Cheap chinese mini digger / excavators

He's lucky then. @Gunner223. Sister-in-law purchased a brand-new one when she set up a worm farm. It had an incredibly easy life, but the engine casing cracked after 18 months :rolleyes:.
We even had a 2nd hand Kubota compact sorted out for her, but would she listen? Nope...
 
Ordering one in the morn should be here by the end of the week ! Have read all the reviews and company I'm speaking to has been there 30 years and is offering aftersales service ( not the cheapest option ) they also do a flail mower attachment 🤔
Keep us updated on how it performs, please. It's always handy to know!
 
The workers' wages are a bowl of rice and an egg each day, the steel is mixed with chocolate to keep the overall costs down, and I hope you liked Meccano when you were a child, because it all comes in bits, in a big wooden crate, with the destructions in Mandarin.

But at that price, it's worth a punt if you can have a demo :)

A fair bit of the difference in price is that the Chinese invested in modern factories with up-to-date machinery. A bit like the Japanese in the 60s & 70s when we still had people knocking stuff with hammers.
 
A fair bit of the difference in price is that the Chinese invested in modern factories with up-to-date machinery. A bit like the Japanese in the 60s & 70s when we still had people knocking stuff with hammers.

No doubt the above is true.
But they also don't need to spend any money on product development either as they tend to just steal or copy other peoples hard work.

And no doubt their stuff is getting better and better at a very fast rate.

I mind seeing top gear?? was definately Clarkson talking about chinese motors, 40 yrs ago were like Ladas etc just a compllete joke, had a few years of better looking but still badly made cars but now they say the chinese EVs are about the best on the market.
Definately look good on outside.
Itsa fair improvment in 40 odd years, its no wonder western countries cant compete on price and if they get the build quality, reliability and spares sorted manufactering in west stands no chance.
 
A fair bit of the difference in price is that the Chinese invested in modern factories with up-to-date machinery. A bit like the Japanese in the 60s & 70s when we still had people knocking stuff with hammers.
Yes, I understand. Sometimes I'll do a tongue-in-cheek reply ;)

An old fella told me years ago that the people who really know how to work are the ones who have "Felt the belt buckle rub on their backbone" I get what he was saying.
 
Whilst working for a Japanese company we purchased like for like Chinese products that we inspected.
One came with 2 spare head gaskets in the box ???? and another had no engine oil drain plug. You had to turn the unit upside down to drain the oil via the filler cap.
This was 15 year's ago.and one of the company's has made a small headway into the UK market now.
 
Absolutely, I bought a Chinese compactor plate, after just 25 minutes the bolts started to shake loose, within a day the tin work started to tear. Don't see many of those Great Wall Steed pu trucks either!

I have a great wall sitting rusting waiting for the scrappy.
To be honest never let me down and the money I paid for it probably the cheapest pick up I've ever ran.

My very 1st quad was a very early Jainshe, could be 20 years ago now.
I thought buying a new Chinese would be better than an abused 2nd hand bike ( and 20yrs ago they were all abused as not that many hobby owners back then)
It wasnae well built but considering I was using it 5, 6 or 7 days a week and a big day was over 50km ( 30 miles) albeit easy work.
So it was racking up the miles.
No real issues. Only problem i had was wheel bearings, which should not be a problem but took 3 or 4 weeks to come. After that I had a pair sitting on shelf but something else went and same 3 week wait.
Ended up buying a Honda, by time I hired a bike.
Took it to an auction mart to sell it, in pretty mint condition but high miles.
Never got a single bid.
Sold it to a farmer mate.
His 1st 4wd bike, he loved it had it for 6 or 8yrs, was a real mess by the end thou. But a bargain for him.

I do think the Chinese stuff is getting better.
But ideally u would be buying something locally made, but often no local option.
And sometimes its all u can afford
But it is a gamble with build quality and parts but getting better all the time.

While u save money buying it ur resale price will be low or possibly non existent depending how brand fairs
 
I was in this situation a few years back and bought a kubota k008-3 from auction at Ritchie which was at Doddington Park back then.
Had loads of scratches but low hrs.
Got new tracks and a 12 inch bucket for it as it came with a clean up bucket.
Never been any trouble and parts easy to find. I did need a seal kit for the tension sprocket which was easy to get.
Looking at they price they make now days I think I would probably at least break even and I had to swallow the vat as I'm no longer registered.
I went for proven and parts available over new and shiny
Pay your money and make your choice
Euro auction at Leeds this week to see what things are making
 
Chinese made stuff is cheap. Will it last long enough to do a job - possibly or probably - and will it pay for itself in that job?

Will it last many years - probably not.

In the 1970’s and 1980’s we produced Dagenham Dustbins in very large quantities and they were the main cars on the roads. Very very few still around. Indeed most ended up in the scrap yard inside ten years, many didn’t make five.
 
Had the use of a sany mini digger 1.5 t heap wof crap . Built in the same factory as CAT but nowhere the quality . Pipes are made of garden hose pie and the engine was rough as toast . It did dig though the man that owned it just went back to tackutchi in the end as he spent more on repairs than it was worth. Cheaper to get a second hand reputable machine or just hire one for around £70 a day
 
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