As the most popular item of construction equipment, there are always plenty of used tracked excavators for sale at Plantpages. Called ‘Crawler Excavators’ by some, the tracked excavator is available across a huge operating weight range. If you are looking for a smaller tracked excavator, under 10 tonnes, then you should be browsing the mini-excavator category instead. The most popular manufacturers of tracked excavators in the UK are JCB and Hitachi, but do not discount the machines from CAT, Volvo, Komatsu, Hyundai and Case.
Thanks to the huge variety in capacity, both in terms of operating weight and digging capabilities, a buyer of a tracked excavators should carefully consider the size of the machine needed to carry out the job. If you can get away with a machine under 10 tonnes, then you should be looking at our mini-excavator pages.
The heavier the machine, the more power it needs – therefore a larger engine and wider track to accommodate it. This all leads to additional cost, so make sure you choose the right size, not simply the largest you can afford.
If you buy an excavator only to find it won’t fit on your trailer then you’ll be looking at even more investment in trailers and potentially adding to the transport complexity.
You may be tempted to buy a (cheaper) and more obscure brand, but you need to make sure that you can get the parts and get them quickly. If you have a breakdown and parts take a week to arrive you’ll be losing more money that you saves in the initial purchase. This is why it is usually best to opt for a popular brand and model if you are a relative newcomer to operating tracked excavators.
As with buying any machine, make sure that it has a manufacturer’s plate and that it appears in order and not tampered with – if there is something wrong here – walk away.
Is the machine a grey import? Check carefully that the machine is CE marked.
Has the machine had a ‘facelift’? It is easy to change the model number stickers on the side of the machine to a more desirable model – check the model number on the manufacturer’s plate to avoid falling for this trick.
If your digger is likely to be working roadside or in confined spaces, opt for a zero swing tail excavator. This means that the rear of the rotating body will not protrude from the extremities of the tracks when slewing.
Let’s use a few models as an example – let’s look at the CAT 320D, Hitachi ZX200-3G, Komatsu PC200-8 and the Doosan DH215LC-7.
So, as far as Caterpillar are concerned, 320D 320, the first ‘3’ stands for “excavator”, Caterpillar uses different numbers for each of the product lines, for example “7” is for articulated trucks, “8” is for dozers, “9” is for loaders.
Next, the letter in front of the brand excavator represents the excavator code number of the manufacturer, Komatsu uses PC for excavator, WA for loaders, and D for dozers. Hitachi’s excavator use “ZX”, and Doosan use ‘DH’ for their excavator and “SK” for Kobelco.
Next comes some numbers – take CAT 320D. The ’20’ represents the operating weight of the excavator in tonnes in this example, 20 tons.
It’s not always exact, for Komatsu’s PC200-8, the 200 means “20 tonnes” (not 200 tonnes), Doosan’s DH215LC-7 means 215 for 21.5 tonnes, etc.
Finally, using the CAT 320D example the end is the letter “D” which is the series of products made by Caterpillar,
LC at the end indicates that the model uses widened, lengthened crawler, in order to increase the contact area with the ground. This is generally used when there are soft ground conditions.
The Komatsu tracked excavator is a great example of the choice available from advertiser Ridgway Rentals on page 15 of this week's magazine. The company has excavators from 2018 to 2020 including a 2018 Komatsu PC490LC-11 with 5,100 hours, a 2019 PC360LC-11 and a 2020 PC228USLC-11. Remember, there is always a huge choice of Komatsu excavators for sale at Plant Pages online. Remember, there's always tonnes of farm machinery for sale at our sister site www.farmmachinerypages.co.uk If you are looking for trucks and trailers for sale then head to www.truckpages.co.uk Also check out the rest of the photo lineages for…>
There's a choice of Komatsu PC210 LC tracked excavators heading through the Malcolm Harrison sale at Prees, Shropshire on the 20th April. If you are keen on one of these machines, you may have to spread yourself thin, as there are some similar excavators going under the hammer at the CVA sale on the same day. Take you r time to browse the inventory in the magazine and online - view all machines for auction here. Remember, there's always tonnes of farm machinery for sale at our sister site www.farmmachinerypages.co.uk If you are looking for trucks and trailers for sale…>
The Doosan DX480 on this week's front cover is joined by a series of standard and demolition spec excavators at CVA's Greater London Demolition fleet renewal sale taking place at Enfield - see more details on page 20. Expect to see machines from Doosan, Hitachi, Case and Komatsu. If you are hoping to bid online, please make sure that you register at least two days in advance to make sure that you are set up and to avoid disappointment. Remember, there's always tonnes of farm machinery for sale at our sister site www.farmmachinerypages.co.uk If you are looking for trucks and…>
Explore Plant and Transport Solutions has invested in a fleet of more than 100 JCB machines in a deal worth in excess of £6 million. The haulage and plant hire services specialist based in Worksop, Nottinghamshire has taken delivery of the new models which include: JCB Loadall telescopic handlers, site dumpers, generators and for the first time, JCB midi and X Series excavators. Explore Plant and Transport Solutions has depots across central and eastern England and supplies equipment to a range of high-profile schemes and development projects across the UK where the JCB machines, including 245XR reduced tailswing tracked excavators,…>
JCB's 131X tracked excavator has been making light work of tough demolition jobs in the South East of England. Purchased by London-based demolition and dismantling contractor, Feltham Demolition, the machine – already built with strength in mind – has also been equipped with bucket and dipper ram guards, side impact protection, cab cage and belly plates for the rigours of demolition applications. Supplied by dealer Greenshields JCB, the new 131X has been used to demolish two large portable classrooms and a theatre at East London University, five houses in Oxshott, Surrey and is now dismantling a warehouse in Staines, Surrey.…>