Excavator Dealer Woes

[JLA1990]

14 hours ago, AHPP said:

What were the bits being put right out of interest?

It was a hitch problem - the whole hitch has now been replaced but keeps displaying a sensor fault. 

[Oldfeller]

were I in your position ,, I would walk away.

the more intricate and reliant on chips and ecu,s sensors and suchlike, the more problems,more coin, and more  time in the repair shop losing money.

theres a reason a large percentage of older equipment is still around,= less electrics.

[Stubby]

4 hours ago, Oldfeller said:

were I in your position ,, I would walk away.

the more intricate and reliant on chips and ecu,s sensors and suchlike, the more problems,more coin, and more  time in the repair shop losing money.

theres a reason a large percentage of older equipment is still around,= less electrics.

This all day long ! 

[doobin]

9 hours ago, JLA1990 said:

It was a hitch problem - the whole hitch has now been replaced but keeps displaying a sensor fault. 

To be fair, the mecalac hitch is very very specific to mecalac!

 

now I know what machine it is I would persevere if it’s the right machine for what you need.

[JLA1990]

26 minutes ago, doobin said:

To be fair, the mecalac hitch is very very specific to mecalac!

 

now I know what machine it is I would persevere if it’s the right machine for what you need.

Yeah and that’s something I appreciate but they’re a Mecalac dealer so expected a more prompt fix. Yeah it’s the machine for us - tbh it’s the perfect arb machine. Thanks for the input!

[Tree monkey 1682]

On 29/05/2025 at 17:27, doobin said:

It sounds like it’s going to be a pup. And you’ve not put any money down? Thank your lucky stars and walk away. 
 

What brand was it?

It’s a buyers market at the moment for both new and used. 

Hi doobin, 

Hate to say it but you are very out of touch with the construction side of things, most machines on site get chopped in either by three or five years, this is either best residual value or from a hire perspective less things to go wrong or if they do they're on warranty. 

Regards to buyers market, genuinely the are waiting lists on machines, people like Hitachi you pre order machines a year in advance of needing them, thus keeping Hitachi machines artificialy high irrespective of a recession. 

You can't haggle or knock down a dealer, you either buy it or don't.. 

Thes not many old machines out there any more, most were exported , the ones knocking around are old knackers or the exporters weren't intrested in. 

Also the gets a point when machines aren't viable to "fix". 

This comes from someone who spends summer on diggers and autumn, winter on trees. 

[doobin]

1 hour ago, Tree monkey 1682 said:

Hi doobin, 

Hate to say it but you are very out of touch with the construction side of things, most machines on site get chopped in either by three or five years, this is either best residual value or from a hire perspective less things to go wrong or if they do they're on warranty. 

Regards to buyers market, genuinely the are waiting lists on machines, people like Hitachi you pre order machines a year in advance of needing them, thus keeping Hitachi machines artificialy high irrespective of a recession. 

You can't haggle or knock down a dealer, you either buy it or don't.. 

Thes not many old machines out there any more, most were exported , the ones knocking around are old knackers or the exporters weren't intrested in. 

Also the gets a point when machines aren't viable to "fix". 

This comes from someone who spends summer on diggers and autumn, winter on trees. 

I ignored your first two posts. You clearly have no idea how many machines I run or buy and sell. You’re just making yourself look a fool mate. You haven’t a clue how the industry works.  I’ll spell it out for you and the benefit of others. 
 

Hitachi are a unique case where they sell into the UK manufacturer direct. It doesn’t keep their prices high- hitatchi are easily the cheapest Japanese make out there. Good (albeit basic) very reliable machines- kept cheap by a lack of dealer overheads. They hold very limited stock at any time. I’ll be you it’s not a years wait in the current climate either.
 

Everyone other brand has dealers. Who are forced to hold a certain amount of stock to keep their dealership. There are no waiting lists at dealers any more. Covid premium for both new and secondhand machines has disappeared. The bolshy ‘take it or leave it’ attitude of  dealers has also disappeared, to be replaced by special offers, free finance and extended warranties. You don’t sound like you’ve ever bought a new machine. Haggling has always been a part of it- it was just that during Covid you couldn’t expect to get anywhere as there was no stock and a lot of demand. Completely the opposite now. 
 

New Holland for example force their agri dealers to hold some construction stock. For three years now a very large tractor dealer has been trying to sell a dozen minis. They started at 22k, as this is what new Holland had as the rrp regardless of them being available from Hyundai at 17/18k. I had a good chat with the salesman about it when I dropped in to collect some parts for my new Holland backhoe. They have now been trying  for four months to flog an unused 2023 model at 15k. The same machine in Hyundai branding was 14k back in 2017! I know because I bought one at the time. 
 

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so yes, it is a buyers market currently. Not just on new machines- go look at the auction results for secondhand values- even on fresh, low hour machines. 

[doobin]

10 hours ago, JLA1990 said:

Yeah and that’s something I appreciate but they’re a Mecalac dealer so expected a more prompt fix. Yeah it’s the machine for us - tbh it’s the perfect arb machine. Thanks for the input!

Wheeled or tracked? Tab boom? 

[NJA]

Mecalec take forever to deliver parts and don't give lead times so dealer may be waiting on them.  I'd be chasing them though otherwise it'll just sit in their yard.

Why don't you politely ask if they can lend you a machine until yours is delivered, you never know.  Even if they refuse it might speed it up!

[Tree monkey 1682]

1 hour ago, doobin said:

I ignored your first two posts. You clearly have no idea how many machines I run or buy and sell. You’re just making yourself look a fool mate. You haven’t a clue how the industry works.  I’ll spell it out for you and the benefit of others. 
 

Hitachi are a unique case where they sell into the UK manufacturer direct. It doesn’t keep their prices high- hitatchi are easily the cheapest Japanese make out there. Good (albeit basic) very reliable machines- kept cheap by a lack of dealer overheads. They hold very limited stock at any time. I’ll be you it’s not a years wait in the current climate either.
 

Everyone other brand has dealers. Who are forced to hold a certain amount of stock to keep their dealership. There are no waiting lists at dealers any more. Covid premium for both new and secondhand machines has disappeared. The bolshy ‘take it or leave it’ attitude of  dealers has also disappeared, to be replaced by special offers, free finance and extended warranties. You don’t sound like you’ve ever bought a new machine. Haggling has always been a part of it- it was just that during Covid you couldn’t expect to get anywhere as there was no stock and a lot of demand. Completely the opposite now. 
 

New Holland for example force their agri dealers to hold some construction stock. For three years now a very large tractor dealer has been trying to sell a dozen minis. They started at 22k, as this is what new Holland had as the rrp regardless of them being available from Hyundai at 17/18k. I had a good chat with the salesman about it when I dropped in to collect some parts for my new Holland backhoe. They have now been trying  for four months to flog an unused 2023 model at 15k. The same machine in Hyundai branding was 14k back in 2017! I know because I bought one at the time. 
 

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so yes, it is a buyers market currently. Not just on new machines- go look at the auction results for secondhand values- even on fresh, low hour machines. 

Thanks, I've brought a few new machines.. Never been able to haggle or get a discount, that was the way it is, really after to be honest 2001, due to the money laundering and terrorism act post 9/11.

You can't count the new holland agri dealers as construction... Farmers always bleat they've got no money and  yes they have to sit on certain stock. But if you went into a case dealership and tried to haggle I doubt you'd get far...  I still know some people waiting on machines to come in a be prepped. 

I went in to buy a 2.7ton digger from new holland dealer new old stock as you said , ram was weeping, algae growing around the window, no warranty and a dent where they'd turned the quick hitch around and put a dent in the dipper.. Would they correct the faults  or give warranty or discount nope.. That was a 3 Yr new old stock machine  (kobelco). 

So it didn't get  sold... 

Also when I last spoke to dealers dependant on where you are in the UK is dependant on what you pay... Example is a Hitachi digger was cheaper in Scotland than the south by 2.5k. I queried it with Hitachi... 

Maybe im surrounded by shite dealers (I doubt as they not be in business still!) 

But that's how I've found things. 

Also cnh group has parted ways with hyundai, now part of the devlon (doosan) group. 

Cnh group have now purchased a new mini digger manufacturer, that I can't remember who it was, and now they produce there mini and midi machines. 

Edited 20 hours ago by Tree monkey 1682
Irritating