What’s My Excavator Worth?

So you have an excavator that you’re ready to sell. But before you can list it anywhere, you want to know how much your excavator is worth. Read on to find out how you can get a general idea of its current market value. 

Excavators come in a huge range of sizes, specs, and brands—each of these identifiers will have an impact on how much someone is willing to pay for your excavator. On top of this, its age and the hours your excavator has been working will also make a dent on the final price. 

In general, not taking any of the above indicators into account, new excavators can range from just a few thousand dollars, right up to $1M+.

1. Establish the Excavator’s Size

The first thing to consider that will impact the value of your excavator is its size. For instance, a 1.8T mini excavator will have a lesser value than their 50T counterpart. 

Excavator Sizes & Price Ranges

When coming up with a value for your excavator, the fastest way to get an idea is to look through machinery marketplaces such as Machines4U. Here, you can refine your results by operating weight and get a good starting point. Generally, the bigger and more powerful the excavator, the more it’s worth.

• Mini (1 – 10T): $10,000 – $100,000+
• Small (11 – 18T): $60,000 – $180,000+
• Medium (20 – 35T): $70,000 – $200,000+
• Large (36 – 90T): $77,000 – $420,000+
• Extra Large (100T+): $300,000 – $1M+

Please note: the above price ranges do not take into account the condition, hours or brand of the machines.

[Have an excavator to sell? Get a free machinery estimate here]

2. Understand Its Current Condition 

Now you have a basic idea of a price range, it’s time to narrow it down. If you have a brand new machine, you’re going to be able to ask for top dollar. But if you’re not a machinery dealer, or in the business of buying and selling machinery, then it’s highly likely your machine is in used condition. Here are a few things that will further impact your excavator’s condition and therefore, the final sale price.

Working Condition

Any excavator that is in good working condition and can do the job it was originally built for, will fetch a much higher price than an excavator you’re scrapping or selling for parts.

Service History

Similar to selling a car, buyers want to know if your excavator has been well maintained while in your possession. Generally, used excavators retain a relatively healthy value, especially if it’s had a decent service history. If you can prove the machine has had continued scheduled maintenance, you’ll be able to ask for more. 

Age & Number of Hours

These indicators do not always go hand-in-hand. It is possible to find excavators that are 10+ years old with lower hours than others on the market the same age. So if your excavator is starting to age, but hasn’t been used all that much, you could still have some negotiation power. 

Appearance

Excavators are built for the dirt, but it’s amazing how giving your excavator a good clean can also help you ask for more from the sale. Focus especially on the cab and interior, but don’t neglect the exterior either.  

[Have an excavator to sell? Get a free machinery estimate here]

3. Is it a Sought-After Brand?

When people think of excavators, they think big yellow; Caterpillar. And it’s true, Caterpillar is one of, if not, the most popular excavator brand in Australia. For this reason, Cat excavators will generally sell for more than other brands of the same size, tonnage, condition and hours. Other popular brands that tend to hold their value include Kubota, Komatsu and CASE. 

4. Are You Throwing in Attachments & Extras?

Don’t need the excavator or its attachments? If you make it a package deal this could be more attractive to your buyers, and could result in a higher price than if you sold the excavator by itself, without attachments. 

5. Take the Current Market Conditions into Account

The last few years have been rocky to say the least, but it’s had a significant impact on the market value of new and used machinery. Due to shipping delays, new excavators are hard to come by, which has caused buyers to flood to the used equipment market. For this reason, the market value for excavators has increased. This is why it’s important to get a good idea of the current market, to see if your perceived machine’s value is in line with its current market value. 

Not sure what’s happening in the market, or perhaps want a second opinion? Get your machinery estimate from the Machines4U team now.