A mini excavator under 3 tonnes is the most rented, most abused and most traded machine on any European site. That is good news for a buyer, because supply is wide, and bad news too, because two machines with the same hour meter can be in completely different condition. This is the order we check them in.
Start with the job, not the machine
Transport width, digging depth and lifting capacity decide the class before the brand does. A 1.5 tonne machine passes a 90 cm gate and travels on a car trailer; a 2.7 tonne machine digs deeper and holds a bigger bucket but usually needs a plated trailer and a heavier tow vehicle.
Write down the narrowest access you have to work in and the deepest trench you dig. Everything else — brand, colour, extras — comes after those two numbers.
Hours are context, not a verdict
On a compact machine, 2,000 hours of careful municipal work can be healthier than 900 hours of demolition. Ask what the machine did, who serviced it and whether the hour meter was ever replaced.
What matters more than the number is consistency: hours, wear on the pedals and seat, pin play and paint should all tell the same story.
The five things we physically check
Undercarriage: rubber track cracking, sprocket and idler wear, track tension and any oil weeping from a final drive.
Hydraulics: cylinder rods for scoring and seepage, hose condition at the boom foot, drift when the boom is held loaded, and whether auxiliary lines were fitted properly.
Boom, dipper and bucket pins: play here is cheap to see and expensive to ignore.
Engine and cooling: cold start behaviour, smoke colour, radiator cleanliness and coolant condition.
Cab and electrics: working gauges, lights, seat, and no improvised wiring.
Ask for the paperwork before you ask for a discount
A serious seller can show a written condition report with photos of the defects, the serial number, and a proper sales invoice with VAT and export documents where they apply.
Every CONSPIME machine is inspected before it goes on sale, and the report and photos are part of the listing rather than something you have to ask for.
Payment and delivery
We accept payment by bank wire transfer only, and delivery inside our covered European countries is free. Check the machine on arrival and report any transport damage within 48 hours.
If the machine is not what you expected, our 14-day return window applies and eligible returns are free of charge.
Looking at machines right now?
Every machine in stock is inspected before sale, delivered free inside our covered European countries and paid by bank wire transfer.