Buy new and used crawler excavators – Doosan/Develon, Komatsu, Sany, Hitachi, Liebherr, JCB, Yanmar – directly from specialist dealers. The 12-tonne class is where earthworks, sewer construction, demolition and roadworks really get going. We stock crawler excavators from 12 to 25 tonnes from Kraus Baumaschinen in Frankenthal, GSK Baumaschinen in Hanhofen, Bontebok from the Netherlands and Infa Nutzfahrzeuge – with year of manufacture, operating hours, operating weight and engine power listed in the advert, both new and used.
Which crawler excavator is right for your job?
12 to 16 t – compact class, often with a short tail: Doosan/Develon DX140 LCR, Yanmar SV120, Sany SY135C, Komatsu PC130/PC138, Hitachi ZX130/ZX160, Cat 313/315. Road construction, urban sewer works, landscaping and garden construction involving large volumes. The short-tail (LCR/US) model operates alongside moving traffic; 12–16 t machines can still be transported on a 3-axle low-loader without a special permit.
20 to 25 t – the standard class: Komatsu PC210, Sany SY215, JCB JS220, Liebherr R906/R920, Hitachi ZX210, Cat 320, Volvo EC220, Doosan DX225. The quintessential earthmoving excavator: 1.0–1.2 m³ bucket, demolition work with hammer and shear, sewer construction with shoring, quarrying. This is where the widest range on the market is found.
Over 25 t: Cat 325/330, Komatsu PC290/PC360, Liebherr R926/R936, Hitachi ZX350 – large-scale earthworks, demolition of tall buildings, quarrying. If required, we can enquire on your behalf with our dealers.
Specialised models: Dual-mode excavators (Case 788 P Railroad) for track construction, long-reach booms for waterways and landfill sites, demolition equipment with protective grilles and tilting cabs.
What we look for in a used crawler excavator
Undercarriage – the most expensive wear and tear: sole plates, track links, bolts and bushings, idler and carrier rollers, guide wheel, drive sprocket. A drive wheel worn in a ‘shark’s tooth’ pattern and severely sagging tracks indicate a five-figure repair bill. Have the wear measured as a percentage.
Rotary ring and slewing mechanism: play in the rotary ring (lift and rotate the upper carriage with the bucket attached), noises, oil leakage from the slewing gear.
Boom, stick, pins, hydraulics: play in all pins and bushings; cracks and repair welds on the boom and stick; scoring on piston rods; leak-free cylinders and hoses. Hold the boom and stick under load without them sagging. Hydraulic oil clear, not milky.
Engine and electronics: Cold start, exhaust smoke, performance under load, emission standard (Stage IIIB/IV/V with SCR/DPF – check regeneration and AdBlue system), read out the fault memory. Air conditioning, camera, monitor.
Operating hours, service history, documentation: Chain excavators operate for 1,200 to 1,800 hours per year; 8,000 hours with maintenance records are normal, whilst 15,000 hours are not uncommon for premium brands. CE marking, declaration of conformity, annual inspection by a qualified person, proof of quick-change coupler and attachments.
| Class | Operating weight | Bucket | Power | Typical models |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compact / Short-tail | 12–16 t | 0.5–0.8 m³ | 70–90 kW | Develon DX140 LCR, Yanmar SV120, Sany SY135C, Komatsu PC138 |
| Standard | 20–25 t | 1.0–1.3 m³ | 110–130 kW | Komatsu PC210, Sany SY215, JCB JS220, Liebherr R906, Hitachi ZX210 |
| Heavy | 28–40 t | 1.5–2.5 m³ | 150–220 kW | Cat 330, Komatsu PC360, Liebherr R936 |
Brands and dealers
Komatsu, Caterpillar, Liebherr, Hitachi and Volvo are the premium brands with the highest resale value; Doosan/Develon and JCB are priced lower whilst offering solid technology, whilst Sany has established itself as a new machine with Stage V compliance and a long warranty. Our dealers: Kraus Baumaschinen in Frankenthal (new and used Develon/Doosan, Yanmar SV120, Sany), GSK Baumaschinen in Hanhofen (Develon DX140 LCR-7 and Sany SY135C with Stage V), Bontebok Trading in Friesland (Komatsu, Liebherr, JCB, Case – used at fixed prices) and Infa Nutzfahrzeuge (Hitachi). Filter by manufacturer, weight, engine power, year of manufacture and operating hours.
Frequently asked questions about used crawler excavators
How much does a used crawler excavator cost?
Older 20-tonne excavators (15 years old, high operating hours) start in the low five-figure range, whilst newer 14-tonne short-tail excavators with Stage V emissions standards reach six-figure sums; new machines are priced higher than this. Factors driving the price include weight class, year of manufacture, operating hours, undercarriage wear, emission standard, quick-change coupler and bucket set.
How many operating hours are still acceptable for a crawler excavator?
Premium excavators typically run for 15,000 to 20,000 hours. An excavator with fewer than 5,000 hours is considered young. The decisive factors are undercarriage wear (as a percentage), the slewing ring, pins and bushings, as well as a complete maintenance history – an excavator with 9,000 documented hours is better than one with 5,000 hours but no maintenance history.
Short-tail or conventional?
Short-tail (LCR, US, Compact Radius) for road and canal construction in urban areas, excavation pits at the edge of the road and work under bridges. Conventional excavators have more counterweight, greater digging force and better stability for the same weight – and are cheaper second-hand.
How do I transport a 20-t excavator?
On a low-loader; 12–16 t can be transported on a 3-axle low-loader without a special permit, whilst a special permit is required for a total weight of 20 t or more and a width of 3 m or more. Specify the transport dimensions (width, height with boom) in the advert.
Which emissions standard do I need?
Public sector clients, major cities and main contractors are increasingly requiring Stage IV or V. For earthworks on private construction sites and abroad, Stage IIIA excavators without exhaust after-treatment are significantly cheaper and require less maintenance – a selling point if there are no specific requirements.
Can I lease a crawler excavator or finance it via hire purchase?
For many listings, you can submit a non-binding leasing or hire-purchase enquiry directly. You can discuss the terms with the dealer or their finance partner; the purchase and payment are handled directly between you and the seller.
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