Man you saved me a ton of money professor, glad I saw your class yesterday, looking for a used mini-ex, first one I checked out this morning had serious blow-by, had to write to you this morning to thank you so much.

Glad you pointed out the idlers in front. Almost no one knows their is a front, back, left, right,boom , orstick

Okay you missed a few thing. 1 major thing you need to check is the slew ring it’s self. Check if there’s play in that. The digger will have a little rocking motion in it. Put boom to the ground and slowly lift your self up. Have some else look at slew ring to see if there play. An experienced person the can feel this in 2 seconds. That thing your calling a swivel motor isn’t a motor at all. It’s called a distributor barrel here or rotary joint. Opinion oils leaks from that it usually leave a puddle on the ground on older machines. When checking the slew motor you should also check if it loose. When checking the final drives you also beware that’s it not full to the top. This indicates that there’s a seal gone internally from hydraulic motor to gear box. In this case it will usually leak oil out onto the tracks. Also when track the machine in a straight line and see if it pulls to one side. Check for welds or cracks on boom/undercarriage. And if your looking for an old machine and little blow by outs you off. You will never find a machine that suits you. Also check for bubbles in radiator.

I purchased a used unit before I saw your video but then went back and checked the 5 things you pointed out. I did need to rebuild 2 leaking cylinders but its running good and digging well. Thanks for the heads up, especially to us novice equipment owners.

I would never had thought of the swivel motor. Thanks for that! Glad to see you back hope everything works out with the dozer. 👍🏻

im so glad i found this vid.. THANK YOU for making this quality money saving video, very much appreciated

You've shown a lot on maintenance along with lots of words of advice on the jobs based on your experience. You're a great 'mentor' for the many in the world and it's great we all learn from each other if we merely LISTEN. Buying the equipment people like you have to purchase is like buying cars on steroids. Oh and my first words to a car salesperson are, "I'll accept the fact that you lie, as long as you accept the fact that I don't believe you!" (Gets the stage set properly). Hey, 'big guy', thank you for another one that will help many people out. Stay safe You & Yours! Sonny (CT)

You had me going with the swivel motor. I’ve never heard that name before, I know it as a rotary joint. Since it’s not a motor, it just has passages with slip rings and just a joint to get the hydraulic fluid to travel between the bottom and upper sections of the machine.

Always good to hear different opinions on machinery checks.

Nice one Mike, You and the family stay safe.

This is a great video of a simple and easy run down. I didn’t know all of this stuff, definitely appreciate it thank you!!

Nice!! Useful info and will come in handy as I'm currently in the market for a ”new to me” excavator.

Just found the channel, loving it! Thank you!

This is the greatest recap of engineering and how to buy something. Great job!

Thanks Dirt Boss, great video. I would love to have a mini-excavator but for now just renting. I love me some excavators, they are very handy.

Thanks for your generosity!

Thanks Boss , This helps alot , never heard of the swivel motor .

This was very helpful to me thanks. i can purchase with confidence now...

GREAT video! Thanks for the detailed tips!

Another awesome video bro beans! 3 of those things I never would have thought to look at nor did I know how to access their status. It would be cool if you did some more of these vids on some other pieces of equipment as you get time.

Hey Mike! Nice review presentation brother. Hope you and yours are healthy and staying safe. Looking forward to the new "normal" here, hopefully soon. Work safe, enjoy your week! Doug@ the "ranch"

Good video, be glad to see dozer back and working you and family stay safe 👍

Watched it twice, thank you!

Hey Mike, Excellent tips for buying used equipment, since most of us can't afford new. Also excellent video on septic system installation. Learned a ton on that one too. Would appreciate any others on septic installation, especially one with the dosing/gravity fed system, since I have to install one shortly. Keep 'em coming! Outstanding quality and information.

thanks very much for sharing you acknowledge, I'm looking at a one used mini exc. tomorrow they say it has only 650 hrs. but still very important thinks to check . thanks again. i did subscribed

I’m in the market in Jan, this helped tremendously! Thank you

Great advices for newbie’s like me ! Looking to buy an X soon !!!

Good info! Thanks for sharing!

Very informative

Good information and great content

Very informative. Thanks.

You are the MAN !!! Thank you 🙏 so much for the information

That's a pretty informative video my friend.👍👍 I'm glad I saw this before I'm about to start looking at equipment.

Nice video thanks sir

Great video Boss. Thanks for taking the time to make it. Are you going to do a video on the Komatsu, and let us know what happened to the drive unit, and what it took to get it fixed.

Thank for this vid

Thanks, Boss you did extremely well posting this video, you saved more people from creating great mistakes. I make sure to subscribe and follow you. I may need one machine in a short time. Thanks again bro

Nicely done great information!

nice to see you mike. i would love to buy a 14,000lb mini. i have a lot of work to do with it. waiting for just the right deal. this video reinforces some of the things i was looking for. thanks for you time and efforts making this video. hope you can get back to work soon!

I usually check the engine first, don’t even start it up before I check the oil level. Bearings or anything relating to the undercarriage cost less then a new engine.

Thanks a million bud..

Thank you

Thank you for the basics. Very good points. If the cab looks like a PIG operated it. Left all there trash all over another RED flag. Have seen cabs like the owner stored every little bit of garbage they had. Just used the cab like a garbage dump.

Great work!

Great video Mike, thanks for the info. How about one for a dump truck?

Tq for your awesome explanation BOSS

Great info

Thanks!

Well done

Great videos we just need more of them. lol

Excellent video.

Thanks bro.

nice video Thx!

Just another day at KZfaq university. Learning new information everyday haha but seriously thank u don't know when ill need this but interesting nonetheless

great info!!!!!!!!

Great helpful video. Novice question, what is difference between the swing motor and swivel motor? Thank you.

Is there one brand of machine that is better than the next? Bobcats seem to be common used ones around where I live but I wonder if they are any good.

awesome video!!!

Nice video, glad your back. Do you get fluids tested?

Nice and u need to check power when u try maschine

Just bought a machine and wishing I paid a little closer attention to this video. The swing motor dip stick was dry, thankfully not white, but I am having issues with it tracking... Hope it doesn't get too expensive!

thank u!!

Hey mike good video 👍

8:35 meant to say swivel manifold not swing motor! LOL 😁

Might want to adjust those tracks

Love your video! Curious to ask, I started working and fixing on tractors the past year and I'm now looking at buying a komatsu p220 lc3 model the guy said he replaced the swivel bearing and then the machine has a few hydraulic leaks on the cylinders which I understand is normal but I cannot find any information on this machine on the internet on if it is reliable or not I don't feel like buying a lemon that big and I am curious how much it goes for and if there are any more specific things to look for with that series thank you and hope for your reply thanks

#6 pins and bushings on boom and stick

I’ve been following your videos which is the most realistic when it comes to working and heavy machinery. I’ve been dealing with dirt bags for the last 30 years and I’m looking into an excavator and dozer. But who can u trust. Ur up north and I’m down south.but dealers r like divorce lawyers. Any one up north that can be trusted with sale of heavy equipment up there please let me know. And sure hope komatsu didn’t hit you hard God bless and stay safe

Good tips, Dirt Boss and good to see you out. Hope you get your dozer back tomorrow - how much did it set you back?

Thanks 👍👆🙏

Nice job Big Guy! 🥰

Hey i got 45 yesrs in the seat plus when you buy a used excavator you just as well buy and replace is all the hoses or put em in the shop for that day when one pops get a set of correct thread grease rerks komatsu is british thread pitch cat is cat and oil sample all the fluids and machine records hope he is not a driver make bells ring i work for a fortune 500 company as an operator

Dude when you making/posting a vid about replacing the dozers final drive

Nice info, auto subscribe 👍

What Wod you say is most reliable brand of 12k ib min ex machine , An also small dozer around 80hp

Great video, what’s happing with the dozer?

I've always wondered how a digger can rotate continuously without damage

No one beat s CAT service parts resale... Other machine s good but service terrible. Slewing ring wear cracks in boom from side loads. Welding repairs on boom. Metal in hydraulic oil bronze or steel iron a sign of main pump failures avoid a machine that had a pump failure since metal filings get sent all into everything and it is impossible to clean out. .Hydraulic swivel manifold leaking. Blow by out of breather on engine and noises. Check final drives for silver oil metal chips noises when traveling. Always Have hyd oil tested by Lab! Also run machine hard digging traveling for at least half an hour and have charge pressure checked before buying. Auction machines are a gamble$$$$$ Excellent video.

You’ve forgot one , check the boom and the Jib arm down to the quick hitch !!!!

Good info thanks a lot

Great video!! Another thing is the operators seat ... if it’s ripped and torn and the arm rests are all worn 🤔 the operator doesn’t care about the machine but if the cab is clean and the seat is good chances are the rest of the machine will be looked after too.... (having said that you must thoroughly check the rest of the machine too )

swivel joint.

It's not really a motor...it's a swivel hydraulic coupling that connects the upper hydraulic to the lower hydraulic and lets them turn and still have a seal. With that coupling the upper part of the machine can go round and round and not have hoses twisting up

Any word on when the dozer will be up and running?

Thanks for sharing I put new final drives in my identical machine last summer My screen is telling me air cleaner is restricted but it’s got new air filters,does yours ever give you that code

Great video, lik'd and sub'd

wow

That Mitsubishi motor is used in a lot of large excavators. I had that engine in a Kato 550. Great video Keep up the good work. Very informative.

What advice do you have for someone with zero experience to get into this?

What would you consider for a lot of hours?

It's a swivel joint. Not a swivel motor. Just to help everyone understand what it actually is. Just a pathway for another hydraulic motor to reach the final drives.

When I get enough money I’m getting one just. Because

What is considered excessive hours ?

👍🏻

Life was easier when Tony Soprno just cared about the ducks on his pool...this new life seems complicated

One question, how do you figure out what size of machine to buy? Just starting out, companies in my area won't hire anyone with less than 10 years verified experience in the seat (they will not budge on this, i have asked) so they have made a competitor out of me. I know I will need a hammer as this area has a stupid amount of huge borders and entire hillsides that are almost solid rock, planning to dig foundations and septic tanks mostly.

Hows studio DBM&E coming out.

What year is that machine? How much should that model 160 cost with similar hours. I'm looking to purchase a used small excavator and that model the perfect size.

Any updates on the shed?

Please how can I know the weight of excavator?