looking at a Cat EL300b

[Serv]

I'm starting to look around for a used older excavator and a friend of mine has this sitting at his yard. He said we could easily make it mine. It looks to be in good shape with no cracks or weld repairs on the boom. The owner maintains his equipment better than average (or at least better than me) and I have never known them to cut corners when it comes to machinery repairs. If something breaks, they fix it at any cost using cat dealer only parts. They do their own labor. His reason for parking the machine is he has several new units in service now. I have no idea what year model this is or how many hours are on this machine but he has reduced this unit's service to a yard machine for cleaning out his water pit drain for his crushing/screening operation. This machine lived its life removing silty over burden then for stockpiling sand/gravel for loading out belly dumps to supply his ready mix business their material.

I need a machine for digging pits in river silt soil (fill dirt). Should be very easy work for this machine. He seems to be looking to get around 40k for this and judging by the few I've found by surfing around, they are priced starting at the low 20's and up.

do you guys think I could find much better bang for the buck out there? This one is right down the road from me and I know the only owner it's ever had since new. Should I pull oil samples and have them analyzed? Anything else I should look for like play on the turntable? I know nothing about excavators other than they look cool and seem to be very versatle machines. Whatever I buy will stay onsite at my yard and will not be hauled around anywhere. I can get the hours and serial number in the coming days. I didn't even fire this one up. Just took a look at it and poked my head in the engine compartment and the cab. cab looks a little rough inside but it does have a working a/c according to the owner.

 

[special tool]

$40,000?
That is on the high side for sure.

There are 3 on machinerytrader.com right now, maybe you should have a look.

You also definitely should operate any used machine you ever buy.

I suggest you bring an equipment mechanic with you to check it out, if you say you don't know much about excavators, there are many unique things about these machines.

 

[Serv]

$40,000?
That is on the high side for sure.

There are 3 on machinerytrader.com right now, maybe you should have a look.

You also definitely should operate any used machine you ever buy.

I suggest you bring an equipment mechanic with you to check it out, if you say you don't know much about excavators, there are many unique things about these machines.

yea, MT.com was the first place I looked. I think the only one that listed a price was the one for almost 20k dollars in AZ. From looking around the net, it looks like this machine was manufactured in Japan. I wonder if that's a good thing? I'm certain he'd let me operate it if I clean out that sludge pit for him while I'm at it. I know a very seasoned (certified) excavator operator that would check it out for me if I take him out there. For the record, I have mechanical sense just no experience with excavators specifically.

 

[special tool]

yea, MT.com was the first place I looked. I think the only one that listed a price was the one for almost 20k dollars in AZ. From looking around the net, it looks like this machine was manufactured in Japan. I wonder if that's a good thing? I'm certain he'd let me operate it if I clean out that sludge pit for him while I'm at it. I know a very seasoned (certified) excavator operator that would check it out for me if I take him out there. For the record, I have mechanical sense just no experience with excavators specifically.

Very similar to the Mitsubishi 300 from the same time.
I don't think you could kill it with an A-bomb if it was maintained properly.

 

[Turbo21835]

Very similar to the Mitsubishi 300 from the same time.
I don't think you could kill it with an A-bomb if it was maintained properly.

If memory serves me right, the "E hundred" series Cat machines were built by Mitsubishi

 

[joispoi]

On a $40,000 purchase, I would think spending $500 to have a qualified mechanic look at the machine was cheap insurance. He could easily find 10 times that worth of needed repairs that even the finest operator and a mechanically inclined guy will easily miss.

The price is too high for today´s market....that said, it doesn´t sound like the owner is in a hurry to get rid of this machine?

 

[CascadeScaper]

That's overpriced, but it really depends on the hours. WA state, in my experience, has always been a slightly higher priced market for used iron. I've seen 94 Hitachi EX300's up here with hydraulic thumbs with 8,000-10,000 hours on them for $30K. That machine, with 4,000-6,000 hours is worth no more than $35K up here, I'd imagine you'd be looking at a slightly lower value in your area for the same machine but that's just been my observation. It's no newer than a '94, I believe that's when Cat made the switch over to the 300 series from the E hundreds. For what it's worth, I'd almost rather have that E300 over a dash 5 Hitachi, the E hundreds were bomb proof. Good buddy of mine had an E200 that he really liked, great machine, put zero money into and he bought it with somewhat high hours and ran it for 3 years.

 

[OneWelder]

Check maint. records some early (but not all) 300's had to have injector work on a real reg. bases

 

[Chris91786]

Don't get an old cat machine made in Japan. Grey Iron machines are a bitch to find the correct parts for.

 

[TD-5]

Here is a link to Ritchie bros "RitchieWiki" site & their info on the 300B: http://www.ritchiewiki.com/wiki/index.php/Caterpillar_E300B/EL300B_Hydraulic_Excavator

 

[TD-5]

Here are the auction results for the EL300 & 300B over the last 24 months at Ritchie Bros, gives an idea of what kind of money they are getting :

 

[finaldrive]

That machine was a workhorse and if properly maintained probably still is. I agree about the price though, it's way too high.
This model is not gray market, it's pretty much the same machine as a Mitsubishi MS300LC-8. CAT should be able to get anything for it. Final drives are my specialty and I stock new final drives for this machine and many parts for it.
The pumps parts are readily available and can be rebuilt when needed. Swing motor isn't a problem either. I wouldn't worry about the parts availability.
Engine should be a Mitsy 6D22 and while expensive, are readily available too.

 

[Serv]

Thanks so much for the responses gentlemen.

I'm glad to hear this was as good as a machine as you guys say. We'll take a better look at it this week.


One more quick question if you guys have the time. What used excavator would you guys buy if you had a budget of 40-45k dollars? To me, bigger would be better as this machine will stay on site and not require to be moved if ever at all. My dozer's about to be payed off and I would like to replace that note with the most excavator I can find. I test drove a Kobelco 200 (mark IV?) earlier today. It was smaller than this cat, but it was sweet! Sounds like there are a lot of nice machines out there to be had.

 

[special tool]

Thanks so much for the responses gentlemen.

I'm glad to hear this was as good as a machine as you guys say. We'll take a better look at it this week.


One more quick question if you guys have the time. What used excavator would you guys buy if you had a budget of 40-45k dollars? To me, bigger would be better as this machine will stay on site and not require to be moved if ever at all. My dozer's about to be payed off and I would like to replace that note with the most excavator I can find. I test drove a Kobelco 200 (mark IV?) earlier today. It was smaller than this cat, but it was sweet! Sounds like there are a lot of nice machines out there to be had.

Bigger is better?
Sight machine?
How about this....

http://www.machinerytrader.com/list...6716780&GUID=20C72CAA23564D909BE0B40062036FD5

 

[jeff45]

http://www.machinerytrader.com/list...3&GUID=e316a9ba793d435289206dcf170f9bbe&dlr=1

this looks like a good deal to me depending on what shape its in.

 

[Nuggethunting]

Hey Guys,

A partner of mine just purchased a CAT345 BL Trackhoe. Is there anyone out there that knows where you can get an instructional manual from an Internet site? I know you can get them directly from CAT, just curious if you can purchase them from a Internet book site or such.

The unit we picked up is a 2001 and seems in great shape. Just curious on these units how hours would fall under a "high mileage" type unit?

Thanks for any thoughts, tips or suggestion in advance.

Rob

 

[Serv]

Bigger is better?
Sight machine?
How about this....

http://www.machinerytrader.com/list...6716780&GUID=20C72CAA23564D909BE0B40062036FD5

Wish it were closer!

http://www.machinerytrader.com/list...3&GUID=e316a9ba793d435289206dcf170f9bbe&dlr=1

this looks like a good deal to me depending on what shape its in.

thanks for the heads up.







Here's one I'm going to look at in the next day or so. Well actually there's 3 but I'm interested in the larger one so far. It's a 1999? model Kobelco SK300 mark IV and it's right down the road from me. All three look pretty rough, but they are original owner and original paint and best of all, very cheap. This is a package deal on three machines and 5 extra buckets. the other two machines are 1999 SK220's. I already have the deal put together to buy all three with a partner and I get the pick of the litter if we go for it. One of the 220's has a dealer installed brand new engine.

Can anyone tell anything by the photos? besides the fact that it looks like crap, lol. Does the undercarriage look ok? As long as the machine I buy lasts for a few years relatively trouble free, I'll be good. The below pics show only the SK300

 

[Serv]

two more pics

 

[Serv]

Do the pics look that bad? :beatsme

What if I say I can buy all three of these '98-'99 model Kobelco's here for 50k dollars? We'll be down to look at them (ready to buy) in the next couple of days.