Sawubona, truth-seekers and wallet-watchers. Ralph and Justin here, standing in the middle of the Benoni strip yard with two identical Komatsu PC400-6 final drives on the bench: Left bench: genuine Komatsu OEM final drive, 9 800 hours, pulled from a low-abuse coal loader. Price from Vikfin: R48 000. Right bench: brand-new Chinese aftermarket copy bought by a customer who “saved” R28 000 up-front. Ran 2 410 hours. Now looks like it lost a fight with a blender. We’ve stripped,

Sawubona, mfowethu! If you’ve ever stood next to a 40-tonne excavator that’s been sitting dead for three weeks waiting for a R280 000 hydraulic pump from Japan, then this 3 000-word deep-dive is written specifically for you. My name is Ralph – I’m one of the guys at Vikfin who actually turns the spanners, drives the forklift, and argues with customs officials so your parts land in Kitwe or Walvis Bay without drama. Today I’m pulling back the curtain on exactly how Vikfin has

When a machine as mighty as the Hitachi ZX520  rolls into Vikfin’s yard, you know something serious is about to happen. This isn’t your average teardown. This is a mechanical autopsy —the careful dismantling of one of Hitachi’s most powerful heavy-duty excavators to give new life to other machines still out there doing the hard yards. For contractors, operators, and fleet managers across South Africa, this is big news. Because every time Vikfin strips a giant like the ZX520,

An excavator is a serious investment. Whether you’re in construction, mining, demolition, or scrap metal, your machines are the lifeblood...

In the competitive world of earthmoving and excavation, every second of downtime can mean lost profits. Equipment owners know that when...

In South Africa's competitive earthmoving industry, downtime is the enemy of profitability. Every second an excavator sits idle means...

The earthmoving industry thrives on efficiency and reliability, and excavators are at the heart of this ecosystem. Whether you are...

In the world of heavy machinery, ensuring your equipment runs efficiently is non-negotiable. But as costs rise and margins tighten,...

In the world of earthmoving and heavy-duty machinery, downtime is a costly problem. For every hour your excavator is out of action, it’s...