advice on evaluating a mini excavator

[8918018]

Can anyone advise on what "specific to mini excavator" items I should check before buying a ex rental KX91-3 series 2 Kubota?

 

[Rmart30]

Have any mechanic buddies?

How many hours? Machine been beat up? repainted or original paint? Any leaks on the cylinder rods? Any scratches or gouges into their chrome?
Pull the covers and look inside for any leaks.
Rubber tracks arent cheap.. how do they look? Are they both tight or is one loose?

 

[8918018]

Roger that, I used to be a mechanic. I was also concerned with the electronic controls. I did some reading up on the auto idle and flow control adjustments for the aux circuit (thumb). I guess it will be a last min decision, either the electronics works or not and how it effects the machine operation.

I am going tomorrow to see it, 4hr drive. He says no leaks. Pics show he must have sprayed white grease to keep rods from rusting through winter. One pic show a slight wave in a track (like it goes to one side) I hope when I get there it doesn't look like the track has broken cables internally.

It is a former rental machine, but price right.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Rmart30]

Roger that, I used to be a mechanic. I was also concerned with the electronic controls. I did some reading up on the auto idle and flow control adjustments for the aux circuit (thumb). I guess it will be a last min decision, either the electronics works or not and how it effects the machine operation.

I am going tomorrow to see it, 4hr drive. He says no leaks. Pics show he must have sprayed white grease to keep rods from rusting through winter. One pic show a slight wave in a track (like it goes to one side) I hope when I get there it doesn't look like the track has broken cables internally.

It is a former rental machine, but price right.

Thanks for the advice.

As someone who has worked for equipment rental companies for about 25 years i can tell ya. Ya get some good used machines from some, and then ya get some turds.

Best thing I can say is run it run it run it. You should spend at least 30 minutes working with it. Dig with it if ya can, Climb a bank if you can to make sure pulls well. Make sure the engine gets well up to operating temp as well as the hyd oil. If there are any problems it should show up in that amount of time.
We have a couple of Kubota mid size excavators. They have been trouble free with a couple thousand hours on them. Being a mechanic ya know either electronics work, or they dont.

Fresh paint tells a lot about a machine. I would rather buy a machine with original paint so I can tell what kind of life it had.
Tracks can tell ya another story. Are they really cut up or torn and look like was used hard in a scrap yard or steel mill... or are the worn evenly with no cuts and mostly rented to home owners , landscapers or plumbing companies.
Are there gouges in the metal on the side of the boom arms where its been swung up against stuff a lot? Are the levers tight or floppy? Does the bucket flop around when curled? Check the hyd oil ... is it clean and clear or milky looking like they have had it under water.