Cheap Mini Excavator VS Expensive Mini Excavator 

I'm a millwright which is basically an industrial mechanic. Simplicity is a consistently overlooked benefit on machinery.

I have a neighbor who is a paraplegic, and he bought one of these cheap gas excavators. It’s great for him to do things around the yard. His electric wheelchair always gets stuck, and he can’t pick things up and carry them very well. His excavator came with one extra hydraulic line that can be used for a hydraulic thumb which would really help him with being able to do things around the yard.

I know someone who bought a cheap Chinese skid steer. Despite some loose bolts and parts falling off the machine still runs 10 years later! It is built similar to the old Bobcat 743.

I am Helen from Shandong Nuoman. Thanks for your testing of our NM-E10 mini excavator. I hope it could help you do more work .

I just retired from heavy equipment and mining operations. I have operated some of the largest equipment in the world. My wife and I rented a mini ex like these a few years ago, and it was a hoot to operate. In a couple hours I had both the wife and son digging quite well. We did some ditching and installed new culverts on the acreage. Don't ever underestimate the usefulness of these mini equipment. They are worth every penny and are fun to operate. Stay safe and happy operating.

what's good about made in China is it gives you a lot of options to choose from. If you want high quality? fine, pay more, they can also delivery. if your pocket is shy? no worry, get something lower quality but still functions and only pay a fraction of the good ones. No matter you are poor or rich, you get to choose, unlike made in Germany or made in Japan that you have to pay big bucks for it.

As a diesel & heavy equipment mechanic since the 1970’s , I’m always amazed more bolts aren’t cross threaded nowadays..seems like no one wants to use good old forearm muscle power to start a bolt or screw in a simple screw... i still start and tighten all bolts & nuts from (1/4 , 1/2 up to 1” inch) by hand power & then torque to spec using a torque wrench.. never cross threaded anything (knock on wood) Cheers from HudsonBay Ontario Canada 🇨🇦

I bought one of the Chinese minis from a dealer in the states. All I can say is it is definitely worth the price point compared to the big name brands being 2-3x more expensive. I love the bare bones simplicity of these machines, it's like an old tractor or a riding lawn mower. Mine is for home use and if I ever need something bigger I'll rent it, this thing was just too reasonably priced not to own haha. I'm a plumber, grew up my whole life around trades, operated JD and bobcat equipment, it's a legit little machine. Great video! Subscribed

At 10:27 that looks like a needle style grease zerk. That's why it has a button in the center. They must think a regular zerk could get broken off at that point.

So I'm an engineering student in Mechanic Engineering. The first thing my professor taught us is simple is better, the reason the fewer areas of failure a "thing" has the less likely it will fail. Meaning something that has 30 moving parts will always fail more and have a higher fail chance than something with 10 moving parts. Also, Areas of failure aren't just moving parts it's anything that can fail from a weld to a rope to a moving part anything that can break is a failure point potentially. I can also confirm what my professor said as I have noticed first hand that when I design "things" with less areas of failure they tend to work more and need fewer revisions. So the lesson to learn from this is simple is better.

10:40, those are greese zerks. They're a different style then what you're used to. They use a needle fitting on your grease gun to pump grease into. Often that style is used in places where a normal grease fitting may get damaged.

For the home owner that is doing a lot around the property it might be a great idea to get a cheap gas driven model. Even the professional who is starting out might benefit from this nice little gizmo.

There's a simple trick to avoid cross-threading i always use... apply pressure to bolt and rotate in the opening direction until u feel the beginning of each thread 'click' across one another and stop... now proceed to tighten, works a charm. do it with a bottle cap if u want to see what i mean... cool vid, thanks

I don’t even need an excavator nor do I have enough space to put one but this video is pure quality comparisons, so now I want one. 😂

You are the good customer that i have met,the very clearly compair form booth excavators,we could do more than you think,do the resell you can make many order from us.

Thanks guys. Excellent video. Im a trail builder (mountain bikes) in the PNW looking for a cheaper way to GET STUFF DONE! Thanks for the comparison.👍😉

I agree for the home owner its perfect and as far as the longevity of the Chinese machine, you could buy 3 of them to one of the others. I get it's not quite apples to apples but bottom line is it will definitely get the job done.

This video should have been called "Legitimizing my purchase by dismissing all the shortfalls of cheaper option"

Nice machines for about $3400. I purchased one about a month ago from Denny. I had mine shipped down to TX. It works perfect the work I do.

The great thing about the China machine is who cares if you weld a rack for weights on it, it's not super expensive, plus it honestly looks better to me

2 things. First, I think the paint came of because of the hydraulic fluid sitting on top of it. Second, you are worried about cross threading, so why are you not starting the bolt by hand and afterward use the power driver? I agree that the hydraulic fluid came from the bold being threaded after the surface has been painted.

This is huge, great information for the diy perspective, we tend to use our equipment sparingly but it much desired. It's about time to get affordable equipment, who cares at time if you own the damn thing for 1/3 of the price. Just don't over do it and you can get lots of years of use.

The swinging boom grant you the abbility to dig 0degrees parallel to a wall. Which is awesome for trenches and foundations. That alone is worth the extra money for almost every professional

Don't worry we're professionals !! Famous last words !

I like the yellow one it has a lager, longer track ,mostly likely more stability!

Those grease zerks you say are missing on that china unit are a type of grease fitting you use a needle adapter on a grease gun. They use those low profile fittings to avoid being broken off.

It wasn't cross threaded, but probably is now by starting it with an impact wrench instead of with your fingers! lol

I really appreciate you doing such a real life comparison. Everyone wants to say these cheap machines are worthless and we should all make the stretch to buy a Kabota. They have their issues but they are simple, tough and cheap. That will always have a place in the market

I'm pretty shocked that that little cheap excavator actually outlifted the other one I'm actually pretty surprised

I'm sold!! I've been looking at these for 6 months now. Been waiting for someone else to get one first. Love all the info and your TT videos!!

The girl saying for the guy to hold a baby to add 10 lbs has me in stitches lmao!! Thanks girl, I needed that laugh today!

Lets see them ripping some stumps and roots out of the ground 👍👍 cool video would love to own either machine

Just going to point out longevity, it's mechanical so maintenance is going to be a key factor, diesel engines do typically stand up to more abuse.. but they cost more WHEN not if you need to replace it. Most places a yanmar engine will need to be ordered, will cost more, and require likely going to a dealership where there's typically more mark-up. Where as at least in the US, Briggs & Stratton motors are a shelf item in most Northern tool, harbor freight type stores. Also there are cheaper brands, with similar hp ratings. That's before accounting for the skills tools and time to change a "normal" engine vs a "lawn" motor.. so while you may do it sooner and possibly even multiple times, the actual down time is reduced by cost and simplicity. I'm not saying you can't afford to replace the yanmar but most of us will hesitate more to drop a few thousand more than a few hundred as such it's highly unlikely you're going to see a sale and grab an extra because hey it's only a few hundred dollars. Plus having to order from a dealer vs either instant gratification of walking out with it or ordering from catalog that you probably have for a reason.. just my .002¢

For the homeowner the longevity argument doesn't really mean much imo. The reason so many homeowners by from harbor freight is because you only need the tool occasionally and can get by on lesser quality tools. For what this mini is I feel it would be a great cost efficient piece of equipment to have around the home. And like you said in the intro video for around $600 you could throw in a new motor if needed.

Appreciate the video, great info. Hopefully can get a phone with HD recording soon!

I now realize I have been waiting for that drag race my whole life :D Really enjoyed your informative and fun video!

Earned my subscription. Great thought process on the content here, and this is something tangible that will help people make an informed decision. Appreciate experts in the field sharing truthful honest and open feedback without the normal slant of "sponsorship" driving the narrative. I for one, appreciate this type of content and information. Well done.

great testing....been looking at getting a mini for awhile, this has made my decision easier. Thanks

Diesel engine might last longer but you could get a replacement for the gas one at harbor freight for a few hundred bucks.

Really looking forward to getting into the give away!! This would help my little lawn care/landscaping business

Dude! Well done! We definitely owe you a beer! Best of luck!

Next thing to try would be upgrading it with standard available parts, like other scooops and tools.

Been following this journey since the beginning. Loving it.

Good one. I think there’s a place for every tool, for example my sons ask me “what’s the best truck?”, A; it depends. “What’s the best boat?”..same thing. If the tool does what you want it to do, the price is just another factor in picking the right tool. For stuff like this, I know I’m never taking it for service if it breaks or if I break it, I’m fixing it. Also have to calculate duty cycle, if it’s a one project machine, and then sits for 90%, I like the less expensive option. Those yanmar engine’s are supposed to be pretty good though, and resale is also to be considered. Good vid!

thanks for sharing your experience with this Chinese masterpiece of machinery. The only thing I wish it had is the ability to finesse the movements. This jerky shit would get old in a hurry. I have to wonder if smaller pilot valves for the swing and stick and keeping the big ones on the curl and boom would help. Enjoyed this presentation. thanks again. Cheers from Louisiana.

Two things I noticed, and may very well already have been covered. The Yanmar seemed to have no problem driving in a straight line during your test. The cheaper one likely would have been faster if you didn't have to correct as much. Also, you added weight to the Yanmar when it was already under load and called it in the end. I think you should have dropped it down and tried from no load and you probably would have seen a successful lift.

The Yanmar, with the double swing, will dig along a wall or close to a building, for example, installing drain tile around a building. The single swing machine will only dig at an angle, having to move much more material and taking probably four times as long.

Also in the lift test to use for lifting an engine it has to go higher to get over the grill by a lot more. That would be a normal use for most people.

My mini excavator arrived at the sea port and I'm just waiting to clear customs and delivery to me . YAY. It took for ever though. It seems most Manufactures in AliBaba are selling these with models #'s 8, 10, 15, 17 and 19. (there may be more, but I didn't even look any further as they were price limited) I ended up getting an OKW10 which comes as yours, with a 13.5hp Bribgs & Stratton engine. I can't wait to get mine and hopefully use it to carve paths around my property and also dig trenches and such. The price of any other manufacturer is incredibly high. I even saw the same machine sold on Craigslist for about 12k which is way too expensive in my opinion, but still cheaper than the big name brands. Thanks for the video. Very interesting to see what I'm about to get.

If it wasn't cross threaded before it probably is after putting it back on like that. Am I the only one that had an eternal freak out whenever he did that?

That dangerous not finger starting the bolt first. Doing it lk he did is dangerous because you won't know if you are cross threading or not. You should always start the bolt with fingers first.

I saw another Chinese Mini, different brand, but looked identical. It also had plastic plugs in the pins, but it came with a tool box and in the tool box was a bag of zerk fittings. Just plug and play, or grease. LOL

Interesting tests, pretty well compared. Did not expect it to compare that well at all.

Thanks for the comparison, it seems that it will lift high enough to clear a hydraulic dump trailer but is the bucket angled enough to keep the contents in it until you are ready to dump in the trailer?

It seems to me. For so mmeone like myself with no money. Its a no brainer. With a little bit of extention on the scraper blade and hang a little weight out back this would be a killer machine. Regards Andy Perth Australia

Impressive , Now I want one . Super handy to have around .

Great video. I like the way you explained things. Keep up the good work.

Thanks so much for the video, I have been considering getting one for work around the house but wasn't sure if the cheap Chinese one would do the job but there you go!

I'm in Canada we have a guy locally that buys these things for 4 grand in China and sells them for 12 here, and he sells them as fast as he can get them.

Great comparison brother. Thanks. Good video

28:30 you killed me with that one!

What a great video !! I’ve been wondering about those mini’s. I wouldn’t dream of it for a business but awesome around the cottage. Thanks for the videos

That race had me cracking up🤣🤣

Buy the cheap one. When its broke or worn out buy another. Your still ahead on cost!

Those grease points you want to replace are button grease nipple and can be grease with a cone shaped connection. I have them on my Chinese excavator.

Let’s see which one can pull more with arm and tracks then try pushing dirt with blade to and see which one has the best arm and track power ratio while used multiple functions

that chines machine wins in my book.off the shelf parts the price a few tweeks that machine perfect

I have one just like it. Except it’s a baisway machine co r319 (pretty much same thing). First thing I did was replace the hydraulic oil and engine oil with high quality synthetics. The engine oil is comes with is suspect to be honest. Doing just that on the brigs should extend the engine life substantially. Another thing is that these XR2100 series brigs engines don’t like to be run full throttle. They are engineered for torque. The max HP of about 13.5 gross is at 3800rpm but torque really drops off. According to the power curve chart, you want the throttle set to around 2600 rpm for the best combo of HP and max torque. Plus is quieter. Sometimes of course you need that extra HP and might need to bump up the throttle, but for standard mini excavator jobs… trust me, keep the throttle lower. Also, I added a fan and switch to help keep temps down. Excessive heat is the main enemy of air cooled single cylinder engines. 325 hours and still kicking ass.

I have a Groundhog ZH20D. It has a 3 cyl Yanmar and weighs about 1.5 ton. It's an import. Cost about $16,000. Got about 100 hrs so far mostly pulling Sumac trees out by the roots. I found this comparison interesting and fun. Thumbs up and subed.

I am trying to decide if the drag race was more ridiculous from the drone shot or the finish line shot. Fun comparison guys! 😂

The race was highly entertaining :-)

I think that’s great I’ve been wondering how those would work. Assuming it’s not bought to use 8hrs day laying pipe or digging footers I think it would be great buy for a home or small farm. The $24k would definitely last be safer in rental market or digging 8hrs a day . So I think it’s great there’s a reasonable priced option for light duty .

Honestly if I bought the Chinese model as a homesteader and occasional use I could live with it, considering what you paid for it honestly it's not bad. The reason you would buy one over the other I feel depends on what you're using it for, if I was a professional and this was my life I'd definitely go with the yanmar or another name brand simply because there's more parts and better dealer support available.

Great video!👍🏻

Best equipment review out there. Cool that shit doesn’t have to cost a fortune to own.

@10:27 the zerk is not missing. That is a zerk to be greased using a needle attachment. The typical zerk that your used to isn't being used probably because they know it will just get broke off.

Sweet first! Keep it up! Im diggin it!

1 thing id like to point out i had a freind that ownd a rental place, he would turn the hydro preasure down a couple hundred psi he said it cut way down on ppl breaking shit. I think that might be a common practices in the rental industry

I’m in love with the little china one

Love this series man, keep up the great content!

The Chinese mini has low profile grease zerks that requires a special pin attachment for your grease gun

For the homestead small builder,landscaper the Chinese one is a no-brainer. Great content fella

You guys are awesome. Thanks for the info!

I'd say put the center bolt back in with a hand tool or you could cross thread it with the power tools.

Dude holding the phone up in front of the screen with the timer made me want to slap him

I have to admit you swayed me from the YAMMAR to the cheaper one.

Fascinating to watch

Wonder what the pulling power each might have...in case something got stuck or a heavy load to drag. Thx guys... good Lil digger.

I noticed you had to correct the tracking several times in your race. Does that mean one motor is better than the other? On older machines when tracking one track stops working when the dipper or bucket position is changed (to do with valve blocks if I remember rightly. If this happens it would prove a major disadvantage in sticky situations or very wet ground. So can they use the hydraulics and tracking together?

A micro ex drag race. I love it.

Wow great comparison….. thank you for the great video

Did you consider diesel power? I have been researching mini Ex's and have found some nice ones w Kubota diesel for $8K ish plus shipping of course.

Well here's a thought about longevity testing. You've got some friends I'd assume. Have them hop on it and dig a hole somewhere every time they come over to rack up some hours in a short period of time. Through that process, you'll be able to quickly find out how she holds up.

If you don't want cross threading don't start with an impact bub use your fingers next time

Pretty interesting and telling review. Thanks gents.

No cross threading. Puts it on with a impact lol. You're suppose to go hand tight first

We've got a mini digger for our small property, it came with trim, digging, and trenching buckets, a log grab, rock pick and hydraulic post hole borer, all for 13k Aus $. It works a treat, my only criticism is the hydraulics are a bit jerky but once you get used to it it's fine. What are the controls on your cheapy like?. Hi from Australia.

LoL love it, the drag race to end all drag races ( two mini exes screamin down the lane).

One leaked hydraulic oil due to poor craftmanship. the other did not leak oil. Take this into consideration also

I would test stability, how much can it safely swing from one side to another. Also would be curious, if you could figure out which one moves or lifts it’s own weight easier. I personally prefer a machine that has enough power to lift itself off the ground. Really helps if you get mired in mud.