What to Look for When Buying an Excavator

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Excavators can be a great investment for your equipment rental business. Unfortunately, not all excavators are worth the cost. And not all of them will fit the needs of your local market.

When you’re ready to add an excavator to your rental equipment business, it’s important to know what to look for. This is especially true for used excavators. 

Questions You Should Ask When Buying an Excavator

Figuring out how to choose an excavator should start with asking some key questions. Consider these when you create an equipment purchasing checklist.

What Is the Equipment’s Maintenance History?

Ask for the maintenance logs for the machine. A well-kept machine will also have a documented history of servicing. Assess the details of the records and consider whether the service has been reasonable and performed at required intervals. Pinpoint any anomalies, such as long stretches without maintenance records. 

Has the Excavator Undergone Any Previous Severe Damage and Subsequent Repairs?

Ask about any previous damage that the excavator experienced, as well as any major repairs that were needed. Additionally, inspect the equipment for major wear and tear, dents, and signs of past repairs.

If there was past damage and repairs, what types of repairs were needed? And did the equipment experience recurring issues? For major damage, you’ll have to assess whether the equipment’s useful life could be reduced due to it. 

Will It Need to Be Serviced in the Near Term or Require Any Replacement Parts?

Figure out when the last service date was and whether there are any needed replacements due in the short term. Note that older excavators may be especially hard or expensive to repair due to hard-to-get parts. Make sure there’s enough manufacturer support for the parts for the excavator you’re considering. 

If there are near-term repairs needed, will the seller cover them? If not, any upcoming repairs should be accounted for in the final sale price. 

What Are the Seller’s Guarantees and Warranties?

Ask the seller about potential warranties or guarantees about the equipment’s condition. If possible, get any warranties or guarantees in writing. Also, gauge whether the seller will be around to honor these guarantees and try to get references or reviews from prior customers.  

Used Excavator Inspection Checklist

Buying a used excavator requires special attention. You’ll want to do a more thorough inspection than you would when buying a new machine. For an excavator, you’ll want to assess the condition of items like the bucket, boom and stick, and slew ring. Here’s what to look for when buying an excavator. 

Buckets and Attachments

First, inspect the bucket and attachments. You’ll want to look for excessive wear and tear, as well as any rust. Also, assess the integrity of the welding and look for any scalloping. 

Scalloping is the wear between the teeth of the bucket. Half-moon shapes may indicate reduced cutting force of the bucket. Knowing what to look for — and where — will go a long way in helping you know how to buy an excavator. 

Boom and Stick

With the boom and stick, look for any cracks in welds (or rewelds) at connection points between the stick and bucket and between the boom and stick. You want all the pins and bearings to be tight at the connection point. Loose connections in the boom and stick will reduce the excavator’s accuracy. 

Hydraulics

Hydraulics includes the hydraulic cylinder, pump, and lines. Look for any leaks and cleanliness. Leaks don’t necessarily mean a replacement is needed, but it may mean you need to repair it soon. You’ll also want to consider the hydraulics (and the flows) when it comes to the potential attachments you’ll use. 

Slew Ring

Damage to the slew ring can be very expensive to fix. Make sure that the slew ring is in good shape and that there are no signs of overloading or poor lubrication.

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Engine

The engine is another major cost component of the excavator, so you’ll want to check for any leaks. Turn on the excavator and listen for knocking or rattling, and look for excessive smoke. Test the various speeds to see if smoke becomes an issue as it’s used. Continue to listen for abnormal noises after you turn the machine off. 

Steering

Make sure to test the steering components and assess any play in the steering. Do all functions work? How is the rotation, and is the steering responsive in all directions?

Does the steering offer full rotation of the equipment? 

Tracks and Rollers

Regardless of whether the excavator you’re looking at has tracks or wheels, you’ll want to make sure everything is intact and there’s no damage. If the excavator has tracks, how is the tension? If there are rubber tracks, are there any cracks in the rubber? Excavators with tires should have proper pressure and not have any visible damage. 

Hour Meter

Make sure the hour meter is operational. If the hour meter appears to be questionable, assess whether the control pedals and other cab elements have excessive wear. If so, this can indicate the machine has had more hours than the meter counts. 

Fluids

Ensure that the fluids, such as oil and hydraulic fluid, are at acceptable levels and aren’t running low. Look for any visible leaks. Some leaks are easy fixes, but others could be deal breakers.

Documentation

Ask to see all original paperwork on the equipment, as well as service records. You’ll want to get as much information as possible, including performance and usage history. What projects has the machine primarily been used for, and where? 

Ready to Add an Excavator to Your Rental Portfolio? 

Is buying an excavator a good investment? If you’re renting out heavy equipment, or even if you’re catering to smaller projects, an excavator is a great option. They’re versatile and can be used for grading or home projects. But you need to find an excavator in good condition to see a great return on your investment.

Growing your rental business is what the Quipli team focuses on. Find out how our rental business software can streamline inventory management — book a demo today.

Check out our list of best mini excavators to rent and our top skid steer brands to rent.

Learn About Quipli’s Construction Equipment rental Software

What to Consider in an Excavator Bucket

There are five key things to consider when buying an excavator bucket. These are:

1. Your Application
2. The Heaviest/Harshest Material to be Handled
3. What Optional Wear Accessories are Required?
4. Coupling
5. The Limitations of your Machine

This article will briefly touch on each point, but for a complete and thorough look, please download our Excavator Attachment Guide.

1. Your Application

The first consideration when choosing an excavator bucket is your application. Different applications have different requirements, for example, a Trenching Bucket is ideal for digging trenches, but will be inefficient and very difficult to pull batters with.

There are a range of bucket styles available that have been designed to do specific jobs. See our list of buckets and attachments for full details on their capabilities and which bucket suits your application.

2. The Heaviest/Harshest Material to be Handled

While your bucket may be used with different types of materials it is important to ensure your bucket can handle the harshest material you expect it to deal with. If you expect to use the bucket 80% of the time in top soil and 20% in gravel and you must use the same bucket, it’s worth choosing a bucket capable of handling gravel otherwise your bucket will wear prematurely.

For more information on bucket design and durability, please see our article on that here!

3. What Optional Wear Accessories are Required?

There are multiple options when selecting wear parts and GET. Appropriate wear parts are guided by your application and the material being handled. Without the necessary wear parts buckets will wear prematurely and require refurbishment/replacement far sooner so this is important to consider when buying an excavator bucket. Kerfab can help identify which wear accessories you may need.

Popular GET and accessories include: teeth, bolt on edges, side wear plates, side cutters, rear wear plates, internal liners, heel blocks, lip shrouds, wing shrouds, and more. For more information on wear parts and GET, see our article here!

4. Coupling

Quick Hitches (also known as Quick Couplers) are a vital part of many operations. The ability to quickly and easily switch between attachments is worth the decrease in breakout force for many operations – see our Quick Hitch page to help you decide if a Quick Hitch is right for you.

The GT Series of Quick Hitches is the industry leading quick hitch.

5. The Limitations of your Machine

Your excavator was designed and built with different features and limitations, this must be taken into consideration when choosing an excavator bucket. Kerfab maintains a library of countless machines, their specifications, drawings, and any related information to ensure that your attachment is the right fit for your machine. Attaching an ill-fitted attachment can not only be dangerous, but it also poses serious risks to your machine. A bucket that is too large/heavy can damage the boom, the arm, the hydraulic system, and your hitch. Too small and your machine is inefficient, costing you time and money.

To see our range of excavator attachments, please click here! If you would like more information or have any questions please don’t hesitate to call us on 1800 818 079 or email us at sales@kerfab.com

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Excavator Attachments for Sale. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.