When purchasing a used excavator, you need to consider many aspects. Here are some experiences and tips:
Assess the overall condition
Check the appearance: Carefully inspect the appearance of the used excavator, including the body, cab, bucket and other parts. Check for obvious scratches, dents, deformations or repair marks, which may indicate that the machine has experienced a collision or severe working environment. At the same time, pay attention to the condition of the paint. Uneven paint or repainted areas may mask some problems.
Check the chassis: The chassis is a key part of the excavator. Check the wear of the crawler to see if there are any missing, deformed or excessively worn track shoes. In addition, check the supporting wheels, sprocket wheels and guide wheels to see if there are any oil leaks, wear or inflexible rotation. Damage to these parts will affect the walking performance and stability of the excavator.
Test the working device: Operate the working device of the used excavator, such as the boom, dipper and bucket, and check whether its movement is smooth and flexible, and whether there is any jamming, abnormal noise or oil leakage. Pay attention to the connection of the working device, such as the pin and bushing, to see if there is excessive wear or looseness, which will affect the accuracy and strength of the excavation.
Detection of core components
Engine inspection: Start the engine and listen to whether the sound is stable and whether there is any abnormal noise or vibration. Observe the color and emission of the exhaust gas. Normal exhaust gas should be colorless or light gray. If the exhaust gas presents black, blue or white smoke, it may indicate that the engine has problems such as incomplete combustion, excessive oil consumption or coolant leakage. Check the engine’s oil quantity, oil quality and coolant level to ensure that they are within the normal range and the oil quality is good without impurities or emulsification.
Hydraulic system inspection: Check the oil level and oil quality of the hydraulic oil tank. The hydraulic oil should be clear and transparent without turbidity, discoloration or odor. Check whether there are signs of oil leakage in the hydraulic pipelines and joints. Slight oil seepage may be caused by aging of the seals, but serious oil leakage will affect the performance and work efficiency of the hydraulic system. When operating the hydraulic components, feel whether the pressure of the hydraulic system is normal and whether there is insufficient pressure or fluctuation.
Understand the use history
Working time: Generally speaking, excavators with shorter working time have relatively less wear and tear and better performance. You can check the working hours of the excavator through the dashboard or related records, but pay attention to whether the dashboard may be tampered with. If possible, you can also ask the seller about the actual use of the machine, including the daily working hours, working environment, etc.
Working environment: It is also very important to understand the previous working environment of the excavator. If it mainly works in harsh environments, such as mines, stone yards, etc., the wear of the machine may be more serious, especially for parts such as chassis, working devices and engines. In relatively mild environments, such as urban construction, landscaping, etc., the wear of the machine will be relatively small.
Maintenance records: Ask the seller for the maintenance records of the excavator to find out whether the machine has had major failures or maintenance history. Frequently repaired machines may have some potential problems and need to be checked and evaluated more carefully. At the same time, maintenance records can also help you understand the maintenance of the machine. Machines that are maintained on time usually have better performance and reliability.
Other considerations
Document inspection: Make sure that the relevant documents of the excavator are complete, such as purchase invoices, certificates of conformity, property rights certificates, etc. These documents are very important for proving the legitimacy and ownership of the machine, and are also related to subsequent transactions and use. If it is an imported second-hand excavator, you also need to check whether the import customs declaration procedures are complete.
Test drive and machine inspection: Before purchasing, you must test drive and inspect the machine. During the test drive, fully operate the various functions of the excavator to feel its performance and controllability. Pay attention to check whether the safety devices such as brakes, steering, and horns are working properly to ensure that there are no abnormalities during the operation of the machine. At the same time, you can also use the test drive to further discover some problems that are not easy to detect in static inspections.
Choose formal channels: Try to choose formal second-hand excavator trading markets or reputable merchants for purchase. These channels usually conduct certain inspections and evaluations on excavators, and provide corresponding after-sales services and guarantees. In addition, you can also learn about other buyers’ purchase experiences and evaluations through online platforms, industry forums, etc., and choose reliable sellers and machines.
