Which Excavator Brand Is Right for You?(A Brutally Honest Buyer Self-Assessment Quiz)

Most excavator buying mistakes happen before money changes hands.

Not because the machine is bad—but because the buyer is a terrible match for it.

This quiz doesn’t test your knowledge.It tests your reality.

Answer honestly. Your wallet depends on it.

HOW TO SCORE

For each question, choose A, B, or C and keep a tally.

• A = 1 point

• B = 2 points

• C = 3 points

At the end, total your score.

1. How often is hydraulic oil changed on your machines?

A) “When something fails”

B) Roughly on schedule, sometimes late

C) Strictly on hours with oil analysis

2. How many different operators use the machine?

A) Everyone with a key

B) A small regular group

C) One or two trained operators

3. What does your work environment look like?

A) Dust, mud, water, chaos

B) Mixed conditions

C) Clean, controlled sites

4. What happens when a warning light comes on?

A) Tape over it

B) Run until shift ends

C) Stop and diagnose immediately

5. How do machines start in the morning?

A) Start, rev, work

B) Start, idle briefly

C) Warm-up cycle every time

6. How good is your hydraulic oil cleanliness?

A) Unknown

B) Filters changed, oil “looks clean”

C) ISO cleanliness targets tracked

7. What matters more to you?

A) Survival

B) Balance

C) Performance and efficiency

8. How do you react to electronic fault codes?

A) Ignore them

B) Reset and monitor

C) Diagnose with software

9. What’s your maintenance philosophy?

A) Fix it when it breaks

B) Prevent big failures

C) Prevent small wear

10. How do you feel about complexity?

A) Hate it

B) Tolerate it

C) Embrace it

YOUR SCORE

10–16 points: BUY FORGIVENESS

You operate in the real world.

Best-fit brands:

• Hyundai

• Doosan

• JCB

These machines tolerate:

• Dirty conditions

• Multiple operators

• Late servicing

They survive abuse longer—but hide damage better. Expect bigger failures eventually.

17–23 points: BUY BALANCE

You live between chaos and control.

Best-fit brands:

• Komatsu

• Volvo

These machines reward decent maintenance and punish neglect gradually.

You’ll get:

• Strong performance

• Moderate tolerance

• Clear warning signs before failure

24–30 points: BUY PRECISION

You run disciplined operations.

Best-fit brands:

• Caterpillar

• Hitachi

• Kobelco / Sumitomo

These machines deliver:

• Exceptional performance

• Tight tolerances

• High efficiency

They do not forgive neglect. Ever.

WARNING: The Most Expensive Buyer Type

If you scored low but want a high-precision brand, you are statistically guaranteed to lose money.

Not because the machine is bad—because the environment is wrong.

Why Vikfin Uses This Quiz

Before recommending parts or machines, we mentally run this test.

If buyer reality and machine personality don’t align:

• Failures repeat

• Parts get blamed

• Money disappears

This quiz saves everyone pain.

Final Reality Check

The best excavator isn’t the smartest.It’s the one that survives your habits.

Be honest. Buy accordingly.

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