Should you consider buying an Imported Excavator?
Hey there! Welcome to the JoyT5 blog. Whether you’re new here or a returning reader, we’re glad to have you! Today, we're doing something a bit different from our usual content. We'll be giving you an insight into out experience with Imported Excavators as well as an honest look into the greatest pros and cons of considering an Imported excavator for your next project.
The Project
It all started on our family’s farm. One day, we had a project that required a lot of digging. While the thought of digging with just hand tools was amusing, we soon realized it wasn't practical. So, we decided to get an excavator.
At the time, like many, we were average folks with little knowledge about excavator equipment and the machinery industry as a whole. Our project specifications suggested we needed at least a two-ton machine. Naturally, we leaned towards a well established brand - one we won’t name here due to legal concerns. With the confidence of a fresh college graduate, we visited the dealership. Everything looked perfect...
Until we saw the price...
Sticker Shock and the Search for Alternatives
To give you some perspective, for the quoted price of the excavator we could have bought this 2021 Jaguar:
Like any reasonable people on a budget, we looked for alternatives. Through our research, we discovered that many big brands manufacture their machines overseas. This led us to explore imported excavators, which cost much less.
The Catch
But what was the catch? Were these machines made of subpar materials? Did they break down frequently? After extensive research, we found that the real issue wasn’t frequent breakdowns but the after-sales service. Imported excavators often require parts that are hard to source because they come from overseas manufacturers.
If you buy an imported excavator at an auction and something goes wrong, here’s what you need to do:
- Determine the faulty part.
- Identify and contact the manufacturer.
- Spend a couple of weeks communicating back and forth across time zones to confirm the warranty and order the part.
Even if you get past these initial hurdles, the time to ship the needed part could take anywhere from 2-4 months, causing significant delays, especially for contractors on tight schedules.
Getting Burned
We realized that when you pay a premium for a brand-name machine, you’re paying for peace of mind. Established contractors often avoid imported excavators to avoid project delays. But we weren’t contractors working on massive projects; we were just a few guys needing to dig some holes.
So, we decided to take a chance. After three months reaching out to factories and getting quotes, we narrowed it down to a couple of options. We made our final decision based on a small detail in the technical specs of the offered machines. One of the two manufacturers promised 5cm more maximum digging depth.
We placed our order and put down a deposit. The time to manufacture the machine took a couple of weeks and we waited with anticipation. When the manufacturer let us know that our machine was ready to ship he sent us a video. Right away we could see that the delivered machine didn’t match our specifications. The machine had a bottom mounted boom cylinder, when we specified during negotiations that we wanted a top mounted boom cylinder.
As shown in the picture above. The hydraulic cylinder on the boom was on the bottom instead of the top. Let me explain why that matters.
Having the hydraulic cylinder on the bottom provides two significant disadvantages:
1. It is exposes the cylinder to damage due to operator error as the object you are moving with the hydraulic thumb can ding and damage the cylinder if you are not careful.
2. It reduces the maximum digging depth of the excavator, as the cylinder gets in the way of the boom.
That being said, the most frustrating part was that quite simply, this wasn't what we had agreed to.
A lot of first time buyers aren't aware of difference the cylinder configuration really makes, and some manufacturers will take advantage of this.
Luckily, we did our research, and specifically requested at top mounted cylinder and agreed on a price with that in mind.
The manufacturer attempted to play it off as a misunderstanding, and proceeded to tell us if we wanted the top mount, it would cost us a $1000 USD more.
The situation led into a two-month battle to get our deposit back, which we eventually won. However, the damage to our trust was done.
With much time wasted, we tried again with our second choice.
This time, the factory delivered exactly what they promised and the quality far exceeded our expectations.
Solving the Problem
That’s when we had an idea. If we could address the after sales service by offering it ourselves, we could remove a lot of the risks around owning an imported excavator. That's what we've set out to do.
So far we’ve expanded our offerings to include skid steer loaders, wheel loaders, rock crushers, drum rollers, and various attachments.
Currently, we carry parts in Canada for some of our most popular models, and we’re actively working on expanding the list. Our main goal is to open the first JoyT5 service center in Canada to add even more value and ensure our after sales support leaves nothing to be desired.
Why We Do It
So, why are we doing all this? For you, our customers. Everything from our pricing to our fully loaded configurations is designed with you in mind.
We've been in your shoes and understand the frustration of choosing between cost and peace of mind. At JoyT5, our mission is to bring you the best of both.
Your support makes it possible for us to continue doing what we do.
To learn more about our mini excavators for sale visit our mini excavator collection.
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Thanks for being here with us. We wish you the best of luck in whatever your next project is. Keep turning the gears of success and progress and we’ll keep bringing you the joy of excellent machinery-
-because that’s why we exist.