I Bought A Chinese Mini Excavator at a Farm Auction

Added: 2026-05-06

[00:00:00]I just bought this Chinese mini excavator for $4,000 from a farm auction and I'm about to see if I got robbed.

[00:00:09]>> I think I'm stuck.

[00:00:14]>> Whoa.

[00:00:21]>> Oh yeah. Oh gosh.

[00:00:25]What happened?

[00:00:26]>> I think I have a seat belt.

[00:00:28]>> All right, guys. was enough playing with this thing. We got to put this to the actual test. We got a real life project situation where we actually need it because we don't actually have a real mini excavator sitting behind.

[00:00:40]>> We just pretend we don't.

[00:00:41]>> But if we didn't if we didn't have this one borrowed, >> and truthfully, I think this one's too big to even get to where we need it. So, we got a real life situation for this Chinese mini excavator, and we about to use it. So, let's go. Let's go see if this thing works. So, it looks terrible out here under the pole barn.

[00:00:58]We are really getting reconnected with our roots of redneck engineering out here. We got our dryer.

[00:01:05]>> That's a washer.

[00:01:06]>> That's a washer. Got a washer halfway in the shakement tan. We got the dryer over here propped up on some random pieces of wood. Our drain pipe running 50 mi into the woods over here so it doesn't feed back into here. But we we are going to fix that today. Well, >> well, we are going to start to fix that today, guys. Like I said, we got a plan for this old mini excavator. We're going to start cleaning this area up. We're going to dig that. That's going to be a graywater septic system for our laundry room that we're hoping to put in back here. And if you want to see all that, you're going to have to click the old subscribe button. I know it scares some of you. Some of you are just scared to click it. I don't know why. I'm just out here trying to be your friend by you clicking it and me giving you great content. So, just do that. I'm going to walk you through the plan real quick because we're getting into the action.

[00:01:59]We ain't going to do all this this nonsense talking stuff. Dig a hole here.

[00:02:03]Barrel goes here with some rocks. Trench comes this way. The trench is going to come all the way through here through this part and come to this monstrosity which is going to also be where our wire and our plumbing comes from. And then the barrel is what all the gray water after it goes into the washers and drain. The laundry room is basically going to be right here.

[00:02:29]We're going to build build a little section here. It's going to sit up off the ground. It's gonna be real nice.

[00:02:34]We'll be like the double wide at the back of the the trailer park, you know?

[00:02:38]We're a little bit fancier. We still we're still really connected to them roots, but we just we just a little bit fancier cuz we got a laundry room that's outside in a pole bar.

[00:02:48]>> At least it's not here and here. It's going to be an improvement.

[00:02:50]>> Hey, don't y'all say nothing bad about my my laundry room. I'm going to be proud of it no matter what the outcome is. And in my mind right now, it looks really good.

[00:03:00]>> I'm just excited to test this thing out.

[00:03:02]That's that's down the road. First, >> this thing is about to do wonders. It's about to work harder than it's ever worked in its life. Mostly because it was brand new when we bought it. And it'll probably be the last time it works. I just don't have a whole lot of faith in its longevity. But it's going to work really hard until it doesn't.

[00:03:22]All right. Well, we got some more stuff we got to do real quick. We got to get this stuff cleared out. I got to hook up to the bush hog with the tractor. Bush hog some of that tree line back so we have room for the laundry room. And then we're getting this over there to start digging. So, let's get all that get all that going.

[00:04:07]Oh yeah.

[00:04:13]All right. Let's see if I can get in there now after doing all that work. I'm sweating.

[00:04:35]Craig is working in some tight quarters over here in our future laundry room area. It's not going to be a big laundry room, but it should work. Should work.

[00:05:01]All right, let's see what we got over here. I might have to cut some more stuff. It did get that further back, but I couldn't get it over this to chop it all down. So, going to cut that down.

[00:05:13]>> And somehow it's falling more into I am pouring water from my face, guys.

[00:05:22]All right. All right.

[00:05:22]>> You want to just get the loppers and go to town?

[00:05:24]>> Yeah, I think so. Where they at?

[00:05:34]I can't see.

[00:05:52]Now, as it would appear, we couldn't go No bigger on a mini excavator. Okay. So, I think it's about the perfect size for a job like this.

[00:06:13]>> Look at this. We got a space. It is clear.

[00:06:18]Plenty of room for a laundry room over here.

[00:06:20]>> Oh, man.

[00:06:21]>> Room is a word we're using very loosely.

[00:06:25]>> I'm hoping I have enough room to just push my dirt off to the side a little bit when I dig this thing.

[00:06:30]>> I'll be happy with this thing if it's just better than a shovel, which I can't expect much more than that. I think it's going to be I'm hoping that this will be slightly better than a shovel. If it does, it's a win.

[00:06:43]>> Be our other option here cuz that's the only thing that's fitting.

[00:06:46]>> Yeah, if it does, it's a win. All right, let's go.

[00:06:50]>> Don't you knock the pole barn down.

[00:06:52]>> Starts really nicely.

[00:07:03]>> It's very jerky.

[00:07:20]I don't know why it jerks so much.

[00:07:22]>> I don't know.

[00:07:24]It was a little squinky, too.

[00:07:45]Oh yeah. Look at that scoop. That's a good old scoop right there.

[00:07:49]>> That was a good scoop. Oh my gosh.

[00:07:51]>> Oh gosh.

[00:07:52]>> Careful now.

[00:07:59]Oh yeah.

[00:08:05]Now we're talking.

[00:08:06]>> Oh yeah.

[00:08:07]>> Look at that.

[00:08:08]>> That's pretty good.

[00:08:09]>> That's That's a good old few shuffles right there.

[00:08:29]had to dig through all them with a shovel.

[00:08:31]>> All them roots.

[00:08:33]>> Yeah.

[00:08:45]Wow.

[00:08:47]That's a big pile there.

[00:08:53]I'm pretty happy with this thing so far.

[00:08:56]I can't believe I'm digging through all these roots with it.

[00:09:01]>> Look at it go.

[00:09:13]>> I think that's about deep enough. Do you think? But it just needs to be longer.

[00:09:19]All right, let's see what our deepest point is right here. We're about Can't really get it in here. Uh about 24 in. So maybe a little bit more cuz we'll want the We'll want it to be a little deeper than that.

[00:09:37]>> All right.

[00:09:38]>> And then obviously longer.

[00:09:41]>> All right, >> get to it. This is way better than a shot.

[00:09:45]>> Look at that. I even got a lot. Where?

[00:09:47]Where's it at?

[00:09:48]>> It's on the other side. Dang, this thing's hot.

[00:09:52]>> Oh, yeah. There is a little light there.

[00:09:53]>> Where at?

[00:09:54]>> I see it. We working into the night.

[00:09:58]>> That's right. Ain't nothing stopping us except for maybe somebody calling cops about noise.

[00:10:06]>> Look at that. Started right back up.

[00:10:27]All right. How you like it?

[00:10:29]>> This I like this thing's like perfect.

[00:10:34]It's like perfect homeowner excavator unless the motor quits working.

[00:10:40]It's again, it's all Chinese stuff.

[00:10:43]>> You never heard of most of it, but I mean the hydraulic lines, nothing's leaking on it. Uh the it is extremely hot. I am like the amount of heat coming from the motor right now is insane. I'm sweating from it.

[00:10:55]>> Okay. Well, let's see how much longer you got to sit on it. Let's see here.

[00:10:58]Let's see here. So, our width is about 34 at the top. down at the bottom.

[00:11:09]It's like 22.

[00:11:14]So, I don't know. I think you might want to shave the sides out a little bit.

[00:11:18]>> Okay.

[00:11:19]>> The height is say about 28.

[00:11:25]>> So, it's high enough.

[00:11:27]>> It's hard to see and it's hard to widen cuz I ain't got enough room in between the shipping container and that post.

[00:11:32]Oh, >> but I might be able to pull forward and just shave down this the side going to the post a little bit more. I can't go further that way because it should be fine.

[00:11:39]>> We can shave down the post side and then like in the back corner here, if you could just kind of like >> scrape that straight.

[00:11:46]>> Scrape it straight. Yeah.

[00:12:05]That looks good. Now you just got to scrape the edge.

[00:12:26]We might have to clean it up. Clean the edges up with a shovel. flat shovel. But I mean, that's pretty good. That's where the barrel is going to go. We can now we're going to make a skinny trench just like the width of the bucket along the shaving container here going towards our water stuff and power. But I'm I mean, other than feeling like I'm in a sauna right now because of the heat on this thing, it's it's I can't believe it's working as good as it is. It's pretty crazy. You get all this all this for $4,000. Some people got them cheaper, too.

[00:13:00]>> I know.

[00:13:01]>> Dang it.

[00:13:13]It's so hot.

[00:13:16]Come feel how much heat's coming out of this side.

[00:13:21]Yeah, I think so.

[00:13:24]>> Yeah. Maybe give it a a little break.

[00:13:27]>> Yeah, I think so. Give me one of these sticks. Hold the seat open so the heat can come out.

[00:13:34]I'll say that's about the only flaw so far.

[00:13:37]>> Does it have any type of temperature um gauge?

[00:13:40]>> I don't think so.

[00:13:41]>> And I doubt it has a shut off if it gets too hot.

[00:13:45]>> Okay. So, we better take precautions here cuz Craig said if it dies, he has to dig it with a shovel.

[00:13:53]So, >> I don't want to.

[00:13:56]>> So, we're just going to blow some air through here on it. Oh, yeah. Get just some air circulating. Let it take a little breather.

[00:14:04]>> Little 10-minute break >> and then put it back to work.

[00:14:06]>> There we go.

[00:14:12]>> It's better.

[00:14:13]>> It is. It is better.

[00:14:16]I thought it would like not go through the dirt. Really?

[00:14:20]>> No, it did pretty good. I figured out >> the very top layer with all the roots was a little tough, but >> like if it it's going through it. I do have to like get through the top layer like with a little scoop for a couple scoops and then after that it goes through the rest of this stuff pretty good. Maybe I'll take the loppers and just cut all these roots out that are hanging over.

[00:14:40]>> Yeah.

[00:14:42]>> Dang. That one was a solid route there.

[00:14:50]I don't know what happened to this, but it don't like work very good anymore. All right, we're back at it. I think it's cooled down. I think we'll just leave the spam blowing on it. Push some of the heat out.

[00:15:03]>> Good idea.

[00:15:54]That's the faith of true concentration.

[00:15:58]>> Don't look at that.

[00:16:07]Like you have to move this thing to get it to move so much.

[00:16:12]Is there a fix for that?

[00:16:14]>> I don't think so.

[00:16:24]>> All right. I can't go back too much further. So, the goal is going to be to maybe back up a little bit more so I can do as far back this way as I can and then uh I I don't know if my tracks are wide enough to straddle my hole and then also be able to get the other track to the other side when I'm done. But I I don't know. I don't know. We're just going to see. We might turn it over.

[00:16:51]>> Let's see.

[00:16:52]>> If it falls over, we'll just have to lift it up with the tractor.

[00:16:55]>> No. Oh, >> it can't be that big of a deal.

[00:16:58]>> So, you're going to try to straddle your hole now or you're backing up a little ways.

[00:17:02]>> I think back up a little more cuz I might not be able to back up far enough with the shipping container once I straddle my hole to dig far enough back.

[00:17:11]>> I see.

[00:17:11]>> So, I need to go as far that way as I can.

[00:17:14]>> Okay, let me move this out of your way.

[00:17:17]Just don't hit the pump pipe.

[00:17:20]>> All right, here we go.

[00:17:30]Wait, you got like three inches.

[00:17:34]Okay, maybe we'll leave a little bit of wiggle room there.

[00:17:45]>> Yeah, don't come back anymore.

[00:17:47]>> Okay.

[00:17:58]I think we're going for it.

[00:18:28]You're going to fall in your hole, >> huh?

[00:18:31]>> You look like you're going to fall in your hole with that track.

[00:18:35]>> What track?

[00:18:37]>> That far one.

[00:18:46]No, still collapsing it.

[00:18:59]Oh my.

[00:19:02]Craig's cragging around.

[00:19:14]All right.

[00:19:24]>> I mean, I guess you did it.

[00:19:26]>> I guess >> we'll see if you stay there.

[00:19:39]You're good.

[00:20:20]Are you going to try to get off?

[00:20:22]>> Yeah. I about hit the filter.

[00:20:24]>> Oh my gosh. I didn't even see it.

[00:21:02]What a predicament.

[00:21:10]Oh my gosh.

[00:21:12]Wait.

[00:21:14]What if we I think it's too late for any whatifs.

[00:21:21]No, wait, wait.

[00:21:38]Oh gosh.

[00:21:48]There we go.

[00:21:50]>> Huh?

[00:21:50]>> That looks good.

[00:22:00]>> Okay.

[00:22:02]>> Where you going?

[00:22:08]That was sketchy.

[00:22:16]Where are you going?

[00:22:18]>> I forgot I was facing backwards.

[00:22:26]>> That was tough.

[00:22:27]>> You filled in your hole a little bit.

[00:22:30]>> Yeah, but it should all at least be loose dirt. I can get with a shovel now.

[00:22:34]>> Yes.

[00:22:34]>> I imagine we're going to have to dig with a shovel a little bit over here near the foundation of this thing. But overall, man, this thing's probably perfect for small projects. Like, could you imagine putting in like a little flower bed or garden or something, man? You got the blade over here where you could like smooth stuff out when you're done.

[00:22:56]I'm pretty happy with with a little excavator here.

[00:22:59]>> Mini X. Mini Mini X.

[00:23:01]>> The old micro X. Size does not matter.

[00:23:06]Pretty good old trench right there. It does look pretty good.

[00:23:12]Maybe the saw is on too so we can get these roots.

[00:23:16]>> Yeah, I might need it.

[00:23:23]>> Oh, I caved it all in right here.

[00:23:27]>> Oh gosh.

[00:23:29]But I mean, how much faster was that than digging the whole thing with a shovel? You would just be here for days.

[00:23:34]>> I just wouldn't have done it. Stuff been running right on top of the ground.

[00:23:44]>> There we go.

[00:23:46]Keep getting that dirt out of there.

[00:23:49]>> Still don't like it. Still don't like digging.

[00:23:53]All right, guys. So, we just finished our trench. I want to show you all this thing. I'm going to give you a little bit of a tour of this this uh heavyduty machinery right here we got. Okay, this is a it's the industry H15R. I don't know. I ain't never heard of it. Maybe it's good. I don't know. I do know it has a Chinese motor, gas powered motor in this guy. Look at that thing. All you can see is that big old gas tank on top.

[00:24:19]Huh. But this is I think a 15 horsepower motor according to my stepdad. I I don't know. Maybe. Oh, it is H15R.

[00:24:28]>> Makes sense.

[00:24:28]>> Hey, 15 horsepower motor. It did pretty good. We're going to prop this seat open so we can uh let some of that heat.

[00:24:35]>> This is the access to I guess service it, right?

[00:24:38]>> I guess I think if you really had to do some stuff, you're probably going to want to take this back panel off or side panel or something like that. From what I could see online, when you get one, you want to make sure it has hydraulic fluid and probably just go ahead and do an oil change on it. I didn't do the oil change. Um but I will be here soon, okay? Cuz we got to make this thing last at least for one more job. This one specifically came with a bucket. It does not have a moving thumb. It just has like you can pinch stuff against it type of thumb. Um it it you can buy a it's like 150 bucks, but it it attaches to this hydraulic line here and then a piston goes right here.

[00:25:15]>> So it comes with the hydraulic line that you need.

[00:25:17]>> Yeah, this thing has So it has that hydraulic connection you can uh connect to. You got two more down here. I'm not sure what they're for, but uh maybe we'll figure it out. Maybe we'll buy some attachments for this thing. See what we can do with it. But it has uh the bucket came with it. The teeth on the bucket came with it, which is pretty nice. These look like you can change them out, too, once they wear down. I I don't know that this thing's going to last long enough for it to wear down. It came with a light, so you can work all hours of the night. One super cool thing is this blade right here. You can smooth some dirt out. It's not very efficient or effective, but you do have it. Like if you had a pile of dirt in front of you, you might be able to push a solid 2 in. It gives you stability though.

[00:25:57]>> It does give stability when you're digging. So, that is a nice nice thing feature about that. Uh, what else have we got? It's gas powered, not diesel.

[00:26:06]You have a couple of auxiliary buttons here. I'm not sure what they do. You got one on each side.

[00:26:11]>> Probably operates those other hydraulic.

[00:26:14]>> I know. We got to just buy a whole bunch of attachments. See what this thing can do. We're going to And then do one job with and let it sit there for the rest of its life. You're going to live a good life, Henry.

[00:26:25]This is Henry.

[00:26:26]>> Henry.

[00:26:27]>> Uhhuh.

[00:26:27]>> Got it.

[00:26:28]>> He's a young buck. 15. This Henry, 15 years old, born in Russia.

[00:26:40]It's all I could think of, guys.

[00:26:42]>> What do we got over here? What do What is all this? So, these >> I mean, it's the same.

[00:26:46]>> This is how you move it, right?

[00:26:48]>> Yeah. So, you move it. These things are super sketcho. These are sketcho. Like, they don't really Yeah. real real a lot of play in all the steering and everything's like a normal excavator.

[00:26:58]The only thing that's kind of different is this throttle over here you got. So, this is uh your throttle for the motor and it would appear that you need to have this thing kind of idled on up to uh not have it stall out when you're using your hydraulic. Um you also have this key start and then you have a uh on and off switch. Like you can't start it with a key or anything unless you turn this on, which also then turns your hour clock on. I've got >> How many hours we got on it?

[00:27:26]>> 4.4 I believe. Yep. And I think an hour and a half was it cuz I forgot to turn this off.

[00:27:33]>> So don't do that.

[00:27:34]>> What's this? It goes in here. Hydraulic fluid.

[00:27:36]>> Yep. This hydraulic fluid. This is your >> What's the temperature?

[00:27:40]>> Yeah, but it doesn't move any.

[00:27:42]>> Oh, >> it should be pretty high right now. And it's not. So I I don't understand that.

[00:27:47]I think maybe we'll drain it and try to figure out >> 120.

[00:27:51]>> Yeah, but it was that earlier when I put some in it.

[00:27:54]>> Okay, so >> temperature gauge might not work. What do the two pedals do? And now I'm just asking questions in case I need to sneak off with it in the middle of the night.

[00:28:03]>> This pedal does your blade.

[00:28:06]>> And that pedal? I have no clue.

[00:28:09]Oh, it's probably for your thumb.

[00:28:11]I bet it's for your thumb if you had that on there.

[00:28:14]>> Okay. cuz it will uh you can t tell that it's putting a uh load on the motor when you push it. Just nothing happens. So, it might be just pushing fluid in uh to that line over there. But uh either that line or them ones down there. I'm not going to figure some stuff out. It's on tracks as you can see.

[00:28:35]That's about it, though. I mean, it comes with a top on it. Things >> weigh. Did we learn anything about the weight or lift?

[00:28:41]>> I don't know. Let me let me pick it up real quick.

[00:28:45]enough. It weighs enough. Let me know.

[00:28:48]Do y'all have one of these? If you have and you know of any cool attachments for it, you know what would be cool? Like if you had just a a mower, one of them uh mowers that attach to like excavators. I don't know if they make a small one.

[00:29:02]That'd be like a muler mower. Oh my god.

[00:29:05]I'd be buying that sucker tomorrow.

[00:29:07]Dang, that would be cool. Just be going around like that. That's the mulchure. And just and then it's slinging stuff at me and I'm dodging because I'm from the Matrix.

[00:29:22]It's just a little secret about me. But yep, that's about it. All right, I think that's it, guys. We'll see y'all uh when we get ready to finish this. If you want to see us putting in our gray water tank, however, how we're going to do that for our laundry room and building a laundry room, click subscribe button. We need it. We need all of your support because if I have to go to the doctor for cutting my finger like everybody has told me I should have done it first time, then I need y'all to support that with watching my videos. Bye.