Is Buying a Chinese Mini Excavator Worth It? My 6 Month Review 

Hahaha. I had one too. Loved it!

I used to build them out of cardboard when I was a kid. I’m 40 now, and still obsessed with these things. Hope I’ll own a real one someday. 😄

@@strobaholicIt’s a pretty cool toy. I used to play with the toy versions as well.

Fisher Price parts are easier to find

Back then they may have been made out of the same stuff....

Thanks. Yeah. They are amazing! So many projects. Keep finding new projects every day

its junk

@@Billy-vh7ne Love my junk. Sounds like you have had a bad experience with one. Sorry you got burned. What brand was it? If you haven’t owned one, I don’t feel you would really know. Thanks for your input.

You are phuckin dense

its junk cant lift with out tipping same with roots has to be in front of machine .if you did deep to the side you will tip.rent one tor a day and see like i did..this is good to plant a garden..this guys must sell then or dig for worms.i bought a kubota 121-3. great small machine digs roots rocks and lifts green heavy logs

Thank you. Yes it’s fun. This is the coolest toy I have purchased in a long time.

My big question is why I didn’t get one sooner??!! Haha. It’s crazy how handy they are isn’t it?

Same here! That’s why I thought I should create one. I like Ron’s videos.

I have seen people do the two fans. I bought small fans from Amazon when I first bought this. Then after using it in the summer heat, I learned the one fan works well. I hear some people deal with boiling gasoline in theirs! That’s crazy hot! Congrats on the new machine. It’s wild what they can do.

Thank you.

Thanks. Agreed. You will be amazed how many projects you can accomplish with one of these.

@@OurLifeInTrees been debating starting a little homestead and this looks like it might be perfect for moving soil and smaller rocks and big sticks and limbs. p.s. i might need a little bit bigger bucket though. Maybe a 12 inch instead of 8.

@@aaronburdon221they come with a 16” bucket. I had an 8” on in the video. For land cleaning I like the rake. It’s really handy as well. I bent the rake teeth on rocks though. Opppps.

Thanks. I’m having fun making these videos of playing with my toys. lol.

Thanks. I thought it was a nice touch. I should add one to the back as well. lol.

Thank you. It’s a fun little toy. lol

Thank you. I’m glad it helps!

Thanks. I agree.

Agreed. Super handy to have around! I’m glad I could help you decided where you spend your money. lol

I've been looking all over Facebook marketplace for one of these

Thats a thought, I don’t think so, but you may be correct. I’ll try it.

Looks like it would work

You are correct, I was just going to say that

I tried turning it over and it still doesn’t fit right. The hole is in the wrong spot. Sigh….

@@OurLifeInTrees lol, thats crazy.

I know, I know, I need a baby skid…. And a dumper on tracks! Haha. I’ve seen some of your videos. Amazing what these machines can do!

That is so true!!! Now I also want a mini skid steer…. It never ends!!! Haha

It’s crazy how many tasks you can find this useful for. I don’t regret getting mine.

Thanks. Glad it helps. Awesome. How do you like it? Is it a pretty solid machine? I hear they are, but need all the bolts checked and tightened when you first buy them. Plus the upgrades.

@@OurLifeInTrees I only have a few hours on mine. The weather turned really ugly around here. And I want to go over the machine well and add a few upgrades before putting it to work. But it starts right up and everything functions as it should. For the price I am happy with it.

When the weather is nice, you’ll have fun putting it to work. Man, a chrome exhaust tip? Fancy!!! Mine came with a yellow flashing roof light… which I removed day one. Lol

Thanks. I couldn’t find a review like this and figured I’d make one. Glad it’s helpful. It amazes me how negative people can be. I never would have thought to stop and leave a negative comment on a video. I just click on the next video. But hey, what do I know? lol

Ohh that’s a good idea. I pick up logs and cut them while the mini holds them in the air. Welcome, thanks for watching and contributing.

This is exactly why I'm here looking at this. Of course it'd be nice to have to dig and push dirt but firewood is my main focus. I can't find a dealer near me in New England but i saw direct from china about 2k...like, wut? I find that hard to believe.

@@TheStevedie there are import fees, taxes, lots of costs and a long wait. They aren’t all created equal either. I have seen some people buy on eBay and there are a few dealer that will ship as well. So many choices, it’s hard to decide!

@@OurLifeInTreesLong wait, couldn't care about. The import/tax fees crossed my mind....could be 1k could be 10k...no idea. I'll poke around on Ebay but i might just buy a tractor with a backhoe. Still, i keep an eye out for one of these...was just watching your recent video you uploaded too lol. I LOVE the sticker by the way...I would totally do that.

@@TheStevedie I just watched this video this morning. This guy talks about importing his 2.5ton mini excavator and what he had to go through. Towards the end he has a spreadsheet of what it really cost. Interesting. I think he saved a bunch of money over buying one here ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jfaxFafO8uc.htmlsi=qYr2eYcA91pvl11x

Thanks. It took me a couple days but made a world of difference.

Nice! Mines a little beast. My biggest complaint is that it only goes 1.1mph. lol. I wish it went faster.

Haha awesome. Thank you. I love it. It’s tippy for sure. I think the mountains would scare me! You probably made a good decision.

What one do you plan to purchase?

that is the great show to learn the mini excavators from China,my friend,if you want to try one for yourself,please just tell me where tp send it,i can check the all cost for you,with same machime

@@ChinaMachines11 how much does it cost to have one shipped to the US?

@@OurLifeInTrees will cost 2800+400=3200 USD

@@ChinaMachines11 I have been wanting to get a high top to do a side by side comparison because I think they are so similar.

Thanks. I thought the same things but it doesn’t make it any better.

Tried it and dang it! It didn’t work. ru-vid.comUgkxbDfZTQUV0IKAYNRBaCk8zlNzoeoMPtmU?si=zWU0qc7NHvty_cn4

Haha. Comes with the territory right? We had a 95ft tall pine cut down and the guy that cut it hauled off the big parts for his mill. I was left with a MESS of logs, sticks and branches. It would have taken me days with a chainsaw by myself. This little excavator made quick work of it. Another big plus is that it’s small enough that I park it in my garage. lol

They call them minis but you are right, it’s a micro. Micro mini? Haha

Hahaha. That would be sweet. Throw in a 2JZ. Lol

More weight is a great idea. I could probably fit some drums inside the rear on the counterweight. I’d love a log splitter. Good idea. Just watched a video this morning where a guy made one for his excavator

Thanks. I’m glad it helps. When I was shopping for my machine, I wish there were reviews like mine. Not paid advertisements or reviews from “friends”. lol

Haha. Not sure what kind, but I do really like it. I probably have more flannels than I need. Lol

@@OurLifeInTrees me too.

I don’t have a ripper. I have thought about getting one. You recommend it?

@OurLifeInTrees to be fair, I've only used it one afternoon. That being said, I pulled a monster pine stump out that has been sitting since it fell a few years back. The tooth didn't bend, and it got the log moved to where I can better deal with it. I'm waiting for weather to use it to dig out a small area with bushes behind our house, excited to see what it does to those, I've hand dug them out in the past, so I'm sure it's no comparison

@@Will-tm5bj i bet it will save you a ton of back ache. I think of new projects everyday to use this for. Seriously.

I would recommend getting one. They are just so handy. Side note, crazy that these can be financed for 10 years. That can make the payment pocket change. But if it breaks or you need to sell it… gulp.

Nice! If I straighten my engine, my pump would hit the hydraulic fill tank. Do you have the tank beside the engine on the left as well?

That’s awesome!!! Just liked and subscribed. I want one. How much was it and where did you find it?

It was $4500 CAD … had to get a custom mount done but worth it!

@@R94GCnot cheap but certainly worth it. That is a major time saver.

It is great for landscaping

That’s what I thought.

And service! I used to service B&S when I was a kid. Hasn't gotten much more difficult.

@@ericbraun4652I haven’t had to do anything besides oil changes. But so far it seems pretty straight forward.

Hahaha. It’s true. A little humor for the day.

Yup. So handy to have.

I agree! So cool.

Thanks! I have used it for some “side jobs” for friends and neighbors. Make a RU-vid channel and get monetized. lol. $600 for my first month if you can believe it. Seriously. Crazy world we live in!

I come up with new projects all the time for it. lol. It was about $10k.

That’s what I thought. So I tried it and it doesn’t help. Watch this video clip below. ru-vid.comUgkxbDfZTQUV0IKAYNRBaCk8zlNzoeoMPtmU?si=nViUGgytK7medheN

Thanks. Yeah I like it. Next, I want one of those Chinese stand on skid steers. But that will be a long time if ever. Sigh….

Latches and hinges sound like a good idea. Where did you put them? The fan is awesome. Highly recommended. I agree on the fuel filling. I always spill on the engine. Sigh….

@@OurLifeInTrees ​​⁠Mine looks pretty similar but not identical to yours. I removed the bolts that hold that rear hood on and once they’re all out the whole blue piece comes off. In hindsight I’d have done it a little different so it wasn’t so much fiddling around but it works ok. I put two stainless exterior house door hinges on the left side of that panel and bolted them to the panel with the perforations in it with just the barrel part of the hinge showing. The pins are removable so I can get the whole hood off in a minute if it’s still in the way once it’s swung open. For the latches I just used some cabinet type latches from an industrial supply place that are made for metal cabinets. They are kinda like heavy duty suitcase latches but they’re adjustable. Any good industrial supply place should have them. Amazon has them as well. I searched for “stainless steel metal cabinet latches adjustable” and there were some. In hindsight I’d have just used latches on both sides instead of hinges on one side. They’re way easier to install and the hood would simply lift off that way. I mounted mine flat on the exterior surface at the edges where the hood panel meets the perforated panel with some little stainless bolts. Good luck!

@@Woodburner100 that’s a great idea. Mine goes under the rear weight and I saw a video that shows you need to move the weight back to get the door off, therefore mine can’t be hinged. Was your door blocked by the weight?

@@OurLifeInTrees Ahh ok, that’s a bit different than mine where the hood sits right on top of the counterweight. Once the bolts were all out (complete with a bit of contorting and cursing to reach some of them) it lifted off without being in behind anything at all so it made it pretty easy. If yours will lift off once the bolts are all out it might be simplest just to put a couple latches on each side so you can undo those and lift the whole hood off and set it aside for access.

@@Woodburner100 I brought it home last weekend and plan to get into it and I will see. I like the latch idea instead of bolts though. The bolts don’t look easy to access! Lol

Thank you. I have read about other people that have added more weight to the back to make it more stable. I may do that one day, but for now, I’m enjoying my toy. lol.

Agreed. The place I bought it from has a parts room with extra tracks if I do need to buy one. I hear the harbor freight Predator engine warps directly with the Briggs for replacement.

It other hydraulic attachments could be put there. A log splitter would be amazing. I need to see if anyone has done that already! It’s got the hydraulic force behind it for sure.

I wanted one too! lol I thought flipping it would work. Check out this video clip where I tried. It didn’t work. Sigh… ru-vid.comUgkxbDfZTQUV0IKAYNRBaCk8zlNzoeoMPtmU?si=0xVRTJF_KJWeNbRp

@@OurLifeInTrees well crap! they should give you back your $5,000 for this design flaw haha

@@mikedoingmikethings702 hahah in a perfect world!

I fully agree with that. It works great for me. I’d love a bigger name brand machine, but it wouldn’t do all I need it to because of size, can’t afford it because of cost, and no where to store it as well.

I don’t regret it. I’m just an occasional use homeowner, so it doesn’t bother me that it’s not a big monster. I like the small size. A bigger engine on a machine this size would be way too much.

Nice! Sounds like you got a great deal. I searched for weeks and couldn’t find anything around here for under $6k. Those machines were very basic AGT machines with no upgrades. I got a bunch of upgrades on mine. I really like the hydraulic cooler, thumb, controls, side swing boom, etc. The warranty and financing were a nice touch as well. So far I’m only about $200 out of pocket since July. It has paid for itself and now it makes RU-vid dollars. In a few weeks I think I’ll be positive dollars and it will have made me money. I would like to have gotten it for $3700 though!! lol.

Thank you

I do get some comments about it being so small. I just chuckle and go about my day. Honestly, some of the things I have done with it, I flat out wouldn’t have been able to do by myself. The logs, rocks and stumps. The name brand ones are close to that price used with a ton of hours and questionable history. The place I bought mine at sells the base one for under $8k. The one I chose has a bunch of upgrades I thought would make my life easier. For example hydraulic oil cooler grease tension tracks, better control console, digital gauges, foot pedal for the thumb, hard plumbed lines, aide swing boom, and a warranty. I enjoyed meeting with a salesman at a dealership with lots of inventory plus a whole bunch of replacement parts sitting there on the shelf if needed. Another benefit for me is that at a dealership, financing is easy. I talked to my bank, gave them a copy of a price estimate and serial number, and they have me a loan for barely over $150/mo. While we are in the middle of this treehouse build, that was easy!

@@OurLifeInTrees yes, I equate it to RU-vid guys riding “big” motorcycles who make fun of people who have a 250cc or whatever. Maybe it’s his first bike or he just likes small bikes. Maybe don’t be a jerk for no reason? Anyway yes the upgrades really make it closer to the Japanese models feature wise. And with a dealer relationship who can help you with repair and maintenance that makes the decision to buy even easier. If that thing goes 1,000 hours before needing any serious service then it’s absolutely worth it. And if you consider that you have about $13,000 to spend on the machine to keep it running before you have spent what a “real“ one costs, then that’s pretty good math. You’re right too about some jobs being impossible without even the tiniest machine. Another thing…. Those little excavators can pick up about 400-500 pounds. So yeah they’re just handy. One thing pro operators say about the Chinese excavators is that the controls are jerky and sucky. But I guess you’ve got nothing to compare it to? I’m looking forward to updates on how it holds up over time.

⁠​⁠​⁠@@lukelovell1055 Haha I agree with the bikes comment. Same with big truck guys. I have a fleet of Honda mini bikes. So I don’t care. Sold my Goldwing a few months back. My daily was a Prius and I got made fun of a lot. People looked at me strange when I told them I had a new mega can Cummins at home and a Viper GTS. Prius saved me enough fuel to afford big toys. Haha I have heard they are jerky, and mine was until I got used to it. The guy that sells these claim he has upgraded pumps and valves over the cheapest ones and that makes it smoother. But I don’t really know because I have nothing to compare it to. I’m curious how it will hold up long term as well.

@@OurLifeInTrees ohh upgraded pumps and valves ok cool I’m sure that helps. Yeah I’ve had a Honda 250 dual sport (1st bike), Yamaha maxim 700, road king, triumph t120, and ninja 1,000. I like all the bikes. I’d love a tiny bike like a monkey would be fun haha.

@lukelovell1055 I currently have a Honda Grom, Honda Navi, 3 Honda CRF50s, 2 Honda XR50s, 3 Honda XR70s, and 1 Honda Z50. Too many honestly. I’ve had 5 CBR900RRs, 2 CBR1100XXs, 2 Honda Magnas, and some others. I always keep the mini bikes though. I would like a Monkey as well. lol

It’s crazy how much you can do with one!

Yeah I love it. It’s great.

That is what I was thinking.

Mine was more of an underwater briar patch with cottonmouth snakes all over. Ack!!

@@OurLifeInTrees Cottonmouths would freak me out. We have an above ground briar patch currently. Understand why clearing that out is important. Just pointing out that drying out the area too much can have problems... I would make sure to

@@b_uppythey dream me out too. No thanks! lol.

@@OurLifeInTrees Lol.

That’s cheap! Great score. I know they are out there, I would have to do a few mods and didn’t want to mess with it. They assembled it for me and gave me a quick hands on how to assemble well. Very useful for me.

@@OurLifeInTrees His doesnt have a hydraulic thumb and side shift.

@@Elyjah1 I just saw the video but haven’t watched it yet either way, great tools!

​@@OurLifeInTreeshis was agt

Where?

Hahaha thank you! lol.

No problem. I wish there was a review like this when I was shopping. Love my little digger. lol

no he dont there junk just like any thing from chine..try and get parts may come in month..try return 2 months rent a good one for work

That’s what I thought but when I flipped it, it was actually worse. I hear it’s really a hole to access the spark plug.

@@OurLifeInTrees Was worth a shot anyway. Good luck with it.

Tried it and dang it! It didn’t work. ru-vid.comUgkxbDfZTQUV0IKAYNRBaCk8zlNzoeoMPtmU?si=zWU0qc7NHvty_cn4

Wow! That’s awesome!! You got the deal of the century! Congrats man and enjoy! These things are amazing.

Please share where you got yours… 😊

@@Bama_Rose I bought mine at K&R Equiptment in Oklahoma.

Agreed!!!

I thought so too. Nope. Not made that easy. Sigh…. This is me trying to flip the cover. ru-vid.comUgkxbDfZTQUV0IKAYNRBaCk8zlNzoeoMPtmU?si=zWU0qc7NHvty_cn4

That’s what I said. And look at me now. Haha.

I thought the same thing and when I did it, no dice. It still doesn’t line up. Sigh…

This is me trying to flip the cover. Sigh… ru-vid.comUgkxbDfZTQUV0IKAYNRBaCk8zlNzoeoMPtmU?si=zWU0qc7NHvty_cn4

Haha

I started looking at a Kubota BX, then the B and L. You are right, that backhoe is expensive!! Then I saw these and decided to get this one. It can’t do everything a tractor can do, yet can do some stuff a tractor can’t do. I’d like to see a side by side comparison as well. @haxman bought a Kubota and did some videos on it.

If it's anywhere near the same money I would say a mini excavator is almost ALWAYS a way better choice than a backhoe. One major reason is because it frees up your tractor to be a loader (or whatever you need), so you can dig while someone else moves material. Even if you are the only operator I think it's still better to have two machines. Another reason is because a skidsteer mini excavator is way more functional as an excavator than a backhoe. You have to position the tractor, put the outriggers down, spin the seat, and then you are limited to a certain swing area. On the excavator, all you do is lift the blade and reposition. There are probably many other reasons.

@@kevin9c1 very true. Tractor is on my list. As of now I have a riding lawn mower and a mini excavator. Haha. I use mine for running between trees in the woods and digging up stumps. Places a tractor wouldn’t fit. The thumb is amazing for picking up logs and trees. I sure do want a loader for moving material though.

@@OurLifeInTrees I have a Simplicity Legacy with a front end loader. I used the loader for spreading and smoothing top soil but not much else. If I had a compact mini excavator that might change. The tractor is currently a dedicated snow blower machine with a snow cab so changing over is a bit of effort....

@@kevin9c1 I have a cub cadet garden tractor and thought about putting a Johnny bucket on it. One day I’ll get a little tractor.

That’s exactly what a thought, but it doesn’t work. Sigh… ru-vid.comUgkxbDfZTQUV0IKAYNRBaCk8zlNzoeoMPtmU?si=QvQuy0aYztG40tsd

Good call. I will do that.

Medium slopes would be ok but kinda sketchy. I use the bucket to keep from tipping. Steep slopes? I’m out. lol. Here is an example ru-vid.comUgkxdB_UlEKhBtxwDKiMDEuDaCBNa3SUagq7?si=rHqrG57gGROll6FX

Hahahaha. Yup! Sounds good!

That’s what I thought too. I tried it and it’s actually worse if you can believe it.

I think it’s a sweet machine for what I paid. I’m in Oklahoma and it works great for my purposes.

Look up Rippa Texas mini excavator. Mod. 319 RU-vid mike festiva - -spelling. $6100

@@denslod2930 I did more reasearch after this comment. Don't get rippa or kymron. They are identical to the machines on ebay for thousands less with free shipping. As for the mod it probably works on every one of these things.

They are awesome aren’t that?

So far so good.

Yeah they are handy to have.

Hahaha I want to be like me when I’m older. I want to stop aging!

This is in SE Oklahoma, not far from NE Texas. We are about 45 minutes north of Broken Bow. I really like the machine and it’s amazing what you can do with one.

Now that’s an idea. I couldn’t imagine how hot it would be without the cooling fan. I’ve read that some of these things boil the gas in the tank!! No thanks.

I imagine that’s true.

We do, and it’s kinda scary on hills. Not a fan of I think it can do more on a hill than I allow myself. I’m kinda afraid of tipping over and am new to the world of tracked machines.

@@OurLifeInTrees if there was some spacers or something to make the track base wider base I bet it would not feel as tippy. I’d like to have a machine to carve some atv trails through the woods with.

I don’t know the answer to that. Good question though. I should try and figure it out.

Yes. It’s awesome. No regrets buying this toy.

Yes. They do sell an auger attachment.

That’s true!

I always think I should just out, but you are probably right. Jumping out can get you crashed easily I’m sure.

@@OurLifeInTrees Yep. Just because it isn’t that heavy doesn’t mean it can’t mash you in half

@@servicetrucker5564 so true

Honestly I use the bucket to stabilize me up and down hills. Pretty steep but it’s really sketchy. I couldn’t imagine digging on a steep hill. We will see as I get more comfortable.

RH14-3 is the model number. Thanks!

Machine with all the attachments, tax and all was about $13k out the door. This is the one I got. www.microtrackhoe.com/product-page/kymron-rh14-3-excavator-side-swing-feature-1

Thanks. Congrats! That’s a nice looking machine. What are you looking for with the electrical? I don’t have a manual for that but maybe I can help.

@@OurLifeInTrees Not looking for anything specific yet...other than general operation of machine and maintenance. Thanks for the offer. I'll let you know if I have anything specific to ask. I'm bringing it home tomorrow.

@@keanmeyer7877 well have with with it and be careful. If you don’t mine me asking, where did you get it and how much do they cost?

@@OurLifeInTrees Jeff Martin Auction. $4,500 bid + $380 buyers premium + $359.90 tax = $5239.90 total.

@@keanmeyer7877 Heck yeah! Nice score. Congrats.

The rear cover flipped covers the exhaust more than the way it is. I have a 12v fan on the hydraulic cooler on the right side.

That makes no sense. The video shows the exhaust outlet gasses hitting the cover opening on the far-left upper corner (10:00-11:00) side. Then when you pan out the cover opening is clearly offset to right of center of the machine. Unbolt it, rotate it 180 degrees and bolt it back up, I promise it will line up better. It's almost like some Chinaman put it on wrong, because the bolt holes line up either way. @@OurLifeInTrees

This is me trying to flip the cover. Sigh… ru-vid.comUgkxbDfZTQUV0IKAYNRBaCk8zlNzoeoMPtmU?si=zWU0qc7NHvty_cn4

This is me trying to flip the cover. Sigh… ru-vid.comUgkxbDfZTQUV0IKAYNRBaCk8zlNzoeoMPtmU?si=zWU0qc7NHvty_cn4

I’m not sure. I should add that to my next video. Good idea.

Agreed! Very cool. What hoses do you mean?

@@OurLifeInTreesthe ones that run up the back of the boom. that are looking right at you when you operate the machine. maybe im too cautious, but just knowing its such a cheap one id take the precaution on safety. if one of those lines bursts under load thats alot of psi squirting right at your face potentially. and it happens sometimes.

@@doomlordkaka Ohhh I gotcha. Those are hard metal lines there, I would assume they should be good as opposed to the normal rubber lines which I would guess are easier to puncture.

@@OurLifeInTreesoh sweet, they black so looked like the reinforced rubber, my bad. youre fine

@@doomlordkaka Yeah, most don’t have them but this one does. Good thought though. I never would have thought about a line blowing out.

That’s what I thought.

Yes you can, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Here is a link to video where I pushed on a tree and got hit in the head! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-aveNIfrCbB4.htmlsi=HHaf9EjyD7df2ax_

@@OurLifeInTreesThank you! I watched the video glad it was not serious. I will definitely be super careful around dead tree. btw, just curious do you know how much force this machine can generate when pushing horizontally?

@@lppoqql I don’t. It’s nothing like a dozer but soooo much more than a shovel. It takes a bit to dig up stumps with the bucket. The roots sometimes are stuck and it pulls the machine back because it doesn’t weigh enough.

@@OurLifeInTreesThanks! Love your videos!

@@lppoqqlawesome. I appreciate the support!!