Classifieds spotlight: 5 excavators under $20K

Okay, so you’d be hard pressed to find a brand new 20-tonne excavator in this price range, but you’d be surprised to find some leading brands and pretty decent items for sale on constructionsales.com.au that cost under $20,000.

Best part is, there are even some brand new units you can bag for that price or even less!

As you’d expect, most of the models in this price bracket are on the compact side with simple ROPS structures with not many bells and whistles, but they are more than ready to get to work and get the job done.

We did some digging for you (pun intended) and found some great rigs you can add to your fleet for less than 20 big ones.  Here are just a few that caught our eye:

2012 Caterpillar 301.4C

Location: Queensland

Undercarriage: Track

Condition: Used

Operating Weight: 1.5 tonnes

Hours: 2300

Price: $19,800 (excluding government charges)

Caterpillar is simply a name that needs no introduction and explanation. The quality across its entire range is indisputable and its mini excavator range is no different. Between 2011 and 2018, Caterpillar mini excavators were manufactured in Austria by Wacker Neuson until Cat decided to take production back into its own hands in 2018.

The 301.4C listed for sale has been kept in tip top condition with clean undercarriages, the seller said. It also comes with three buckets with widths of 300mm, 450mm and 1000mm. It features extendable track frames and is available with warranty. The seller is happy to assist with transport of the unit where applicable.

2011 JCB 8018 CTS

Location: Perth

Undercarriage: Track

Condition: Used

Operating Weight: 1.8 tonnes

Hours: 2011

Price: $16,950 (excluding government charges)

JCB is another industry leader in the compact range, recently having launched the world’s first electric mini excavator on the market. This 1.8-tonne 8018 CTS excavator as listed by the seller has been phased out so it’s essentially a collector’s item! The model was replaced by JCB in 2012 with the 19C-1 excavator which is still going strong in JCB’s stable.

This 8018 CTS comes with a ROPS canopy, half hitch, two general purpose buckets and one mud bucket. It was made in 2011 and has done 2011 hours (what are the odds?). From all angles, the machine certainly looks like it has been given plenty of TLC over its lifetime and we know some TLC goes a long way in extending a machine’s life expectancy.

2013 Terex TC19

Location: WA

Undercarriage: Track

Condition: Used

Operating Weight: 1.9 tonnes

Hours: 3083

Price: $17,600 (excluding government charges)

This Terex unit could be another one of those collectors’ items because Terex no longer produces excavators since it sold its compact equipment business to Yanmar in 2016.

Terex’s excavators were made in Germany in top quality facilities, hence promising the highest standards and premium quality. This Terex TC19 comes with a ROPS canopy, expandable tracks, hydraulic piping, a pin pull hitch, 400mm gummy bucket and brand new tracks and sprockets.

The seller has recently serviced, checked & inspected the machine prior to listing the item up for sale on constructionsales.com.au.

2003 Yanmar Vio 10

Location: NSW

Undercarriage: Track

Condition: Used

Operating Weight: 1 tonne

Hours: 2197

Price: $14,000 (excluding government charges)

Yanmar has made bold claims that it launched the world’s first mini excavator to the market back in the late 1960s. Regardless of whether that was true, the company’s expertise in this segment is undisputed, with over 50 years of experience manufacturing compact excavators under its belt.

Yanmar’s Vio compact excavators are zero tail swing, meaning the rear of the machine do not protrude beyond the width of the body when rotating which helps reduce risk of injury on site.

The Vio 10 unit listed comes with a GP bucket and a set of new tracks. Even though it is about 17 years old, it looks to be in excellent condition.

2020 Agrison ME950 mini excavator

Location: Victoria

Undercarriage: Track

Condition: New

Operating Weight: 950kg

Hours: 1

Price: $11,880

Looking for a brand new excavator without the typical brand new price tag? This could be one for you. Agrison is a 100 per cent Australian owned company which manufactures its machines in China to suit Australian conditions.

The item listed is an MY2020 mini excavator model and comes with a bunch of freebies, including three buckets with widths of 200mm, 360mm and 460mm; a ripper attachment; a hydraulic auger digger; a log grabber and a quick hitch. Agrison is also offering a 5-year nationwide warranty with its ME950 mini excavator.

See all excavators for sale on constructionsales.com.au