading a video now doing some testing.
It's so cute! The first time you need to replace one of those long hydraulic hoses, buy a medium and a short hose so the next time, you can just replace the short hose.
@@AbramsExcavating - Most equipment that's "built to a budget" works well enough and is fairly easy to upgrade. Hydraulic hose instead of hard line seems appropriate for the intended use, but making it easier/cheaper to replace the hose that's most likely to be damaged is a simple upgrade. I like the lack of proprietary parts that make low cost machines easier to repair and maintain. A friend just bought a few of the Chinese mini excavators to build his "compound".
Decent no frills machine. Good enough for light use,actually anything hydraulics beats a dam #2 back breaker. Looks like most stuff is off the shelf enough to fix it.
I don’t know about renting it out, but I am going to try and make one more Video on it. The frost has come out of the ground here so I’m going to go run it some as a bit of a demo
Yea I’ll try and do some different stuff with it. I don’t wanna beat it up too much because I’m trying to still sell it as new but I’ll do some digging and maybe try to move some rocks around. For a homeowner I feel like this machine is perfect. I wouldn’t want to use it hard commercially but it would probably hold up.
The cat / deere control hit home. ;-) when my k008-3 got delivered, the door got opened, and I swapped the rods as fast as I could read the instructions on the plate.
Other than almost killing the guy on the ground. (I was moving logs) I did ok, but I am 100% more comfortable with the pattern I learned when I started on backhoes. If I can find the pattern changer, I'm switching it. ;-) My buddy's Deere didn't have one, old school, where you would need to changed the lines.@@AbramsExcavating
Let me know you would like to purchase more! I work directly in sales department for AGT. So I can get you good deals. thanks for doing a review of our product!
man if i could make a bucket half that width it would laso be perfect for digging trenches for communication cables, or at least it would be faster than a bag of funions and a spade shovel.
@cdoublejj I have a 6inch bucket. Thinking of taking 6inch and make it 3 to 4inch at bottom and angle it. 6 inch is good for 4 inch pipe. Sucks when you get into rock tho
@@AbramsExcavating What is the lifting capacity? Can or is it capable of lifting a septic lid 500-1,000 gallons without tumbling in, operator and all? that would be a thing you would not want my relatives knowing at the reunion! Wife swore to secrecy!
You get what you paid for, there is no free lunch ... ths biggest problem, you don't want to get hurt by a bursting hose or some other part failing because of this amazing chinese engineering marvel 😂😂😂
@@nicholasproietto2500 they are also more expensive than mine. But they are a used equipment dealer that’s been trying to market the Chinese equipment for a few months now. I don’t blame them for trying to make a little money.
I'm 70 and retired. I have 1 mission for a unit like that I've been waiting years, decades to do! LOL And about 12 sub-missions that need doing! I could putt around with that a whole summer and not be done! LOL Anything else I've looked at was way too expensive! I also have a guy with a small welding shop just up the road, just in case, and an equipment dealer, make that 2 equipment dealers
This is Echo from AGT.Thanks you like our excavator and now we did some upgrades such as hydraulic thumb and pilot system .It's much appreciate if you can try to test our new model DM12-C
I do small retaining walls and outdoor ponds this would be a perfect machine. Low cost and low impact on the yard. Basically wouldn't use it for anything more than I would do the shovel but just make it a lot easier on the back and save a lot of time
Somewhere in enviro-wacko land, a Greta disciple was wringing their hands and having a mini stroke as they watched you fuel up the mini beast! I loved it!😂😂😂
Yea I’ve seen prices range all over the place. The one manufacturer contacted me about selling them and they are ridiculous cheap. I don’t know what import, and port fees would be though.
One of my gripes is lack of tie down points. I ran a chain across the blade but there isn’t anything to grab at the rear of the carriage. I bought some hooks to weld on above the drive motors.
I would think as long as you are handy and keep an eye on it it would hold up for awhile. Biggest thing I’ve noticed is a lot of the bolts are not torqued down and some Have loosened up.
Hey thanks for watching, so while these seem to be built better than youd expect I dont know how long it would hold up under daily use. The good thing is most of the parts can be purchased off the shelf or built. They are cheap though. makes them really attractive.
You may want to READ the instructions before starting any and all machinery, regardless of the experience you have or don't have. You should never spray ether around an engine when trying to start it. Spray it into the carb BEFORE turning the key. This will prevent possible problems, eg. fires or explosions.
I just bought same machine and recently swapped 4 hoses to convert to JD backhoe or SAE controls / I guess all Chinese units are sent over with ISO or Cat controls ??
I have the same issue you had with starting but the farthest I got was for it to run a few seconds when I sprayed carburetor fluid into the carburetor.
@@huhcomI had the same issue, I figured the float was stuck shut and tapped on the carb several times. Once it was running I haven’t had a single issue starting it since then.
Abrams: What's that in the bag ? Oh, grease! And a grease gun. Abrams starts the engine, finally, and goes about testing the machine without using ther grease... 😉
I think I’ll build mine and put a good engine and hydraulics on it. You can always fit an engine anywhere. The controls I can get them from another machine, a salvaged one preferably. I’m not paying close to 50 thou for a brand name.
Yea I mean if you have the shop and knowledge I guess building one would be better. But for the cost of this it’s hard to justify the time. I build a lot of stuff, it’s very time consuming.
@AbramsExcavating qh12 has drive motors in the rear. The rear cowl is different and looks more modern. Hydralic tank is front right under the floorpan. As far as component quality im not sure about those
It’s a tough choice between a brand new cheap thing like this and a worn old decent machine both have advantages and disadvantages this looks like when it starts going wrong everything will break where on old decent machine one part at a time and loads more use before the next thing but cost of replacement parts might be another consideration i expect there will be a load of these on second hand market before long. I’d still use it over a shovel any day just without a seatbelt or rops
It truly is a tough call. Im not the kind of guy to buy stuff new. I bought this cause I was already at an auction and I figured I’d buy it and make a few bucks on it. I would 100% prefer an older worn machine over this. But that is just how I work. This machine is geared toward a homeowner/small property owner. It’s simple, and fairly rugged. If you aren’t capable of tinkering and making repairs this would probably be a good option for the occasional user.
@@AbramsExcavating agree I would go for old machine I like fixing stuff good excuse to get out the house😂 definitely be good for someone doing few tasks here and there definitely wouldn’t put it to work
@Panther Property Maintenance everything right now is stupidly expensive only way to get something is lucky finds on private sales all the dealers a jacking the prices up same with used van market
Well I’m not necessarily planning to keep it haha. But it was cheap enough that I can make a few bucks and give a solid review on it. It’s definitely improvable. But it’s not horrible
@@AbramsExcavating you certainly have the knowledge to evaluate it properly, a lot of people get this as their first excavator and are so happy to not dig by hand that they don’t notice the flaws. Keep em coming!
Im not bashing, but keep this in mind, Briggs is made in china nowadays its a us company making motors in China. Like apple makes it computers and phones in China.
They’ve been around for a little while. However I don’t think you’ll see many of these second hand. There’s a guy local to me that has one for sale used with 500hours and he is asking $1000 more than I’m asking for a brand new one!
Yea it would be a great around the house machine! Honestly the gas motor does well. There’s not much you can do that’ll bog it down. But it could easily be swapped for a diesel
If it is the machine I think it is, since he got it at auction is harder to tell, but they offer gas, desiel and electric drive options on it. Do not know the desiel, but the electric has about 6 hours worth of battery, and the gas drinks less than 10 gallons a day. Saving up to get one.
Equipment is always fun even if You don’t have a need for It! I bought my First piece of heavy equipment when I was 13. Was an old front loader. I had no need for it but it was mine and I lifted and shifted things all over just cause I could.
You'd be surprised how many jobs you will wind up doing with machines like this. I bought my 2025R John Deere with only a few hobs in mind. Almost two years later. I can't tell you how many jobs I found for it so far. And more to come.
I'd like to know some numbers like bucket break-out force and lifting abilities. I also like to see a schametic of the excavator's geomitry. To bad that info isn't provided.
Yea unfortunately very little information is provided for these machines. I’m sure if I had the time I could try and measure these numbers but I don’t have the proper equipment to do so.
On that model it is noted by a big bright yellow arròw.look at the picture you will note that the drive sprockets are in the rear,and blade is always forward whenused.
Okay,, guy's I'm looking for the Hydralic Oil service change on the Rippa R319 just can't seam to fined any vidio instruction. Rippa R319 Hydralic Service change.
Did you buy this from the Woglemuth auction? I noticed they had two of them there at a previous auction. I like their yearly antique equipment auction. I bought my ageicat from a guy who purchased it there.
There pretty strong another youtuber has one and its bigger brother the hydraulics are pretty strong 💪 i build Rc construction I'd love one of these over my 1/14 and 1/20 models
I don’t off hand. I sold this machine about a year and a half ago. I’d assume if there isn’t a plug under the hydraulic tank you could always take the suction hose off the pump and drain it that way.
I was curious how you determine the hydraulic fluid quantity. Do you just add enought to make it register fluid on the temperature sight glass on the side of the unit? Awesome review! I really appreciate the effort you put into checking it out...
Without some sort of stabilizer on it, I would not trust my life to one of those things. Would love to have one to use on the several flood prone creeks on my property. Using a tractor/backhoe is a beech, a lot safer.
Yeah, I saw that after I posted. I don't think it's enough with those little minis, though. I use a JD 1025 R, and I can tell you, when I'm dredging my creeks, sometimes I can feel myself being pulled into the bucket, stabilizers and all. That is a very scary feeling on the edge of a two-foot drop. I wouldn't trust one of those minis on anything except flat terrain. Thanks for replying.
Unfortunately I’m not sure the rest of the machine will outlive this motor but it would definitely be an option if you could Keep it together til the motor piles up!
17:10 WOAH! I reflexively jumped back there, although I have.....trust that you placed the camera correctly. FYI, if you're gonna bank your reputation importing these, I would definitely put a lot more hours onto it before you order from the manufacturer again. And maybe actually roll the thing.
Haha yea that was a tight fit!, Honestly Im not super interested in selling these. I would rather sell a machine that I can stand behind and get dealer support if needed. these seem to be a cheap option that could last you awhile or it could fail in a few months time. Im sure they will hold up if you take care of them. But Im not certain I want my name attached to them!
If you rent or sell these to DIY homeowners, someone will get killed. Still a cool concept for an affordable workhorse for those well-trained. Too bad Honda doesn't make one, even at twice the price
thats what a rental agreement is for.... covers your butt and by them signing they agree to provide a qualified operator and that the company holds no liability for personal or property damage etc etc etc I am pretty surprised honda doesnt make something like this, they made a lot of odd ball outdoor power equipment
I have a Harbor freight towable backhoe and would love to have this. The hydraulics respond really nicely. I wonder about operating on any angles. Does look like it could tip over.
@@AbramsExcavating I'm looking at possibly buying one of these right now. I'm wondering how steep of an incline this thing could handle. My property is pretty steep in sections and I don't have a lot of experience. I've seen some guys get mini excavators in some crazy areas though
20 some years ago bought a Case 580 for $4k as a maintenance tool for our tiny rural desert town community of 50 elderly people including myself being one of the youngest in town at 70., it ran well, had newish tires, needed all new hoses & new hydro pump, new Hydro seals on outriggers & all around, fresh fluids & some zerk fittings replaced, Now 23 years later it still works nearly everyday helping someone do something in town It came with a couple extra buckets a thin trencher, a 2' & 3 buckets & a clam & claw setup plus a set of pallet stabs, A good buy for the price plus some basic R&R maintenance. An indispensable tool for saving old worn out backs doing different chores around the town. That top heavy little China digger looks like it could use a pair of improvised outriggers for stability during stationary work or any work on even a slight a grade, take that flimsy sun shade top off and get an old school farm tractor umbrella for those hot sunny summer days & your good to go. For small engine longevity like the B&S or any small gas engine that work in sand & dirt under a constant load should have oil changed at regular but shorter based hourly intervals.Especially the affordable Chinese engines without an oil filter. Chinese equipment & powered products are improving rather quickly, much like the Japanese did between the 1960's to the 1980's when Japanese Junk's antiquated technology evolved & turned into a market mainstay. 15 years ago I bought a used 1988 Honda Civic with about 250k on the clock, that gave another 250k service with the engine never needing any work, aside from CV joints and a brake job, gave a consistant 45+ mpg Sold it 5 years ago and it still runs like a top today.
What a difference a little time makes. I just picked up this same model, same manufacturer and all for our small farm at a Ritchie Brothers auction for $3200 bid and around $4k after fees. As long as it keeps me from wearing out all those shovels it will be worth it. So far it has done what I wanted with it.
Oh definitely I have seen a large drop in the equipment market. I sold my Chinese excavator for $9000 and have watched many sell at auction for around 3-4k. I was approached by a few manufacturers and they were offering them
To me for around $3k shipped to port
Подскажите пожалуйста. То есть вы в сумме заплатили за такой экскаватор 7200 долларов? Просто я смотрю видео на ютубе и вижу что эти китайские экскаваторы продаются на аукционах за 4-5 тыс долларов. Получается, что вам нужно заплатить дополнительно после покупки большой налог, который по сумме больше чем цена экскаватора?
I've always enjoyed your videos. Thanks for contributing. Is there any way you could send me the name/contact of these manufacturers?? @@AbramsExcavating
Did you get one of those cinnamon bun looking grease packages with yours? I have been lucky to find some great deals on older models when I have needed them. It usually comes to pass that a friend really needs one after I get done digging a trench for a line or moving some shrubs for the wife. I am looking for a medium sized model that I will hold onto for the rest of its life this time. I really like them and they are perfect for going in and out of back yards with my brother's landscaping business. I am seriously looking for a tracked wheelbarrow first. Thank you for the in depth video.
@@ПетрГороховский-с3ъ I paid $4200 US dollars in the US, already shipped here by someone else
I have the ht10b. Its like the one you bought. Paid a little more. I took off the back cover. Make it easy to check oil. It can get warm in the engine compartment. If you leave the cut off switch on. The power meter will add hours. The hoses and fitting are metric
Yea I could see many improvements that could be made if you wanted to use this machine daily. I figured most of the fittings would
Be metric or BSP but around here that’s not difficult to find. Most of my equipment has BSP fittings. For the price I think it’s a good machine. I didn’t buy it to keep it. I have no use for a machine this small right now.
I know everything there is to know about him
@@GophersMachinery I slapped an auto parts store fan on the side, it sucks the air out, in addition I swapped out the the spark plug for something a bit cooler so it mis-fired less. Hopefully yours wasn't wired like a joke under the romex.
I bought something very similar 4 years ago. Watching your video was like total Deja-Vu. My model is diesel however. It’s very funny to see what hasn’t changed about their design. Been a decent little machine for me.
Glad to hear! Im getting alot of negative comments on this machine. I feel it is built cheaply, but for what it is I think its a good value.
Which one did you get - looking for a decent cheap diesel one for around home.
Me too @@fakdaddy75 ! I've got a few acres and in an area where it's hard to rent. This looks fine for someone willing to give it TLC and DIY efforts.
I’m really excited about this video. When I get moved, I am going to be planting a ton of different fruit and nut trees so this will save me a lot of work since I’m almost 60 years old. I think trying to do it all with a shovel would be the death of me.
Yea it would definitely be a back saver!
I'm 60 and after digging up a decent sized nectarine tree by hand and dragging it to a new hole, dug by hand, I bought one of these. 1st use was yesterday just to spread dirt. It worked great.
If you can plan ahead and condense the work into a few days, getting a good brand rental that digs out the holes in a few quick scoops might be the better and cheaper option.
Hey it’s beats a shovel, you have to understand what your buying just like you said, it’s not a Cat, it’s for a homeowner or occasional user
You nailed it right there. So many people are beating up on this thing but I bet they’d be glad to hop on it if the only other option was a shovel!
For someone who digs retic for a living this would be sweet for chasing pipe on a fence line
Good enough for my needs.
For an extra 1500 dollars you can get a Kubota diesel engine in these mini excavators . If keeping for yourself would the diesel be the better option over the Briggs engine ?
@@96dodgeram the kubota diesel would be a better engine, but this Briggs and Stratton has plenty of power for the machine. I think the diesel would just be more fuel
Efficient
I have one of these, just a different name and color.
I probably use it more so than my 5 ton. Perfect for sump pump lines, septic lines, buried down spouts, and French drains or breaking concrete.
I’ve even set this in a foundation to dig footers. I just wish it would have the controls set like the bigger units.
yea pilot controls would be alot nicer, but its still super handy for what it is!
Footings.
I have the same mini digger. No problems so far. Digs the same as a name brand of the same size. Controls are super touchy being direct control. I bought the breaker hammer (works great) and 40” bucket for use for loose dirt/sand /gravel. Hydraulics run hot, I put a fan on the left side blowing on the hydro pump. Not sure if it helps or not. Looking into an oil cooler. I modified the auxiliary hoses with flat face quick connects and the thumb with 1” pins instead of the bolts making it easier/faster to use the thumb. Mine has a Chinese engine. It pops, bangs, backfires, sounds terrible sometimes but I think it’s a Honda clone just like the Harbor Freight engines so should be an easy swap if need be. Definitely better than a shovel!
Great to hear! Like I’ve been telling others this isn’t a bad machine just cause it’s Chinese. If you are handy and have common sense I don’t see why this wouldn’t last you a long time. I haven’t run this machine long enough to get it hot but I could see heat being an issue come summer time
they are actually spec'd with a cooler and fan but the chinese sales artists are quick to delete them from the build to maximize profit
@@DieselRamcharger Mine is in customs right now, so hoping I'll get it in less than 2 weeks. I asked for them to put a cooling fan as another manufacturer was bragging about theirs having a fan. Since the seller I went with was cheaper, I just asked them if they had a fan. They charged an extra $50 for the fan. I also paid extra so the tracks below the excavator can extend. The tracks can get narrower and wider. And also, I paid extra so it would have a pivoting boom. I'm hoping this thing will help around the property. I got lots of jobs plans. From creating walking paths to digging trenches and installing posts. Can't wait. :)
@@luissinsin was looking up the "how to" on ordering and best companies. Figured by the time I would continuously rent one, I would've mostly paid for one. That and a jib style man-lift. Currently in a wheelchair after an on the job accident a few years ago, and looking for a bit more motorized help for my yard and house.
( I used to be taller 😂 )
@@walterashley149 can you send me a PM on UA-cam. Is that a thing? I'd be happy to share info.
When I did poured walls, we had 2 different minis, we called em the sack savers. In bullshit ground they were awesome for digging footers versus shoveling.
Oh yea definitely better than a shovel!
Funny, I added a fan same as you did. Sure makes the engine compartment stay cooler. The manufacturer should take heed!
They did and now offer a fan upgrade on the AGT website.
My 7,6,and 4 year old grandchildren will love it in the sand box! Lol😂
Perfect sand box digger!
Yeah playschool my first escavator
I do agree that it is a bit too small to use for anything really useful, but for the right homeowner that uses it occasionally to do landscaping or light duty work such as that it would be very useful. I work for an excavating company and would not mind having this thing around to use at home.
Yea I feel it’s a perfect fit
For a homeowner
Looks perfect for Water lines and Drain pipe to me.
@@bahhumbug2072 I'm on board with you, it beats a shovel. but then I've had to repair other things in harm's way... with a shovel you might get a hint there is something there. I'll water for an in-depth review
Just posted a video of my using one of these pairs up with the TMK 150 tree sheer. mind blown with how fast I was able to clear land with one of these.
I Painted mine Purple so no one would steal it. Great Video .
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it
I sprayed mine pink with love hearts,,,now I get all the looks. 💕💞
@@michaeldonovan6076 gay...😂
@@kaovi1978 Tosser.
Yeah its a pain to transfer the wheels over and yes take it off the hitch first. I have a few mods on mine and one is a hoop welded on and I can rest my arms on it while using the controls. I also welded a receiver on the front and made another hitch setup which works awesome. A word of advise dont just let the controls go it can pop out of the small control ball. Lots of fun though eh.
Tighten ALL THE BOLTS ! I have been selling china equipment for 30 years
Funny you say that I just noticed a few loose bolts today haha thanks for the tip!
@@AbramsExcavating Yeah after selling Chinese equipment for more than 30 years 1st thing I do is tighten up all the nuts and bolts before I even run those things. So what kind of stuff have you found it's broken or fallen off of it already?
nothing fell off yet, But i found a few of the boom pins the nuts were backing off. I want to go through and check all the engine mounts etc. but nothing major has come loose. I also have not run the machine. Working on uploading a video now doing some testing.
@@AbramsExcavating Check the bolts on the hydraulic motors they stretch and get loose and that could be expensive to fix if those fall off.
yes i could see that getting pricey quick!
It does swivel... I just watched your other video Testing the Cheapest Chinese Mini Excavator...great to see that it does swivel !
I need one !
Yes! Thanks for watching!
It's so cute!
The first time you need to replace one of those long hydraulic hoses, buy a medium and a short hose so the next time, you can just replace the short hose.
Thats not a bad idea! Honestly thats how it should have come from factory
@@AbramsExcavating - Most equipment that's "built to a budget" works well enough and is fairly easy to upgrade. Hydraulic hose instead of hard line seems appropriate for the intended use, but making it easier/cheaper to replace the hose that's most likely to be damaged is a simple upgrade. I like the lack of proprietary parts that make low cost machines easier to repair and maintain. A friend just bought a few of the Chinese mini excavators to build his "compound".
Decent no frills machine. Good enough for light use,actually anything hydraulics beats a dam #2 back breaker. Looks like most stuff is off the shelf enough to fix it.
yup you nailed it there. better than a shovel and most parts seem to be common hydraulic or off the shelf parts!
Oh ya ! I have a pizza shop, I bought one to spread my dow.
@Abrams Excavating i would pay money to see you renting it out and making a few durability/reliability updates over time
I don’t know about renting it out, but I am going to try and make one more
Video on it. The frost has come out of the ground here so I’m going to go run it some as a bit of a demo
@@AbramsExcavating keep us posted.. maybe a tutorial on its limits as a AVID DIYer & homeowner or small ranch hand type scenario
Yea I’ll try and do some different stuff with it. I don’t wanna beat it up too much because I’m trying to still sell it as new but I’ll do some digging and maybe try to move some rocks around.
For a homeowner I feel like this machine is perfect. I wouldn’t want to use it hard commercially but it would probably hold up.
Mate you're a boss on that skid steer! 👌 jeez, the impulsive want to crush that helium tank like a grape is strong😆
Thanks! Hahahh I do like crushing things but ya gotta have self control hahahha
The cat / deere control hit home. ;-) when my k008-3 got delivered, the door got opened, and I swapped the rods as fast as I could read the instructions on the plate.
Haha right?! It’s all about how you learned I guess. I can run both but I get messed up if I switch from machine to machine like that
Other than almost killing the guy on the ground. (I was moving logs) I did ok, but I am 100% more comfortable with the pattern I learned when I started on backhoes. If I can find the pattern changer, I'm switching it. ;-) My buddy's Deere didn't have one, old school, where you would need to changed the lines.@@AbramsExcavating
I would fit a plexi glass panel on top,back and sides to make door for weather protection and add fan for the summer.
Would t be hard, the canopy isn’t built very well though. Kinda flimsy
Let me know you would like to purchase more! I work directly in sales department for AGT. So I can get you good deals. thanks for doing a review of our product!
Sounds good thanks for watching!
I’m in the market right now for one
I've been really considering one for our farm for fixing broken tile, occasionally digging up septic tank lids, things of that sorts.
it would be good for that sort of work, I wouldn't want to run it all day everyday but for occasional small jobs it would be perfect!
man if i could make a bucket half that width it would laso be perfect for digging trenches for communication cables, or at least it would be faster than a bag of funions and a spade shovel.
@cdoublejj I have a 6inch bucket. Thinking of taking 6inch and make it 3 to 4inch at bottom and angle it. 6 inch is good for 4 inch pipe. Sucks when you get into rock tho
He expects it to be a pile for 10k OK... lol
@@AbramsExcavating What is the lifting capacity? Can or is it capable of lifting a septic lid 500-1,000 gallons without tumbling in, operator and all? that would be a thing you would not want my relatives knowing at the reunion! Wife swore to secrecy!
Kody.. I need these on my rental fleet.. the heck with the big Volvo’s!!
Hahhahahaah yea I’ll just take those Volvos off you hand and trade ya straight up!
@@AbramsExcavating oh yeah… 😆
You get what you paid for, there is no free lunch ... ths biggest problem, you don't want to get hurt by a bursting hose or some other part failing because of this amazing chinese engineering marvel 😂😂😂
Yea exactly this thing is kinda sketchy some of the corners that were cut
That would be perfect for me. Only small work around my property.
I would consider if for a property/homeowner machine no questions asked!
Hackenburg equipment in Millersburg Pa,, sells the groundhog which is almost identical to this one.
Parden, it's Middleburg Pa, not Millersburg
@@nicholasproietto2500 they are also more expensive than mine. But they are a used equipment dealer that’s been trying to market the Chinese equipment for a few months now. I don’t blame them for trying to make a little money.
They also provide some warranty services if I'm not mistaken
I'm 70 and retired. I have 1 mission for a unit like that I've been waiting years, decades to do! LOL And about 12 sub-missions that need doing! I could putt around with that a whole summer and not be done! LOL Anything else I've looked at was way too expensive! I also have a guy with a small welding shop just up the road, just in case, and an equipment dealer, make that 2 equipment dealers
sounds like it might be a good fit for you!
Did you finish your mission and sub missions?
Been about a year🙂
omg its so cute i want one just to play with like a kid in a sand box!
It would be a dream to have as a kid!
This is Echo from AGT.Thanks you like our excavator and now we did some upgrades such as hydraulic thumb and pilot system .It's much appreciate if you can try to test our new model DM12-C
Hey I’d be glad to test it out
Enough stocks in our Chicago warehouse and welcome to visit our warehouse and test our new models excavator
I bought the QH12 earlier this year and paid another $300 or so for the hydraulic thumb kit from ebay. It's a 2023 model.
Thank you for making this video. I just bought one .lol. very helpful 😂
No problem! Glad I could help haha
I do small retaining walls and outdoor ponds this would be a perfect machine. Low cost and low impact on the yard. Basically wouldn't use it for anything more than I would do the shovel but just make it a lot easier on the back and save a lot of time
Yea I think it would be a great fit for that type of work. And it would definitely be easier on that back!!
It wont leave ruts but its hard to turn without ripping the sod. I just used mine to plant a dozen trees.
Grease is for the grease fittings for the pivot points bucket and arm
im pretty sure i know where the grease goes haha, ive just never seen grease in a bag...
Somewhere in enviro-wacko land, a Greta disciple was wringing their hands and having a mini stroke as they watched you fuel up the mini beast! I loved it!😂😂😂
HAHAHA I was thinking some sort of enviro freak is gonna comment and scream but this comment is way better! Thanks for watching!
And yet if they needed a hole dug they'd have someone else use one. They wouldn't be caught dead using a shovel, that's for the peasantry!
*HOW DARE YOU !*
Hey Joe... you gonna be OK? I suspect there's not a lot of Greta fans here so we should be OK.
Your gonna have to feed that thing a lot to get it to grow. It’s prolly the runt of the litter. 🤣
Hahaha lots of grease and steel maybe it’ll grow up to be a kx080 some day!
i saw a couple of these in the LLoyd Meekins auction they went for about $7000
Yea I’ve seen prices range all over the place. The one manufacturer contacted me about selling them and they are ridiculous cheap. I don’t know what import, and port fees would be though.
Too cute. This would be fun for the kids in daycare. Never to soon to teach them some dirt work skills.
it is almost like a toy! I woulda killed for this as a kid!
One of my gripes is lack of tie down points. I ran a chain across the blade but there isn’t anything to grab at the rear of the carriage. I bought some hooks to weld on above the drive motors.
That’s true. There isn’t anywhere to tie down. I think I put the blade behind the machine and then tied down over the boom where it meets the house.
The bucket teeth are on backwards 👍
Thats kinda funny because I had to just go and look at it and you are right they are upside down haha! I didnt even notice
Depending on the durability it would be perfect for my little 5 acre piece of property.
I would think as long as you are handy and keep an eye on it it would hold up for awhile. Biggest thing I’ve noticed is a lot of the bolts are not torqued down and some
Have loosened up.
All of mine are too big to deal with residential work, highly considering one of these!
Hey thanks for watching, so while these seem to be built better than youd expect I dont know how long it would hold up under daily use. The good thing is most of the parts can be purchased off the shelf or built. They are cheap though. makes them really attractive.
You may want to READ the instructions before starting any and all machinery, regardless of the experience you have or don't have. You should never spray ether around an engine when trying to start it. Spray it into the carb BEFORE turning the key. This will prevent possible problems, eg. fires or explosions.
I’m pretty sure I can handle this, been here a few times in my 20 years of wrenching
These are honestly really really worth the money lol.
Awww. Cute lil guy
I just bought same machine and recently swapped 4 hoses to convert to JD backhoe or SAE controls / I guess all Chinese units are sent over with ISO or Cat controls ??
I have the same issue you had with starting but the farthest I got was for it to run a few seconds when I sprayed carburetor fluid into the carburetor.
Yea it’s weird almost like you have to pull a prime to the carburetor. Sounds like your problem may be a little more. Maybe not getting fuel
At all
@@AbramsExcavating It ended up being the fuel valve and carburetor were clogged with gunk.
@@huhcomI had the same issue, I figured the float was stuck shut and tapped on the carb several times. Once it was running I haven’t had a single issue starting it since then.
Abrams: What's that in the bag ? Oh, grease! And a grease gun.
Abrams starts the engine, finally, and goes about testing the machine without using ther grease... 😉
Hahha well I wasn’t planning on using it! But for your sanity all the joints do have grease in them!
Hopefully he checked the grease joints before he seen your comment.
@@mertan2843 I did haha. Man some people here must think I’m an idiot just cause I don’t show stuff on camera!
I would actually love to have this thing 🤩
It would definitely be pretty handy to have around the house
Wow this video really blew up! Great to see!
It sure did! Thanks!
You can get a funnel for that gas can, and they are cheap. It works REALLY well.
What a concept. Never thought of that…
They’ve gotten cheaper as of late. I’ve seen them around 5k-6k consistently. A great price.
I think I’ll build mine and put a good engine and hydraulics on it. You can always fit an engine anywhere. The controls I can get them from another machine, a salvaged one preferably. I’m not paying close to 50 thou for a brand name.
Yea I mean if you have the shop and knowledge I guess building one would be better. But for the cost of this it’s hard to justify the time.
I build a lot of stuff, it’s very time consuming.
You start small engines at full throttle. It says it in the manual. There’s no oil pump, so the oil needs to start circulating as fast as possible.
Yanmar would be a good machine to look at if you would be interested in selling they also has a small compact tractor line
Yanmar makes really good equipment. I’m not necessarily looking to become a dealer though. I buy and sell user equipment normally
👍
For the money for a small plumber or light landscaping business you couldn't go wrong
Yea definitely!!
You could enclose the canopy with plexy so when the weather's bad
That C E on the side is that China Express?
You may have to be setting in the seat before starting.
The key has a “dead spot” right before the start position. And the red switch is a battery cutoff
Also this Briggs & stratton's that are on those excavators they're made by license yanmar engines
That’s interesting to hear!
It will take u an HR tops to simply swap 4 hoses and u will have pattern you noted u prefer.
Id leave the canopy on just for that little extra counter weight.
I have the qh12. They def did some upgrades to the qh.
That’s good, these left a little to be desired in some areas
@AbramsExcavating qh12 has drive motors in the rear. The rear cowl is different and looks more modern. Hydralic tank is front right under the floorpan. As far as component quality im not sure about those
It’s a tough choice between a brand new cheap thing like this and a worn old decent machine both have advantages and disadvantages this looks like when it starts going wrong everything will break where on old decent machine one part at a time and loads more use before the next thing but cost of replacement parts might be another consideration i expect there will be a load of these on second hand market before long. I’d still use it over a shovel any day just without a seatbelt or rops
It truly is a tough call. Im not the kind of guy to buy stuff new. I bought this cause I was already at an auction and I figured I’d buy it and make a few bucks on it.
I would 100% prefer an older worn machine over this. But that is just how I work. This machine is geared toward a homeowner/small property owner. It’s simple, and fairly rugged. If you aren’t capable of tinkering and making repairs this would probably be a good option for the occasional user.
@@AbramsExcavating agree I would go for old machine I like fixing stuff good excuse to get out the house😂 definitely be good for someone doing few tasks here and there definitely wouldn’t put it to work
@Panther Property Maintenance everything right now is stupidly expensive only way to get something is lucky finds on private sales all the dealers a jacking the prices up same with used van market
Will be interesting to see how this works…I heard they were……..improvable…..Good luck!
Well I’m not necessarily planning to keep it haha. But it was cheap enough that I can make a few bucks and give a solid review on it. It’s definitely improvable. But it’s not horrible
@@AbramsExcavating you certainly have the knowledge to evaluate it properly, a lot of people get this as their first excavator and are so happy to not dig by hand that they don’t notice the flaws. Keep em coming!
Im not bashing, but keep this in mind, Briggs is made in china nowadays its a us company making motors in China. Like apple makes it computers and phones in China.
All these mini excavators from auction seem to have water in the tool box?....is it salt water?.....is it anywhere else?
Its because they sit outside at the auction yard. Just bought one. They all have the tool box sitting on the unit so they get wet.
Can't wait for these to hit the second hand market in a few years. Probably get one for less than half price in two or three years.
They’ve been around for a little while. However I don’t think you’ll see many of these second hand. There’s a guy local to me that has one for sale used with 500hours and he is asking $1000 more than I’m asking for a brand new one!
fuel treatment favorite: lacquer thinner 1part to 10 parts gasoline
That’s an interesting tip, guess it makes sense in a way! Thanks for the tip!
Man I'd love to have that thing! That's the size I need around the house. Could possibly change motor out some dayb for a desiel
Yea it would be a great around the house machine! Honestly the gas motor does well. There’s not much you can do that’ll bog it down. But it could easily be swapped for a diesel
If it is the machine I think it is, since he got it at auction is harder to tell, but they offer gas, desiel and electric drive options on it. Do not know the desiel, but the electric has about 6 hours worth of battery, and the gas drinks less than 10 gallons a day. Saving up to get one.
I don't have a need for it but I want one. I could dig up the back yard, fill it in and repeat.
Equipment is always fun even if
You don’t have a need for
It! I bought my
First piece of heavy equipment when I was 13. Was an old front loader. I had no need for it but it was mine and I lifted and shifted things all over just cause I could.
You'd be surprised how many jobs you will wind up doing with machines like this. I bought my 2025R John Deere with only a few hobs in mind. Almost two years later. I can't tell you how many jobs I found for it so far. And more to come.
I'd like to know some numbers like bucket break-out force and lifting abilities. I also like to see a schametic of the excavator's geomitry. To bad that info isn't provided.
Yea unfortunately very little information is provided for these machines. I’m sure if I had the time I could try and measure these numbers but I don’t have the proper equipment to do so.
@@AbramsExcavating I know everything there is to know about him
Schematic is on the agrotk site or eBay. Digs 65", lift is around 500#, 250ish extended.
@@dalecasal9468 Können Sie mir sagen, wo Sie sich melden?
@@dalecasal9468 Can you tell me your contact information
OHH I WANT ONE!!!!!😁😄
Set fire to the new machine yea baby yea 😂
Hahah that was not the plan!
Forward is with the blade in front of you for those that don't read manuals first.
Forward is whenever the drive sprockets are behind you. But yea blade is always mounted forward
On that model it is noted by a big bright yellow arròw.look at the picture you will note that the drive sprockets are in the rear,and blade is always forward whenused.
For a homeowner machine that would do just need access to spare parts when needed
I know everything there is to know about him
Okay,, guy's I'm looking for the Hydralic Oil service change on the Rippa R319 just can't seam to fined any vidio instruction.
Rippa R319 Hydralic Service change.
Hey so I’d assume you could drain it from the bottom of the tank.
Did you buy this from the Woglemuth auction? I noticed they had two of them there at a previous auction. I like their yearly antique equipment auction. I bought my ageicat from a guy who purchased it there.
Yes I bought it from their auction. Their auctions are hit or miss. Most of
The time a bunch of overpriced worn out junk
Unfortunately, that's pretty much every auction these days.
There pretty strong another youtuber has one and its bigger brother the hydraulics are pretty strong 💪 i build Rc construction I'd love one of these over my 1/14 and 1/20 models
They are pretty strong for their size!
I have the same one. Do you know how to drain the hydraulic fluids or where he plug is located
I don’t off hand. I sold this machine about a year and a half ago. I’d assume if there isn’t a plug under the hydraulic tank you could always take the suction hose off the pump and drain it that way.
@@AbramsExcavating That's a good point. Pumping it out will be easier
Need universal choke symbol.
I was thinking 2 hands around somones neck with the face sticking out toung and the eyes popping out.
I was curious how you determine the hydraulic fluid quantity. Do you just add enought to make it register fluid on the temperature sight glass on the side of the unit? Awesome review! I really appreciate the effort you put into checking it out...
Thanks!
as for the hydraulic oil yes you generally just add oil til it shows on the sight glass.
@AbramsExcavating I figured but instructions are lame...
Come posso fare per acquistare dalla cina ? È sicuro? Grazie
Without some sort of stabilizer on it, I would not trust my life to one of those things. Would love to have one to use on the several flood prone creeks on my property. Using a tractor/backhoe is a beech, a lot safer.
You don’t normally have a stabilizer on an excavator. But this one has a blade that will help
Yeah, I saw that after I posted. I don't think it's enough with those little minis, though. I use a JD 1025 R, and I can tell you, when I'm dredging my creeks, sometimes I can feel myself being pulled into the bucket, stabilizers and all. That is a very scary feeling on the edge of a two-foot drop. I wouldn't trust one of those minis on anything except flat terrain.
Thanks for replying.
Amazon has diesel replacement motors when Briggs wears out if one would want a diesel
Unfortunately I’m not sure the rest of the machine will outlive this motor but it would definitely be an option if you could
Keep it together til the motor piles up!
I had to give you a like after you caught it on fire....
Hahhaa that was a good time. Thanks for watching!
the canopy is most likely good for falling hazards. just my thoughts.
Definitely not haha it’s barely good enough for a sun shade!
lol sounds a little scary.
17:10 WOAH! I reflexively jumped back there, although I have.....trust that you placed the camera correctly.
FYI, if you're gonna bank your reputation importing these, I would definitely put a lot more hours onto it before you order from the manufacturer again. And maybe actually roll the thing.
Haha yea that was a tight fit!, Honestly Im not super interested in selling these. I would rather sell a machine that I can stand behind and get dealer support if needed. these seem to be a cheap option that could last you awhile or it could fail in a few months time. Im sure they will hold up if you take care of them. But Im not certain I want my name attached to them!
If you rent or sell these to DIY homeowners, someone will get killed.
Still a cool concept for an affordable workhorse for those well-trained.
Too bad Honda doesn't make one, even at twice the price
thats what a rental agreement is for.... covers your butt and by them signing they agree to provide a qualified operator and that the company holds no liability for personal or property damage etc etc etc
I am pretty surprised honda doesnt make something like this, they made a lot of odd ball outdoor power equipment
Ha! Ha! Ha! Yup, only rent them safe things like wood chippers……. ;-)
Hr meter was unplugged can see it when you put fuel treatment in
I noticed this aswell! Plugged it back in just never showed it
Can you attach a auger to it ?
Yes an auger could be fitted to it. As long as the attachment is properly sized for the machine
If it starts falling over stay inside. Don't try to jump out. That frame could cut you in two.
Yea I’m sure it would put a hurt on you. But at the same point it’s not a roll over bar
👍👍👍👍👍👍
FMD!!!! It's not a roll bar, it's a sun shade.
yea I know, honest mistake. Im used to dealing with other equipment that has ROPS bars.
How much would something like this typically cost? Not to use for a business or anything, just to use on a small farm.
You can get them anywhere from 7500-11000. I have $8000 into this one
How much..?, I need to dig a pond, love it...
I have around $8000 into it thanks for watching!
Where can I purchase one like yours?
Safety switch under seat???
I have a Harbor freight towable backhoe and would love to have this. The hydraulics respond really nicely. I wonder about operating on any angles. Does look like it could tip over.
It only looks tippy cause the high canopy. It’s pretty stable
@@AbramsExcavating I'm looking at possibly buying one of these right now. I'm wondering how steep of an incline this thing could handle. My property is pretty steep in sections and I don't have a lot of experience. I've seen some guys get mini excavators in some crazy areas though
@@allaboutmydogs430 The manual (yes, it does have a manual) says to avoid slopes over 15 degrees.