The purchase of an excavator involves a massive capital outlay. Here are 6 things you need to consider before signing on the dotted line.
Total Cost of Ownership
The ticket price is only the start of the equation. If you are financing the excavator, you need to take into account the interest cost. Then you need to consider how much you expect to receive if you decide to sell the machine after its useful life. Secondly, you need to take into account the operating costs. You need to estimate how many hours it will be operating per year and then calculate the operator costs, fuel costs, lubrication cost and the cost of consumables. Finally, you need to add the maintenance costs broken down into labour and parts.
Fuel Efficiency
With fuel prices close to record highs, your fuel bill is going to be one of the biggest numbers in your operating expenses. Your excavator does not need to operate at full gas all the time. Modern machines come with integrated work modes that allow operators to get full power without running at full gas which can help bring your fuel bill down.
Comfort
The operator is going to be spending an extended period of time inside the cab so you want to make the working environment as comfortable as possible. You want to make sure the seat is adjustable and that the joysticks are sensitive. Some OEMs cut costs by spending less money on the cab, but this cost cutting can take strain on the operator and lead to operating inefficiencies.
Visibility
The operator needs to be able to see as much as possible from the cab - not just forward to the boom and attachments, but also on the sides and the back of the excavator. You want to see if your new machine has sensors and cameras so the operator is able to manage the space in his blind spots.
Service Access
Exacators have numerous service access points and you need to check where they are located. Are they located on ground level or will you need to jump onto the machine to access them? If you need to remove the entire engine to get to a small fitting, you may want to look at another machine that has been built with more foresight into service access points.
Common Service Parts
Many operators like to run the same brand of machines because of commonality in parts. That makes sense because it makes routine maintenance a much simpler process. Also bear in mind that some OEMs run similar parts - for example Case, Sumitomo and Hidromek.
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