Hitachi UHO 62

greek88

hi can anyone help me on this, i could do with a digger for farm work etc, to be honest i could give 6 months on one doing up our farm there is that much work to do. Mainly drainage and the odd levelling of fields and making of new fields.

I have never driven a digger before but i have seen a Hitachi UHO62 for sale for under €5,000. Would this be a sensible option or are these machines a waste of time because of their age. Like if it did break down and was too expensive to fix im sure i could sell it for scrap etc for a few thousand €€€'s.

I have always wanted a ex100 or 120 but i just don't have the money for them.(i would need that kind of reach for drains and some of our land i wet and boggy.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

mostatom

Hi, You are probably best to avoid a UH052 at that kind of money, it is likely to be very poor. Part's for that age machine are very hard to get now. I had a small UH a few year's back and had to sell it due to lack of part's availability. A good EX100 or 120 is a better bet, but, as with any machine you have to budget for breakdown's and with a small budget part's can be expensive. A decent EX100-1 or 120-1 would be €12,000 to €15,000.
Always bring a fitter with you if your going to look at a machine, extra bucket's are a plus too.
Hope this help's, good luck with whatever you decide.

td5man

-1 are a good simple machine. There was a uho traded in against a tractor locally and the undercarriage fell apart when it was being loaded it had rusted through.

greek88

Thanks guys, to be honest i always knew id probably have to pay 12k+ for a machine and i wouldn't even have anything near that saved. I just saw that and though is it worth it or too good to be true. Thanks for your help.

9935452

greek88 wrote: »

hi can anyone help me on this, i could do with a digger for farm work etc, to be honest i could give 6 months on one doing up our farm there is that much work to do. Mainly drainage and the odd levelling of fields and making of new fields.

I have never driven a digger before but i have seen a Hitachi UHO62 for sale for under €5,000. Would this be a sensible option or are these machines a waste of time because of their age. Like if it did break down and was too expensive to fix im sure i could sell it for scrap etc for a few thousand €€€'s.

I have always wanted a ex100 or 120 but i just don't have the money for them.(i would need that kind of reach for drains and some of our land i wet and boggy.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

If you have never driven a track machine before it could be a better idea to get someone in for a week or two at a time to be doing the work.
they can be easy to drive but not easy to drive well
Someone who is used to driving one will do the work in a quarter of the time that you can and do it a lot tastier, drains will have the right level/drop and dykes also. you will be putting money into stone/drainage pipe and its worth doing right.
You might also find that you need and extra person to be around to work with the track machine, laying pipe, trailer work, drawing stone etc, if its only you that will take more time.
also you can claim vat back on drainage work.
then factor in breakdowns and diesel and your time.

greek88

Ya id have my father with me for drawing with tractor trailer work etc. We've done so many drains dykes on the farm at this stage that i know all about the right level/drop but i know what you mean in terms of driving a machine well and being inexperienced i probably won't be tasty. I wouldn't be diving head first into drainage work just yet i be doing general clean up of yard levelling off some fields light work first to get used to it then on to the dykes drainage work. Thanks for the comments i do appreciate them

9935452

greek88 wrote: »

Ya id have my father with me for drawing with tractor trailer work etc. We've done so many drains dykes on the farm at this stage that i know all about the right level/drop but i know what you mean in terms of driving a machine well and being inexperienced i probably won't be tasty. I wouldn't be diving head first into drainage work just yet i be doing general clean up of yard levelling off some fields light work first to get used to it then on to the dykes drainage work. Thanks for the comments i do appreciate them

No bother .
Regarding the levels/drops , i have a 50hx at home and do some work with it , in a fairly level field it can be difficult to judge a drop.
My advice is to hire a 6 ton track machine for a week and see how you get on with it ,work it around the clock. you could love it or hate it, if it turn out that you hate it , you might save yourself the hassle of buying one.
You will also see how much diesel they burn.

greek88

In this part of Kerry with the rainfall and land type id say a 10ton minimum id prob buy. I know one or two lads with 6ton diggers and as soon as they go into rough/slough ground they get stuck or don't have the reach from dyke to ditch opposite. Yes 6 ton would be ideal for field work levelling off etc but in years to come id be hoping to make fields out of rougher boggier type ground and so would need 10-12 ton.

mostatom

I see your point about the 6 tonne machine, but, just to give you another view. I have an EX60 with the long dipper and 2ft tracks and i do a lot of hire work with it. I think the reach is as good as an EX100 with standard dipper, and she will travel anywhere. Having said all that an EX60-2 is as expensive as an EX100, but buckets are a little cheaper. EX60 is easier to transport. I also agree with all of the above advice.