Cheapest Mini Excavator – Buyer Guide

How to find a reliable and inexpensive mini excavator on the market?

If you’re in the construction industry, then you absolutely need a mini excavator. From digging and trenching to demolition and debris removal – these compact machines can do a lot of work. For any contractor or construction company, having a mini-excavator can significantly reduce the cost of labor-intensive tasks.

But while the payoff is good in the long run, most mini excavators require a high upfront cost when you purchase them. Does this mean you should give up on the idea of buying one? Cheaper models fit your budget without sacrificing performance.

So how do you find the cheapest mini excavator to do the job? This can only be done through in-depth research and knowledge of the market. To do this, you must understand the factors that determine the cost and reliability of a particular model. Let’s explore these two factors together!

What are the factors that influence the price of a mini excavator?

Brand awareness

If you have done your research, you can make a good guess at the price of your mini excavator simply by knowing its brand. As with all other things, brand awareness is one of the key factors in determining the price of something. Just as you would expect a Gucci bag to be much more expensive than the one you buy at target, a mini digger from a major brand will be much more expensive than a brand you’ve never heard of.

Key components

The key components of a mini digger include the engine and the hydraulic system. Not only do these factors directly affect the performance of the mini digger, but the quality of these components also determines the cost. If you just need a regular mini excavator that can do some digging, you may be able to get one for a cheap price. But if you’re looking for a high-quality trenching operation, you’ll have to use a big gun with a more powerful engine and hydraulic system. Of course, this upgrade comes at a price.

Key hydraulic components

Additional features

The cheapest mini excavators have a lot of features, but you may have other requirements they can’t meet. If a standard built mini excavator can’t do the job you want done, you’ll want to look at mini excavators with additional features. Side swing booms, zero tail swing, extended booms or extended landing gear – each additional attachment can make the machine more expensive.

Maintenance and repairs

Last but not least, the frequency and need for maintenance and repair of a mini excavator also largely determines its final cost. A machine that requires little to no maintenance between uses will cost more in the marketplace, but will ultimately cost less in the long run. Conversely, a mini excavator that requires frequent maintenance has a lower upfront cost.

What determines the reliability of a mini excavator?

Resources

While it is true that simply using a big brand name on a piece of equipment can significantly increase its price, we must also acknowledge that the quality of machines sourced using big brand name components is much higher than machines from lesser known brands. Big brands need to maintain their reputation in the marketplace and cannot risk producing substandard equipment. Therefore, if you want to buy with peace of mind, it is safer to choose a well-known brand.

Sourcing routes like Kubota and Yanmar are known for their powerful engines. Likewise, hydraulic components from Shimadzu, Hyde, Doosan and Eaton remain unmatched.

Standardized production

A brand of mini excavator that is large enough to ensure standardized production and quality inspection of its equipment automatically becomes reliable. The company has done all the necessary tests for you, so you don’t have to worry about possible problems with the product you are buying. In rare cases, there are always exchange and return options for the equipment.

Mini excavator mass production

Reasonable industrial design

If your mini excavator has multiple add-ons, but lacks a well-designed core, you might as well get rid of it now. In order for a mini excavator to be reliable, it needs to be built on a sound industrial design. The construction of the equipment itself is a very important factor in determining its robustness and reliability.

Emission standards
Emission standards for mini excavators not only affect the environment, but also the performance and robustness of the machine. Making confusion? Let us explain.

Tier 4 certified (EPA 4) mini excavators are designed to burn cleaner fuel and reduce air emissions. This minimizes the dense combustion byproducts that deposit at the bottom of the fuel tank in cold weather conditions and cause potential engine problems. As a result, your excavator requires less cleaning and maintenance to operate properly between uses.

The most popular mini excavator brands on the market

Now that we know that the facts still determine the price and performance of mini excavators, let’s talk about the most popular brands on the market.

Caterpillar

Caterpillar is one of the leading brands of mini excavators. It was founded in 1925 and has produced many models of reliable heavy equipment and machinery since then.

Bobcat

Bobcat is another customer favorite manufacturer of full-size and mini-excavators. This company alone offers a wide variety of mini excavators and you are sure to find the one that best suits your needs.

Kubota

When you’re looking for a reliable mini excavator, you can’t go wrong with a mini excavator made by Kubota. This popular brand combines some of the highest quality equipment with the lowest cost to provide you with the best of both worlds.

Yanmar

Yanmar was the first company to manufacture diesel mini excavators. Today, the company offers a choice of 8 different but equally great mini excavators for any construction job.

Komatsu

Komatsu is another popular mini excavator choice among contractors and construction companies. All 6 of Komatsu’s mini excavators sold today

How much does a mini excavator cost?

So, you’ve learned how different brands compare in terms of quality and reliability of mini excavators. But what happens when we introduce the affordability factor? Let’s find out.

Caterpillar

One of Caterpillar’s smallest mini excavators – the CAT 301.6 C – retails for between $33,000 and $37,000.

Bobcat

If you want to buy a new 2018 Bobcat 418, expect to pay between $20,000 and $30,000.

Kubota

Kubota has a variety of excavators at different prices. A used Kubota mini excavator can sell for as little as $18,000, while a fully equipped large excavator can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Yanmar

Yanmar is another company whose prices vary widely for many mini-excavator models. Not only do prices vary by model, but Yanmar mini-excavator prices also vary by seller.

Komatsu

For Komatsu mini excavators, prices range from $25,000 to $90,000, depending on the model and the additional features it sports.

What is the best way to buy a mini excavator?

Where can I buy a mini excavator?

When making an actual purchase, you can complete the entire operation in a number of ways.

Local brand dealers

The first and most popular way to buy a mini excavator is through a local brand dealer. Once you know which mini excavator you want to buy, all you have to do is visit a showroom in your area and start shopping.

E-Commerce Marketplace

Another way to get the mini excavator of your choice is to search through an e-commerce marketplace such as eBay. Here you can find many different deals on the item of your choice. If you are interested in buying a used model and are looking for competitive prices, this is a great place to do some research.

Direct from the manufacturer

Finally, you can buy mini excavators directly from the manufacturer. There are many advantages to sourcing heavy equipment from the country of origin. Let’s explore this option further in the following paragraphs.

Excavator Manufacturers

The real way to buy the cheapest mini excavator

Buying a mini excavator from Origin is the most cost effective and reliable way to buy. To do this, you can contact the manufacturer yourself or import your machine through one of the brand’s international dealers.

Rippa offers mini-excavators from 0.8 to 6 tons, with prices ranging from $5,000 to $25,000. Contact us for a quick quote.

The advantages of sourcing by origin (Rippa).

Eliminate middlemen agents and dealers, allowing you to buy your mini excavator for up to 50% less than you would pay to a local dealer

High emission standard EPA4 guarantee

Global after-sales service access

Easy access to reliable key components

Standardized mass production for quality assurance

Technical support and customization requirements met

A step-by-step guide to buying the cheapest mini excavator from Origin

Confused about how to buy from Origin? Don’t worry – here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the process to show you just how easy it really is!

Step 1: Find a distributor/manufacturer

Step 2: Leave a message for a quote

Step 3: Make an international payment

Step 4: Find a custom agent.

Step 5: Deliver the goods

Step 6: Obtain at the port of destination

Step 7: Unload at doorstep

Here’s all of it!

Is buying a used mini excavator a good option?

Because of the huge cost difference between new and used mini excavators, sometimes you may be tempted to buy a used excavator. But is this really a good idea?

What are the pros and cons of buying a mini excavator from a previous owner? What tips should you keep in mind when making such a purchase? Read on to find out if buying a used mini excavator is really worth the money.

Used mini excavators

Advantages of buying a used mini excavator

Cheap price

Works just as well as a brand new machine

By reducing the carbon footprint left by heavy equipment manufacturing, you are doing your part to help the planet

Disadvantages of buying a used mini excavator

Compromised reliability

No warranty, customer support or replacement

May not be as efficient as a new excavator

Tips for buying a used mini excavator

If you are looking to purchase a used mini excavator, you need to be more vigilant about what you are buying.

When looking at used machines, the first thing to consider is how often they have been used and their average life expectancy. If they are about to fail, they may not be worth the investment. You don’t want to save money up front only to have to spend thousands of dollars every few weeks on repairs and maintenance.

You must also consider the physical condition of the excavator you are buying. Even if the engine and hydraulics are in great shape, a broken frame can render your machine unusable until it costs a lot of money to repair and replace.

Ready to buy a mini excavator?

Thinking about which mini excavators to buy? Contact us today for a free consultation and quote!