which one?

[kevmeister]

wow, talk about 'horns of a dilemma'. I've been looking at the 4200XL, the Kat, Barebones, and now Magom for a first excavator. I feel confident enough to be able to finish the Barebones and the Kat. Budget is a concern for me and I still think a guy can bring one of these in for around 2 grand or just over that. I think if a guy is gonna spend much more than that, he should go with the 4200XL. I don't think I'm out to lunch on this, but I appreciate the opinions of those who have gone before me...

[ricm]

whilst I do not have any earthmoving equipment, I have started to think about budget for an excavator so I've been keeping track of a few folk who have them.

It would seem that you get what you pay for - a friend got a KAT, but it was badly damaged in the post due to poor packaging and many parts missing. Some parts weren't good quality so he already had to buy a number of upgrades to get the thing working from the start. I'm not sure how much extra he had to spend but I figure it would have been a good proportion of the original price

Where I'm beginning to settle is to try to find a second hand premium brand model, even if it needs a bit of servicing. The basic parts are pretty robust and the things which cause leaks (O-rings, seals, hoses) don't seem to be so expensive to replace if you need to. So when I get round to it, I'll be looking at Premacon, Vario, THS Truckmodelle.

Having said of that, the best advice will come from the guys who have them....so I'll be watching this post for more qualified advice than mine!

[kevmeister]

I found a link to Vario; and the others I have seen mentioned but have no links to either of them (Premacon and Modelle). I'm gonna have to start searching a little more closely. the quality of the Kat was a concern for a couple people on the forum (they bought them).

[liftmys10]

Which version of kat did your friend have? Reason why I ask this is because the manufacturer keeps revising the Kat with new parts. For example the pump motor is now brushless vs. Brushed. The pump is also different, almost similar in design as the 4200xl. They have also upgraded the tracks and the spinning mechanism for the body. I can also see the hydraulic cylinders are different from the past.... I don't have a kat and I'm not trying to sell you a kat. Just pointing out things I've seen.

[apfubar]

Premacon:
Premacon.com

Ths:
http://www.ths-truckmodelle.de/html/

[ricm]

Originally Posted by liftmys10

Which version of kat did your friend have? Reason why I ask this is because the manufacturer keeps revising the Kat with new parts. For example the pump motor is now brushless vs. Brushed. The pump is also different, almost similar in design as the 4200xl. They have also upgraded the tracks and the spinning mechanism for the body. I can also see the hydraulic cylinders are different from the past.... I don't have a kat and I'm not trying to sell you a kat. Just pointing out things I've seen.

He bought a late model only a few months ago, some of the things wrong straight out of the box:

1. Side of body badly bent.
2. Main track drive chassis bent to a difference of 25mm from front to back.
3. Track links bent and damaged.
4. Pressure relief valve missing.
5. Brushless Esc missing.
6. Nuts and bolts missing.
7. Every nut and bolt on the main Body and Turntable was loose and needed loctite.
8. Main gear drive on turntable motor loose and fell on first test, so had to pull it all apart and start again.
9. Paint job is sh^%.
10. 1 out of 3 servos to drive hydro valves stuffed.
11. Countersunk bolts for the main body assembly, but no countersinking on the holes.

the main pump drive shaft also recently broke after only a few hrs use.

[kevmeister]

Originally Posted by apfubar

Premacon:
Premacon.com

Ths:
http://www.ths-truckmodelle.de/html/

thanx. REAL good stuff.

[kevmeister]

on a different forum, one of the mods is a big fan of the 4200XL. I wish I knew more about the Barebones model. a lot of food for thought...

[andyathome]

hi , I have both the 4200 and the kat, spend the extra and get the 4200.
Having said that Im seriously thinking about the bare bones and fitting 4200 internals.
just my 2 cents.

[kevmeister]

I've been REALLY looking at the 4200. and the barebones model would be good with a GOOD hydraulic setup in it as well. Has anybody picked up one of the barebones models?...

[bigford]

i dont think the BB is for sale yet.

[kevmeister]

if they can hold their line on the price I think they'll be surprised at the response they get (the barebones crew).